At Ibi Zoboi's 2014 graduation from the Writing for Children Program at Vermont College of Fine Arts:
husband Joseph, son Zuber, daughters Abadai and Bahati, and mother Monique. Photo courtesy of Ibi Zoboi.

My whole life, my mother has been an avid writer. Between leading writing workshops for teenage girls and supporting the family, Ibi stole moments in the day to hone her craft. She was conjuring other worlds saturated in magic and fantasy in the corner of our Brooklyn brownstone. My mother was constantly pulling from her experiences, whether growing up in Bushwick in the eighties or attending workshops with the late Octavia Butler. Since I can remember, my mother has always complained about the countless thoughts hovering in her mind as she juggled raising my siblings and me with finding time to write. Though exhausting, her imagination begged to come to life, and Ibi pursued her calling relentlessly.

Being my mother’s daughter, I acquired her love for reading, writing, creating, and imagining. My mother quickly noticed my love for literature and unofficially designated me as her first reader. Since I was ten, she would shout my name from her home office at least once a week to read pages from her next novel or book in verse. Reading my mother’s writing in its early stages had an impact on my own writing. In exchange, I lent her my perspective to help her with dialogue so her characters did not sound like teenagers in the nineties. When my mother asked for feedback, she always encouraged me to be direct, thorough, and candid. Even when I felt that my critiques were harsh, my mother almost always agreed, letting me know that she values her young readers.

Since her debut, Ibi has written many books reflecting the social issues that impact our society, especially today’s youth. Her body of work addresses systems of oppression such as racism, sexism, and classism that kids are facing and discussing in their daily lives. She thoughtfully intertwines the subjects of immigration, gentrification, and police brutality into coming-of-age stories. What I appreciate most about my mother is her unwavering commitment to retaining the humanity of her Black characters. Ibi understands the political weight of her pen, and therefore uses her platform to give marginalized children and teens a space in literature. Amidst a turbulent political climate and systemic attack on education and intellectualism, brave and critical authors like my mother are needed now more than ever.

That is why Nigeria Jones undoubtedly deserves to win the Coretta Scott King Author Award. From the first pages, I knew this book would be a masterpiece. Nigeria Jones is an honest, vulnerable culmination of Ibi’s mission not only as an author, but also as a storyteller. My favorite novel of my mother’s, Nigeria Jones follows sixteen-year-old Nigeria, the daughter of a radical political patriarch and organization leader, who strays from her extremely insular upbringing to pursue her own self-determination. Transitioning from a Pan-Africanist, pro-Black household that privileged the absolute liberation of African-descended people to a predominantly white independent Quaker school challenges every truth Nigeria has been taught about the world she lives in.

While navigating the grief of her missing mother, the chaos of teen dating, and the complexities of female friendship, Nigeria is contending with intellectual debates that have endured since the beginning of our struggle as Black people. From the questions of segregation versus integration to the issue of sexism and homophobia in the Black community, Ibi introduces these heavy political debates in the context of a Black teenage girl’s life. Referencing historical texts from Thomas Jefferson and Frederick ­Douglass, Ibi critically interjects the absent perspective of Black women and girls into the American archive. Creating resonance between Nigeria and her readers, Ibi empowers not just Black girls but all young people to “create dangerously,” think critically, and use their voice even when challenged.

This profile's author (at right) with sister Bahati and mother Ibi in 2013.
Photo courtesy of Ibi Zoboi.

This book struck home with me as Nigeria Jones is grounded in the values my parents raised me and my siblings on. I always understood that I was Black, in all its residual plights and defiant glory. In Nigeria, I see glimpses of myself: intelligent, outspoken, ­awkward, creative, inquisitive, and eager to experience what the world has to offer. Like Nigeria, I attended a predominantly white private high school, a stark contrast from the Black community I was immersed in. Now at twenty-one years old, five years older than Nigeria Jones, I am graduating from college with a BA in Black studies. As my career continues to expand, I carry the lessons Ibi taught me as a mother and as a writer. I am increasingly proud to be the first daughter of Ibi Zoboi — a Black woman, a Haitian immigrant, and a headstrong, creative author, poet, and intellectual. I am honored to carry her legacy. I say this not just as her daughter, but also as a scholar who wants to dedicate her life to Black creativity and scholarship.

At my mother’s first Coretta Scott King Book Awards ceremony, one of her colleagues approached me. He asked, Do you know how hardworking your mother is? Every time I check my feed, she comes out with a new book! We both laughed because it was true! Ibi Zoboi, my mother, is a woman with a gift for storytelling. To my mother I will say: never question your voice, as you have confirmed through your writing that people want to hear what you have to say. Now more than ever, this world needs you. Let this award propel you further. I love you and am forever inspired by you. Congratulations!

From the July/August 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine: Special Issue: ALA Awards. For more speeches, profiles, and articles, click the tag ALA 2024.

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