The Woodson Project: Amplifying Black Voices by Ramon Carela, Young Adult Librarian, Castle Hill LibraryFebruary 1, 2021

An image of a bullhorn below text which reads, "Amplifying Black voices." The objective of Amplifying Black Voices, one of the four main themes of the Woodson Project, is a sustained commitment to bringing attention to and championing content created by and for Black community members. The project aims to develop and promote dynamic booklists, research tools and events to enrich the literary interests of community members and encourage future independent research. Additionally, the purpose of this platform is to provide unique and authoritative content that expands intellectual horizons, encourages cultural inclusiveness and builds supportive community engagement.

Contributors: Ramon Carela, Asuncion Cora, Whitney Davidson-Rhodes, Esther Jackson, Carolyn Lawerence, Dhariyah Luqman, Allison Nellis, Micheal Okoli, Rachel Roseberry, Wayne Walters

Booklists Representing the Book Industry

Black Authors Booklist: This booklist highlights materials created by Black authors who celebrate the unique stories, appealing perspectives, and relatable experiences of the disapora.

Audiobooks Read By Black Narrators: This booklist highlights some of the many audiobooks performed by Black narrators who use their vocal abilities to create compelling audio journeys and bring their own experiences and talents to stories centered on Black lives.

Black Book Designers, Illustrators & Comic Artists: This booklist highlights Black visual artists—illustrators, cover designers and graphic novel and comic artists—who use vibrant colors, unbounded imagination, and unique perspectives to attract readers of all ages to reading materials.

Recognizing Black Publishers & Black-Centric Imprints: This booklist highlights some of the many materials in the New York Public Library collection that are published, licensed, or distributed by Black-owned companies or Black-centric imprints within larger publishing houses.