AZ Equity & Inclusion
May 19, 2023
Welcome to our SCBWI AZ EI Team Page
At SCBWI, we recognize that publicly committing to equity and inclusion is crucial to our membership and the readers we serve. Words, stories, and images are powerful: They define who we are for ourselves and for others. Historically, content creation that reaches a wide audience of children and teens has been intertwined with a legacy of privilege, oppression, bias, and racism. We acknowledge that, as part of the children’s publishing industry, we share in that legacy. You can find our complete Equity and Inclusion Statement here: SCBWI Equity and Inclusion Statement
Our Mission
Support the creation and availability of quality books for every young reader championing equity and inclusion. Our Goals – Expand inclusivity in our membership and create a welcoming and safe environment for all members. – Provide learning opportunities to increase social consciousness. – Increase inclusive programming, events, and community outreach.
Meet our E&I Team
Upcoming EI Meeting
Join us for our next In-Person Social Event:
Check back soon.
Our Next Zoom Meeting:
Harshita Jerath, picture-book author of THE LEAPING LADDOO and COOLER THAN LEMONADE, will join us and share her publishing journey.
WHERE: Zoom Platform
DATE: Sunday. March 19, 2024
TIME: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
RSVP to: Ebby or Karen at scbwi.az.ei@gmail.com for details
Hosted by: Ebonie Fields and Karen Chow
EI Spotlight Interviews
SCBWI EI Information
Equity and Inclusion Member Spotlight Interviews
Karen S. Chow MG Author | June 2021
Harshita Jerath PB Author | September 2021
Violet Duncan PB Author | November 2021
Shazia Rehman Desert Sunrise Scholarship Winner | February 2022
Sara Fujimura YA Author | April 2022
Bill Konigsberg YA Author | June 2022
Nouha Deliou PB Author | April 2022
Resources: Sticks and Stones and the Stories We Tell – As part of SCBWI’s Equity and Inclusion Initiative, the Sticks and Stones and the Stories We Tell video is available free to members and the general public and focuses on how ten BIPOC creators turned racism into art. Access the video here: Sticks and Stones and the Stories We Tell Digital Workshop
Events: – LatinX KidLit Book Festival – https://www.latinxkidlitbookfestival.com
BIPOC Bookstores in Arizona: – Palabras Bilingual Bookstore – Latinx-owned bookstore in Phoenix. https://palabrasbookstore.indiecommerce.com/ – Grassrootz Bookstore – Black-owned bookstore in Phoenix. https://grassrootzbookstore.com/
More opportunities: Pitch events for BIPOC:
DVpit – A biannual Twitter pitch event for self-identifying, historically marginalized authors & illustrators https://www.dvpit.com/
Latinxpitch – A Twitter pitch event specifically for Latinx creators held on September 15th https://latinxpitch.wordpress.com/
We Need Diverse Books – A resource page with articles about writing diversely and grants/awards for diverse creators. https://diversebooks.org/resources/resources-for-writers/
Additional Resources:
7 Anti-Racist Books Recommended by Educators and Activists
10 Black History Movies & Docuseries to Educate Yourself on Anit-Racism
Project Implicit YouTube Video of Dr. Robin DiAngelo Discusses “White Fragility”
Comments and suggested additions to our Equity and Inclusion Team Page
Do you have any suggestions or additions that you would like to see here? Please email us at: arizona@scbwi.org.