When I explored the books in this Rising Voices collection, I was blown away by the beautiful images of Latino people on the covers—and by the names of authors and illustrators. These are real Latinos telling our stories. And when I opened the books, it was exciting to see my community represented in such a vibrant and positive way. The stories are diverse in the sense that some of them took me to places and cultures within my Latino roots that I’d not ever been to. I discovered beautiful traditions that, like those from my own culture, also connect families and show the value of community. These books showcase human experiences that in some ways are culturally specific but in other ways feel universal. I am honored to serve as a mentor and help to share this transformative collection with educators and students across the country. Bringing Rising Voices: Elevating Latino Stories to classrooms will allow all of our children to appreciate that there is something magical about being seen and appreciated for where you are from and who you really are. ABOUT SULMA ARZU-BROWN For more than 15 years, Sulma Arzu-Brown has been working as a champion for diversity and inclusion, well before the term became a trending topic. As the award-winning author of Bad Hair Does Not Exist!/Pelo Malo No Existe! and My Hair Comes With Me—Shifting the Paradigm of What Success Looks Like and the creator and co-writer of the nation’s first Afro-Latino TV series D’que Latino , she utilizes her platform to bring honor to the global Black and Afro-Latino diaspora. The timely message of Sulma’s work helps address the infinite possibilities for girls and boys of color. Her work has been featured in: Black Enterprise magazine and the Huffington Post ; she has appeared on NBC, Telemundo, Black News Channel, Univision’s Despierta America, @Dove Twitter, @TwitterVoices, and Remezcla; and has consulted with major brands and educational institutions, such as Barnes & Noble, Mastercard, Nasdaq, Edelman, PepsiCo, DoorDash, Columbia University, Stony Brook University, the New York City Department of Education, and Unilever’s Crown Act campaign to end hair discrimination nationwide in schools and corporations.
Teacher’s Guide • 11
Sample Teacher’s Guide 15
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