Kin: Rooted in Hope -- Adventures in Learning with Award-Winning Mother-Son Author-Illustrator Team Carole Boston Weatherford and Jeffery Boston Weatherford

Dr. Diane's Adventures in Learning

Meet author/illustrator team Carole Boston Weatherford and Jeffery Boston Weatherford (also mother and son). Carole has authored 70+ books, including award winning Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre; Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom; and All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson. Jeffery's beautiful illustrations can be found in We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices and You Can Fly: The Tuskegee Airman. On this episode, we celebrate the book birthday of their new, incredibly powerful joint venture Kin: Rooted in Hope ( I devoured it in one sitting), and we talk about how this duo brings nonfiction to life.
[01:20]: We discuss their experience collaborating as a mother-son duo.
[03:01]: Carole talks about their long history of collaboration and how working on books is different from everyday tasks.
[03:30]: We discuss the genesis of Kin: Rooted in Hope.
[04:46]: Carole and Jeffery discuss their family's ancestral farm and the inspiration behind Kin.
[06:15]: Carole discusses the research process for Kin and shares some surprising discoveries she made along the way.
[12:48]: Carole reads a poem about Prissy Copper and explains its significance.
[14:55]: Jeffery discusses his approach to illustrating the book.
[19:40]: We reflect on how Kin provides a rich context for understanding the lives of enslaved people.
[21:10] : Jeffery discusses his technique and the inspiration behind specific illustrations.
[26:54]: Jeffery shares an illustration of Frederick Douglass and its significance.
[28:07]: Carole highlights some of her favorite illustrations and their emotional impact.
[31:38]: Carole expresses the hope that readers will understand the value of preserving family stories and heritage.

[34:33] Carole talks about her childhood and how her parents, both educators, nurtured her interests in poetry and visual arts.

[35:41] Jeffery discusses how his mother recognized his artistic talent and encouraged his journey in the arts.

[37:21] Dr. Diane shares the story of Archie Williams, the first African American meteorologist in the United States.

[38:49] They discuss their involvement in STEM education, including hip hop workshops and a project about artist MC Escher, inspired by mathematics.

[42:03] Carole discusses her criteria for choosing subjects to write about, including admiration, significance, and market demand.

[44:23] Jeffery talks about how he envisions illustrations while reading the manuscript and selects images that resonate with him.

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