Helping underrepresented kids see themselves through stories

In recent years, there has been a push for greater diversity in children's publishing, with an understanding that young readers from all backgrounds need to be able to see themselves as the hero of the story. Yet there are still stories that are too seldom told, kids who don't often find themselves represented in colorful picture books -- especially those with multiple underrepresented identities.

UM-Dearborn 2005 College of Arts, Sciences and Letters alum Reda A. Taleb hopes that by telling a story inspired by her own, kids growing up with an incarcerated family member will finally see themselves on the page.

"I was grateful to draw upon elements of my own lived experience to help me cultivate a nuanced perspective on the impact of incarceration on families, their needs, and what community care for all youth inside and outside the classroom ought to be," says Taleb, who is also an entrepreneur and is the founder and CEO of Dream Catchers Innovations, which serves people and organizations focused on advancing social justice and equity through grant writing, project management, startup development and more.

In Taleb's book "Noura's Extraordinary Superpower," illustrated by Abira Das, Taleb describes the story of a little girl from a Lebanese-American community who learns how to activate the innate superpower of empathy in order to help her and her family heal, forgive and remain close while they are separated by a loved one's incarceration.

In addition to representing the perspective of families impacted by incarceration, Taleb roots Noura's story in her culture, as both the character and author are Muslims of Middle Eastern and North African/Southwest Asian and North African (MENA/SWANA) heritage.

"All children need books where they can see themselves represented in the characters who share their lived experiences - intersecting identities, dreams, ideas, culture, faith, pain, trauma, challenges, grief, love, hope, family, belonging and the journeys associated with all of these experiences." says Taleb, whose father - unlike Noura's in the book - died in prison. "Like many others from the MENA, SWANA andMuslim community I yearned to see myself and my community's lived experiences authentically and accurately represented in the books amdcurriculum used throughout my schooling - but I didn't."

Taleb says that the response to "Noura's Extraordinary Superpower," which was published in 2022, has been overwhelmingly positive. "People from all walks of life, ages, backgrounds, parts of the country have shared the affirming and transformational experiences that the book has offered them, their students, and their communities," she says. "And for me, if Noura's story can change one life, then perhaps I've done my work well."

To continue the work, Taleb published a sequel,"Noura's First Visit: A Book To Help Youth Prepare For Visits With Incarcerated Loved Ones" in August. She will celebrate at a book launch event on Oct. 22 at Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn, which is free and open to the public.

Taleb hopes that her books will spur students to become critical thinkers about social justice "and see themselves as agents of systemic change. Books are a powerful tool for that."She says education is a powerful tool too, and credits her UM-Dearborn professors for helping get her to where she is today. Taleb says she was "challenged to be a critical thinker by some of the most brilliant and devoted minds in the country."

She especially credits three professors for having a profound influence on her life as an author and advocate. Political Science Professor Emeritus Ronald Stockton pushed her to expect excellence from herself. "He had no tolerance for laziness, lack of effort or subpar work - and if you did submit such work, you definitely got the grade for it. I took that level of discipline with me to law school," says Taleb, who went onat Cooley Law School in an effort to more fully understand the justice system.

Taleb says History Professor Marty Hershock cultivated the importance of knowing U.S. political and social history, especially in Michigan. "His passion for the subject matter, couched within his supportive teaching style was transformational," Taleb says. "He was and remains one of the most exemplary advocates for students on campus."

And African and African American Studies program co-founder and Professor Emerita Gloria House - who's a poet and essayist - inspired her as a student and continues to play an active role in her life today. House, who taught at UM-Dearborn from 2003 to 2014, is an activist, who began her work during the Civil Rights Movement. "From the moment I stepped into Dr. House's women's literature class, I was instantly teleported to another realm of both critical and creative awareness that I had never experienced before," Taleb says. "Dr. House was not only my professor, she became my mentor and is now my dear friend. I'm honored, proud and eternally grateful that Dr. House is the editor of my books." (House is also known by her African name, Aneb Kgositsile.)

Taleb, who is a member of the CASL Advisory Council, says her experiences as a child, student and author help drive her advocacy work.In 2023, Taleb was featured as the keynote speaker for the National Education Association's Minority Leadership and Women's Leadership training seminars to advance racial and social justice. Her book has been highlighted on NPRand in UM-Dearborn's Center for Arab American Studies' Seen Jeem Podcast. She's spoken at numerous universities, schools, libraries and community organizations, which she says created opportunities to be in community through healing circles, to work on policy and advocacy initiatives, and to reimagine a more just and equitable world together.

"I hope youth struggling with parental incarceration will see themselves in this series, learn agency over their feelings and circumstances, reclaim their joy, dream of their greatest potential in life and strive towards accomplishing it, and feel enveloped in the community care they deserve," she says.

Story by Shaun Manning.

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