In South Carolina, black folk don’t ask each other’s last name; we ask about kin.
SELLERS, BAKARI. (2021). My Vanishing Country: A Memoir. AMISTAD.
Author, podcast host (The Bakari Sellers Podcast) and CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers shared in his 2020 memoir, My Vanishing Country that – In South Carolina, black folk don’t ask each other’s last name; we ask about kin. And, of course, there are many versions of this custom, depending on where you’re from. For instance, African American sin the state’s Upcountry might say, “What’s your people’s name?” In Denmark, it’s “Who’s Your People?”
As a Denmark, South Carolina native – it’s no surprise that Bakari Sellers would title his debut children’s book Who Are Your People? (illustrated by Reggie Brown). Who Are Your People? celebrates individuals and is a tribute to family and community. Inspired by Bakari Sellers three-year-old twins, Sadie and Stokely – Sellers had a desire to create a book that his children and other children could see themselves in as well as for other children who look differently to gain more understanding and empathy.
A book that was written for this moment, Who Are You People? can be used a tool to help teach children not just about great people throughout history, but for kids to realize the greatness that they can also achieve.
Who Are Your People? is available where books are sold.
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