Hey, Everybody,
Sorry I’ve been a little lame about posting new blogs. Many of you have let me know, gently and not-so- gently (my people!), that it’s high time to come up with something else! Just know that I have been extremely busy, running from school to school and library to library spreading the word about Little Miss Amy Hodgepodge. Who knew writing a children’s book series was going to be such a hustle! But I’ve got to tell you, every little face I meet that lights up when they see these characters, and hear these stories they can relate to, makes it all worthwhile! One of you guys wanted to know whether I considered video blogging. Truth be told, I’m rocking a bush these days that’s so big, I can’t find a camera with a lens wide enough to encompass it! So until someone invents one of those, I’m going to make due with featuring a guest video blog from Fanshen of MixedChicksChat. They recently produced a wonderful video podcast explaining to the world the fundamentals of Amy Hodgepodge, a children’s book series featuring multiracial Amy Hodges and her crew of racially and ethnically diverse friends. The video podcast should answer a lot of your questions:
Mixed Minute: Amy Hodgepodge –
When you get a chance, check out MixedChicksChat. They’re great! Okay. Gotta run…I’ve got a hungry man shooting me dirty get off the computer and make my dinner looks. Feminists, don’t be alarmed — he does all the dishes! Ciao
Glad to know your doing big things for all people. Keep pushing.
Calvin
I grew-up in Harlem starting at Tenement-Rail-Road Bldg. (145th Street & Amsterdam) aka “Sugar Hill”. Then moved to the “Valley” (141st & 7th Ave Drew Hamilton Houses). Then 110th & Fifth Ave aka “Schomburg Plaza”. Next “Fifth Avenue Place” (111th/112th & 5th Av), Spanish Harlem (El Barrio). Harlem was Black & Chinese so there were a lot of Multicultural Kids. My friend Sheila Wong was Jamacian/Chinese. My friend Deborah was Afro-Italian.
My friend Mildred Lee was Afro-Chinese (we called her China Doll).
My friend Tiger Lilly was Afro-Chinese. My friend Pat was Afro-Jewish. My best friend is Afro-Cherokee and I am Afro-Cherokee. My mother was called “High Yellow” (behind her back) but in front of me and my sister, by her so-called friends and in-laws. We would get in trouble for mouthing-off and defending our mom. We got teased for having long pigtails. I think that in 30 years there will only be one race, “Human”! There are more things that bring us together than separate us. We all became “One” briefly after 911 (for a minute). The majority of people became “One” after President Obama won. I think we’re getting there. Then we as a people can consentrate on more pressing issues like curing Cancer, AIDS, Preventing Child & Female Abuse and World Hunger. Controlling the pet population. I think that your book should in all school libraries and required reading. It’s so sad that within the many shades and hues of Afro-American culture, racism is still practiced like the Caste System in India, and in certain Cities like Chicago…Oh my God! Spike Lee depicted it best in School Daze.
Keep hustling. I’ve heard great thing about the book. Probably will pick it up for my nieces.
I have to look for those books for my daughter… she is a little confused and calling herself “a little bit brown”
hey this is a very interesting article!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for the Amy Hodgepodge books! My daughter is 8 years old and received the first 2 books during Christmas break to ‘keep her reading’. Needless to say, she read them BOTH in 3 days. She has read all 5 books now and constantly looking for more. They were the first ‘chapter books’ she read. I am SO blessed that she LOVES to read. Will you be coming to NC for a book signing? Thanks again, and I’m sure Kennedi thanks you, too!!
Margaret,
I’ll be in N.C. in August performing my one woman show “A HANDSOME WOMAN RETREATS” at the National Black Theatre Festival in Salem. I’ll probably doing a reading/signing of Amy Hodgepodge in connection with that. Will post the info. on facebook & myspace pages. Thanks for your support!
I am so happy to read that you are going to be in Winston-Salem for the National Black Theatre Festival. I am a native of Winston-Salem and will be there. Can’t wait to see you!
It’s great that your courage was released to create Amy Hodgepodge. Me myself I’ve been accused of being half chinese, indian, domincan and all other things even though both of my parents are black. The world needs to touch base on those of multiple races because now-a-days no one is one specific race. And with Amy Hodgepodge we are looking at reality and how the world really is.
I want to thank your husband for giving me a little bookmark on the beach at Laguna. We were there with my daughter Taylor who is mixed Black, japanese, mexican and white. She is young and I’m always taken aback by ignorant people who blurt out questions and want to know what she is and if I’m her real mother. We just finished a book about my cancer journies and it is authored by Tayloir in her words. We had an illustrator who drew remarkable pictures that show exactly how we look and we celebrate the diversity in our lives. Thank you. We would love to meet you someday too. Nice blog about MJ….I loved him too and was sure it was I, he would marry:)
The only thing that truly matters is whether we are saved or unsaved. I believe teachings of African-American children learning to “Love their neighbors as themselves” could benefit the most, since African-Americans seem to be the only group of people generally as a whole who are not happy with whom Father GOD made them to be. I have never heard any other culture of people degrade and hate on their own, the way Africa-Americans have been taught to do (and the plan works so well). On the other hand, Black and White are not in the Bible, people were known only by their cultures. In other words, diversity comes from “Divide and Conquer.” Biblical Ham was never called a Gentile,(Genesis 10, older KJV)nor Ham was never cursed, it was his son Canaan.
My daughter is African American, Caucasian, and Asian. Most people take a double take when they see me with her. I carried her for 39 weeks, and she came from me. I was even accused of adopting her from China by a little Chinese woman not long after she was born. When my Asian American husband walked into the conversation, she begin to apologize. She did look like a little Chinese boy at that time. Basically very little hair. Now she is about to be 8 with two pony tails down her back, and she looks very different. We were in target, saw the Amy Hodgepodge books, and she saw herself when she saw Amy. She loves your books. Thanks for creating them. She loves to read, and your wonderful books gave her more of it.
Best wishes,
~April Holcomb