Having To Tell Your Mother Is The Hardest Part
Cover, book design and illustrations for 826DC’s Having To Tell Your Mother Is The Hardest Part, a collection of personal narratives by students from Bruce Monroe @ Park View Elementary & The SEED School of Washington, DC. Inspired by socially charged photojournalism, seventy students spanning ages ten to sixteen tackle questions about who they are in a memoir collection that reflects matters of importance to them.
Bruce Monroe is a bilingual Spanish-English elementary school where 100% of the students qualify for free/reduced lunch (the federal indicator of poverty). 54% of the students are considered English Language Learners. A predominantly Hispanic school, Bruce Monroe believes in the value of bilingualism, and their vision is to nurture students to become bilingual and biliterate. Bruce Monroe strives to do this while also teaching and modeling global citizenship.
The SEED Public Charter School of Washington, DC is the nation’s first college-preparatory, public boarding school. Students attend from some the city’s most impoverished neighborhoods, and students may have direct experience with the foster care system, criminal justice system, and the experience of homelessness. A predominantly African American school, SEED’s mission is to provide an outstanding, intensive educational program that prepares children, both academically and socially, for success in college and beyond.
Illustrations are created in the visual language of legendary tattoo-artist Sailor Jerry.
OMG.
An American eagle looming ominously.
These little sparrows reminded me of the innocence and optimism of the contributing student authors.
“I Am a Kid with Hope”
“I Want Justice”
“Together We Have Power”
Many students expressed fear and heartbreak regarding 45’s proposed border wall.
Remember time flies and the world is yours.
