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Markeeter E. Knox will be releasing her first ever book, I Scream You Scream: We All Learn About Ice Cream very soon. She wrote it in concert with her 6-year-old daughter, Trinity. Readers of this book will join them on a fun adventure in learning how mixed ethnicity children fit into this diverse world. This book, published by The Rules of a Big Boss LLC will officially launch at Super Icy Brothers. Best of all, CN2 News is coming out to cover her in a story regarding the pr

My daughter, Haelee (not pictured) and stopped by the dollar store following our workout yesterday. Sheryl Smiley-Oliphant (also known as the activity author) sent us on a mission to gather materials so that Haelee and could spend time together creating crafts. The crafts are based off of my award winning children’s book: Dear Daughter: a love story. What I didn’t know, was that I was going to throw everything in the bag and go for broke in the dollar store. I kid you not whe

Sheryl Smiley-Oliphant (also known as The Activity Author) has been featured on WCNC News. She is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University and the University of North Carolina Charlotte where she majored in Theater Arts. Sheryl is a drama and theater arts teacher in the Charlotte Mecklenburg County School System. She also hosts a YouTube Channel via her alias where she encourages families to spend time creating together. Sheryl creates original crafts that are center

My daughter, Haelee and I were both working on new books. She was working on her novel while I was working on a children’s book for brown boys. We gladly placed them on a hold so that we could place our full support behind an amazing mommy/daughter duo who deserve to have their voices heard. Markeeter E. Knox (mommy) is a wife, mother, and educator. She is a philanthropist, champion of diverse communities, mentor, and a veteran of the US Air Force. Markeeter’s mission is to e

This cutie, Trinity and her mom, Markeeter Knox gave me a reason to skip out on a meeting this morning. You see they invited my daughter, Haelee and I to graduation at Rock Hill Virtual Academy. You may recall that both Haelee and I paid author visits to their school earlier in the year. With that being the case, I nor she would’ve missed out on this momentous occasion for the world particularly given that Trinity looks up to Haelee. Seeing the joy on all of the children and

Nathan (N.J.) Porter is a native of Camden, New Jersey. He served as a Chaplain Assistant in the US Air Force from 2002 - 2008. Chaplain Assistants help organize and prepare for ministering to Airmen. They specifically help with counseling. N.J. followed these experiences up by receiving a Bachelors of Social Work (BSW) from the University of South Florida in 2011. There he served in the Gospel Choir, Faces Modeling Association, and STOMP Step Team to name a few organizations

Yannick Atambona is an author, educator, certified interpreter/translator, and an expat. He lived in Thailand for several years where he served as a thesis editor and taught ESL (English as a Second Language. Yannick is proficient in French, Thai, and the English languages. He currently resides in Jamaica Queens, New York. Yannick has witnessed bullying firsthand and the impact that it has on the emotional, academic, social, and personal development of kids during his travels

New Baby Coming, New Baby Here is written by Sheryl Smiley-Oliphant. The story is told by a 5-year-old orator named Alisa. She has no idea what to expect when her parents bring her new baby sister Claire home from the hospital. At first, she is enamored by her but reality sets in, and things become more difficult than she anticipated. She must learn to share her toys, attention, and parents’ love. However, as Claire grows, Alisa learns that all of the hard work, life changes,

Markeeter Knox is a Kindergarten Teacher at Rock Hill Virtual Academy. The Academy offers a K-12 alternative learning option for families that remain concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic. But not only that, it also provides a solution to those who want the benefits of learning from home. Families that opt to participate in this have access to the same certified teachers as in person students. You can read more about them by going here. Mrs Knox asked me if I could come and r

​​​​​​​​I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Kim C. Lee at a children's book pop up shop on April 9, 2022. The pop-up shop was facilitated by Unique Busy Kids in my hometown of Greensboro, NC. The event was in celebration of Week of the Young Child. I decided to purchase a copy of Grand Joy after hearing a great deal about it on Instagram, Facebook, and Clubhouse. In doing so, I asked Kim to make it out to and autograph it for me. She happily obliged and said within, "To De

Rachel Boyd is a general assignment reporter for Spectrum News. She originally hails from Tampa Florida, but she relocated to Wilmington, NC after interning with Spectrum in July 2020. One of the favorite parts of Rachel’s job is showcasing the amazing things people have seen and done in their lives. Rachel is inspired by the stories that she hears so she loves making those stories heard, especially ones that have been buried under the surface for years. Rachel stopped by Ben

Unique Busy Kids (UBK) is a preschool that is founded by Krystal Glass. It's conveniently located at 3405 Lewiston Road, Greensboro, NC 27410. Children are allowed to express their uniqueness in a social environment that maximizes their UNIQUE strengths and abilities. They take pride in helping children develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically. You can read more about them by going here. Because of that they invited some of their favorite children’s books au

Virtuous Cornwall is an alumni of Rutgers University. She’s a military wife, mother, and the CEO/Founder of VNC Books. Writing is her passion and she gears it towards children and families. Her latest book, This is our History takes children on a journey to Africa, Elkins Castle, and so much more. While the book primarily targets people of African diaspora, it actually features characters of all ethnicities. It doesn’t paint one or the other in a bad light because it’s beyond

The Forsyth County Local Author Fair was held on March 19, 2022 from 1 PM - 4 PM at their Central Library Headquarter. My daughter, Haelee and I were among twenty local authors that they allowed to participate in the event. I’m so glad that they choose us because it was a grand joy for myself and others in attendance. I personally got to laugh, eat cookies, make new connections, and finally meet people face to face that I’ve long shared literary spaces with such as Chris Sing

Forsyth County Public Library is a consortium of 10 public libraries nestled throughout Winston Salem, NC. They are leaders in lifelong learning through community engagement and innovative programming that focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. With that in mind, Lara Luck, Collection Development Supervisor and her team, hand selected 20 authors from across the state to participate in their local author fair. I’m absolutely humbled and honored that my daughter and I were

Jonathan Burgess is the co-founder of Burgess Brothers Food. He and his twin brother, Matthew created the “ChurWaffle,” and sell cornbread mix based on their mother’s original recipe. Jonathan holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Phoenix. He is the author of Gold Rush: Burgess Descendants. Johnathan co-authored this book with Michelle Knight and Kim Jones. It recounts the story of the Burgess family wherein a former slave purchased his freed

Those that know me know that I always wanted a daughter. My reasoning was that she would love me unconditionally. I believed that would help fill the hole that was in my heart. God heard my prayers and made it so in giving me the most beautiful baby girl on October 18, 2007. Haelee told me during the midst of an argument that she wasn’t exactly sure if I loved her because my words didn’t match my actions. She reminded me that I told her that a boy that says that he loves her

Today marks the conclusion of Black Children’s Book Week and it’s a momentous occasion for me. The reason being is that I will be doing my first ever in person reading of my best selling and award winning children’s book, Dear Daughter at Next Chapter Bookstore (located inside of Ben’s Boyz). For those that are unaware, I wrote this book in an effort to clean up what I messed up (Ref: The Canton Spirituals) with my daughter in not being mindful that words of affirmation is he

Read Across America happened yesterday. Me and my Dad were invited to be guest speakers and readers at Casa (Casa Esperanza Montessori Charter School). Casa is a 501c(3) charter school that offers a dual language curriculum and Montessori philosophy. Their approach to learning provides social, emotional, cognitive, and academic benefits to build a foundation for lifelong success. They build their students to be global citizens by strengthening their leadership and critical th

I’m humbled and deeply honored to share that Je’Quita Z. Johnson, Author, I Am Pretty personally selected me as a panelist for her first annual Black Children’s Book Week. Je’Quita specifically said, “I knew that I had to have you on the show after hearing about your book, Dear Daughter.” She will be celebrating black children and books by black authors that represent them in a positive light from 2/28 - 3/5 at 7:00 PM EST nightly. Je’Quita is not only an author but she’s als