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ENGLEWOOD- In observance of "Black History
Month," youngsters at the Englewood Public Library
will hear Dr. Alicia Terry Henderson, an Englewood author,
read and discuss her new children's book, "Call
Me Black Call Me Beautiful," Wednesday, Feb. 19,
at 4 p.m. in the Library Children's room. She will sign
copies of the book after the program. The "Meet
The Authro" program is free and open to all chidlren
and their parents or caregivers.
Dr. Henderson's picture book, her first, centers on
a boy named Richard, who is upset and confused when
his white friend calls him "black" since his
skin is really brown. The book addresses the issues
of self-esteem, racial identity, and racial pride. The
story has its roots in the author's own childhood experiences
as well as those of her young daughters.
"As a teenager, I was bused from Milwaukee's inner
city to a predominantly white suburban high school,
Dr. Henderson recalled. "This could have been a
very difficult experience had my mother not prepared
me. As it was, I was socialized to love being black
and to be proud of being black."
She continued, "I was prepared to exist in both
worlds and in a sense was bicultural. I have passed
that on to my own children. My daughter attends an independent
private school with a diverse student body, yet she
is the only African American child in her class. I have
helped her understand that although people are different
from one another, they are all beautiful, and she is
now comfortable in different environments."
Dr. Henderson, who holds a Ph.D. in clinical social
work and is a lecturer of ethnocultural issues of New
York University, is also a first-time publisher, operating
her company, Royal Regal Books, out of her Englewood
home. Her new book was illustrated by Jennifer C. Kindert.
"I suspected that larger publishers wouldn't recognize
the significance of my book," she said. "I
decided to follow my husband's suggestion to start my
own company. With his help, I launched Royal Regal Books
and went on to print 2,100 copies of Call Me Black."
Her marketing efforts have included setting up a Website
(www.royalregalbooks.com),
sending out promotional postcards, and arranging (through
Baker & Taylor) for the book to be available through
Internet channels.
Dr. Henderson, who has been featured in Publisher's
Weekly, has also sold her book to Head Start programs
in her area as well as to local bookstores. Among retailers
that have had success with the titled is Hue-Man Bookstore
in Harlem, where she recently signed books.
She expects to soon order a second printing of her books
and plans to create additonal stories featuring multicultural
themes.
Dr. Henderson has participated in numerous book signings.
She has had great reviews. Here are a few comments about
her book.
"Many young children have experienced this same
thing as did our daughter."- Raye Johnson, Bryn
Mawr, PA resident.
"In addition to being a mother of three beautiful
black children, I am a clinical child psychologist and
researcher. I can attest (both professionally and personally)
to the many obstacles parents of color face in raising
healthy children. The reality is that there are specific
challenges parents of color face in nurturing and guiding
our children on a path to success that mainstream children's
books simply do not address. "Call Me Black Call
Me Beautiful," makes a vital contribution to children's
literature and is an effort that is long overdue…"
-Stephanie Irby Coard, Ph.D., Research Scholar
For further information on the Feb. 19 "Meet The
Author" Children's Program, call the Library Children's
Room at (201) 568-2215, ext. 241.
About the Author
Dr. Alicia Terry Henderson is a child psychotherapist.
She is also a lecturer of ethnocultural issues at the
New York University Shirley M. Ehrenkranz School of
Social Work. She has researched and written about the
social psychological factors related to individual and
black self-esteem development. Call Me Black Call Me
Beautiful is her first children's book, and the first
of her Multicultural Children's Book Series. She resides
in Bergen County, New Jersey with her husband and two
children.
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