A new picture book now being crowdfunded is about the “revolutionary friendship” between pioneering transgender women of color, Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson.
The book, Sylvia and Marsha, Best Friends, written by J.M. Ellison and illustrated by Tesh Silver, starts when Sylvia and Marsha meet in 1969. They are homeless, but Sylvia envisions, “Someday we’ll be able to wear whatever we want. People will call us by our chosen names and we’ll never go hungry.” Later, Ellison tells us at the Kickstarter page for the project, “They make history during the Stonewall Rebellion, kick-starting the movement for acceptance of queer and trans youth. Sylvia and Marsha help transgender girls by sharing what they have in abundance: friendship. Today, they are still remembered, showing that best friends can change the world.”
I have not yet read a copy of the whole book, but I love the approach of focusing on their friendship rather than just the political actions for which they are known. It makes for a warmer story, especially for children, showing the “why” of what they did, not just the “what,” and reminds us of the importance of friendship and community in any social change movement.
Ellison is a queer and non-binary trans writer, a Ph.D. candidate researching transgender history, and the recipient of a Yuyi Morales Merit Scholarship from the Children’s Picture Book Academy. They are the creator of If We Knew Trans History, a public history blog through which they have long been sharing information about Rivera and Johnson.
Silver is an illustrator whose work “lovingly depicts the lives of people of color and the work of revolutionary movements.” She is a teaching artist at the Hyde Park Art Center where she works with youth.
Their project will only be funded if it reaches its goal of raising $5350 by Sunday, July 28 2019 at 5:46 p.m. ET. Listen to them talk more about it below, where their enthusiasm shines through.
http://kck.st/2YnOf9C
This post is one of an occasional series I’ll do on crowdfunded efforts to increase LGBTQ representation in kids’ media. These aren’t endorsements or requests that you send them money; only you can make that decision. I think it’s exciting and important, however, to see some of the wonderful, creative projects that people are doing to help all kids’ see positive images of themselves and the people around them. If you are launching such a project yourself, please let me know.)