Barnes: “In many ways... we are [kids'] first introduction to fine literature and fine art. So, I take that extremely seriously. I want to make sure the first book a little Black boy or little Black girl reads has a character that looks just like them.'
Enter your email to subscribe to Roy’s upcoming weekly newsletterNot out of anger. He’s past that now. He and his wife are past that. They’re now adjusting, or trying, to being near-empty nesters with the last two of their four boys—11, 16, 18, and 22—still at home while the two oldest are away in college. “We’re going into a new phase of our lives, man; so, we’ve got to transition right along with them,” Barnes shared with me this week from Charlotte, where the family lives.
“I also post about social injustice, like police brutality and things in American history that lend themselves to talk about racism. That’s not gonna change. If you’re a Black artist in this country, then by default ... you’re an activist. In some sort of way, you have to lean into that. You can’t just make art for the sake of making art.
He’s been speaking at schools, to children across the nation since 2005. To children in elementary to middle schools, which span the 30-some-odd children’s/youth books he’s written since leaving Hallmark, his first job out of college. Working as a copywriter of those sappy greetings we all fall for; he was the company’s first Black employee.
His talks to children evolved over the years, as you might guess. But the core message has been consistent. He does it, though, for the “babies,” as he terms elementary-aged kids. Oh, he does it to enhance book sales and for the increasingly lucrative fees, no doubt; that’s no crime. But he genuinely loves speaking to young children.
“The greatest compliment I always get from teachers is that when I’m speaking and interacting with kids, it’s like I’m an uncle, and that resonates with the kids. I like that. I wouldn’t even speak on the issue. I hope the house is packed so they can see how absurd the initial cancellation was.”
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