CHARLY PALMER: We want to start by thanking the committee for this incredible honor. We are truly surprised, humbled, and so grateful to be standing here today, receiving this special citation. It’s a rare acknowledgment — given only seven times in the entire history of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards — and we don’t take that lightly. It means so much to us, but more importantly, it means so much to the work that we’ve done with The New Brownies’ Book. This award is for all of us: for the more than fifty artists and writers who made this project what it is. We may be up here accepting it, but it’s all of our win.

KARIDA L. BROWN: We are standing on the shoulders of W. E. B. Du Bois — a giant whose vision, words, and courage have been an inspiration to both of us. When he created The Brownies’ Book in 1920, he was doing something revolutionary. He was giving Black children the space to see themselves as valuable, as beautiful, as worthy of stories that celebrated them. A hundred years later, The New Brownies’ Book is an attempt to pick up that torch and carry it forward, and this award is a recognition that, in some small way, we’ve honored that legacy. It’s also a reminder that we are still fighting the same fight: to create spaces where Black children can see themselves in a positive light, celebrated in all their beauty and brilliance.

CP: For me, as an artist, this project was personal. It’s about more than just creating beautiful images. It’s about telling stories — our stories. The stories of Black children, Black families, and Black communities. When I think about The New Brownies’ Book, I think about the importance of representation. Black children need to see themselves reflected in the stories they read, in the art they engage with, in the history they learn. They need to know that their stories matter, that their experiences matter. And that’s what this project is about: it’s about giving Black children that space to see themselves, to feel celebrated, and to know that they are loved.

KLB: The writers and artists who contributed to The New Brownies’ Book are the heartbeat of this project. Every single one of them poured their love, their creativity, and their brilliance into this work, and we are beyond grateful for them. They said yes because they believed in the vision of this book, just as Du Bois’s collaborators did a century ago. This award belongs to them as much as it belongs to us. Their voices, their art, their stories are what make this project special. And so, we thank each and every one of them for saying yes and for being part of something that we hope will inspire generations to come.

This book is for anyone who wants to see and feel the power of love — of stories and art that uplift, inspire, and celebrate the fullness of what it means to be human. Charly and I are honored to have collaborated on this as artist and scholar, husband and wife; and we hope The New Brownies’ Book will be a treasured part of your family’s collection.

[Read the Horn Book review of the 2024 BGHB Special Citation recipient.]

CP and KLB: We also want to take a moment to acknowledge the weight of this award — the fact that our book earned the “Special Citation” award, given out so sparingly in the long history of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards. We understand the significance of being chosen for this honor, and we will treasure this recognition. The New Brownies’­ Book is just one step in a much longer journey — a journey that Du Bois started a hundred years ago, and that we are still on today. At the end of the day, this award isn’t just about us. It’s about the children who will read these stories, who will see themselves reflected in these pages, and who will be inspired by the art and the words within this book. It’s about showing them that their stories matter, that they matter. That’s the legacy of The New Brownies’ Book. And we’re so grateful to the committee for recognizing that, and for giving us this opportunity to continue that work.

Thank you again to the committee for this tremendous honor. Thank you to W. E. B. Du Bois, who paved the way for all of us. And thank you to the fifty artists and writers who made this project what it is. We are deeply honored to have had the chance to collaborate with such an incredible group of people, and we are so proud of what we’ve created together. This award belongs to all of us, and we will carry it forward as a reminder of the power of Black brilliance, creativity, and LOVE. Thank you.

From the January/February 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine. For more on the 2024 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards, click on the tag BGHB24. Read more from The Horn Book by and about Charly Palmer.