I’ve been talking up a storm lately. This past month, I was very busy with different meaningful opportunities to spread the word about the Badass Black Girl series of books and to connect with writers and readers. Here are just a few of the events I participated in:
Empowering Young Women
I spoke to a group of students for the Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation. This was especially meaningful to me, because the organization serves at-risk young women aged 12-21 in San Bernardino, California, where statistically, young women are more likely to drop out of high school and face other adversities. The organization’s mission is to, “empower these young women to achieve at their highest potential, particularly in education, and to instill in them a commitment to return to their community as leaders and mentors.” We had a thought-provoking conversation about the importance of believing in oneself. When I set out to write Badass Black Girl, these were the awesome girls I envisioned reaching, so it was good to connect with them.
Empowering Writers
Here’s the concept: You have the length of an elevator ride to pitch your idea for a book to a panel of agents and publishers. You get feedback, maybe even a book deal. Sound like fun? It was. I was one of the editors at the Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter 2021 Pitch O Rama, representing Dragonfruit, Mango Publishing’s new children’s imprint. A good time was had by all.
Empowering People of Color
I was on a panel focused on Women and Art for the Library Journal’s 2021 Day of Dialog. What an impressive program they put together for this year’s Day of Dialog! Katie Couric and Colson Whitehead were two of the keynote speakers at this year’s event. My panel focused on women and art and we discussed the underrepresentation of women and BI-POC in publishing. Another important discussion.
Celebrating Culture
200 kids! That’s about how many kids I talked to for the Palm Beach County Public Library System’s Meet the Author event that was held as part of the library’s Haitian Heritage Month programming. We discussed Empowered Black Girl: Joyful Affirmations and Words of Resilience. What an amazing crowd of kids that was! We talked about the importance of positive self-talk from my new book of affirmations.
Connecting with my audience brings me loads of joy, and it was good to have the opportunity to meet with people from all over the country. I’m looking forward to the next set of events already.
Kenbe,
MJ
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A creator of safe spaces, and an initiator of difficult conversations, M.J. Fievre, B.S. Ed, spent much time building up her Black students, helping them feel comfortable in their skin, and affirming their identities. Her close relationships with parents and students led her to look more closely at how we can balance protecting our child’s innocence with preparing them for the realities of Black life. When―and how―do you approach racism with your children? How do you protect their physical and mental health while also preparing them for a country full of systemic racism? She began to research the issue and speak to school counselors and psychologists to find (and apply!) strategies parents and teachers can use with their children to broach uncomfortable but necessary topics.
M.J. is the author of Badass Black Girl, a daily dose of affirmations for Black Girls.
“You'll come away from Badass Black Girl feeling as if you've known the author your entire life, and it's a rare feat for any writer.” ―“Mike, the Poet,” author of Dear Woman and The Boyfriend Book
#1 Gift Idea in Teen & Young Adult Cultural Heritage Biographies, Publishers Weekly Select Title for Young Readers.
Affirmations for strong, fearless Black girls. Wisdom from Badass Black female trailblazers who accomplished remarkable things in literature, entertainment, education, STEM, business, military and government services, politics and law, activism, sports, spirituality, and more.
Explore the many facets of your identity through hundreds of big and small questions. In this journal designed for teenage Black girls, MJ Fievre tackles topics such as family and friends, school and careers, body image, and stereotypes. By reflecting on these topics, you will confront the issues that can hold you back from living your best life and discovering your Black girl bliss.
Embrace authenticity and celebrate who you are. Finding the courage to live as you are is not easy, so here’s a journal designed to help you nurture creativity, positive self-awareness and Black girl bliss. This journal honors the strength and spirit of Black girls.
Change the way you view the world. This journal provides words of encouragement that seek to inspire and ignite discussion. You are growing up in a world that tries to tell you how to look and act. MJ Fievre encourages you to fight the flow and determine for yourself who you want to be.
Badass Black Girl helps you to:
Build and boost your self-esteem with powerful affirmations
Learn more about yourself through insightful journaling
Become comfortable and confident in your authentic self