A Letter to the Future Storykeeper
Dear Future Storykeeper,
Where the Stories Began
If you trace my love for storytelling back to its roots, you will find it sitting right at the kitchen table, surrounded by the laughter, wisdom, and memory-keeping of the family elders who taught me that our voices are our power. Long before I ever held a published copy of my own books, I was a listener. I learned early on that history isn't just what gets printed in textbooks. It is preserved in the cadence of an auntie's advice, the deliberate pauses of a grandfather recounting the old days, and the sacred duty of passing those truths down to the next generation. That deep-seated reverence for family lore naturally drew me into the quiet sanctuary of children’s libraries. Growing up, I was the kid pulling every book off the shelf, searching for characters who reflected my real world, my community, and my experience. When those books ran out, a quiet realization took root: if the stories we needed weren't on the shelves yet, we had to write them ourselves.
From the Classroom to the Page: Crafting Worlds as an Author and Educator
That early quest to find our reflections on the page evolved into a lifelong vocation. Today, as I fulfill my roles as an associate professor, university department director, writing coach, team trainer, or sitting at my desk drafting worlds for young readers, my core mission remains identical. As an author of books for children and young adults—including Zora, the Story Keeper, If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad, Sellout, and Simone Biles: 5-Minute Genius Stories—I write to ensure that Black children see their brilliance, history, and boundless potential mirrored back to them without compromise. Writing for youth isn't just about entertainment. It’s an act of cultural preservation. It’s about telling young people that their imagination is vast and their history is foundational.
The Coach’s Corner: Supporting Future Writers and Leaders
Of course, the work doesn't stop at the final chapter of a picture book. Through my work as the founder of Curriculum Cafe LLC, as well as a writing coach and corporate trainer, I get to sit across from writers, educators, and executives who are trying to find their own narrative rhythm. People often ask me how I balance leading academic departments, running a business, and authoring books. The secret is that they are all the same job. Whether I am helping a corporate team shape an authentic training narrative or coaching an emerging writer through a blank document, my goal is always to strip away intimidation and replace it with agency. I tell my writing clients what I tell my university students: Progress and process over perfection, always. You don't have to capture the whole universe on page one. You just have to commit the next sentence to paper.
Bringing the Story Home: From the Library Stacks to the Obama Presidential Center
If you had told that little girl pulling books off the library shelves years ago where this journey would lead, she might have smiled in wonder. Recently, during the historic opening weekend of the new Chicago Public Library branch at the Obama Presidential Center, I had the extraordinary honor of standing before a room full of families to read Zora, the Story Keeper. Looking out at the audience—seeing parents, children, and even a carpenter who helped physically build those very walls—it hit me with full force. This is what Education with Love looks like in practice. It is living proof that our stories matter, our histories are worth protecting, and our voices belong at the center of the community. So, to every future storykeeper reading this: grab your pens, open your laptops, and lean into the conversations that scare and inspire you. The world needs what only you can write.
With deep care and fierce belief,
Dr. Ebony Joy Wilkins
Author, Educator, Speaker, and Founder at Curriculum Cafe
I just bought her book!