UWS Guidance Counselor Focuses on Black Authors
Sarah Kamya’s library project highlights positive books about people of color
Home in Massachusetts with her family during COVID-19, Sarah Kamya, a guidance counselor at PS 191 on the Upper West Side, has started an initiative called “Little Free Diverse Library,” with a focus on Black authors and Black-owned bookstores.
Kamya, 26, has always been an avid reader. While in Arlington, Mass., she recently stopped by a Little Free Library, which is a popup often in front of someone’s home with books that people leave or take, and noticed there were no books by Black authors.
So, realizing these are troubling times where Black people are being targeted, Kamya wanted to highlight positive things about people of color. She launched Little Free Diverse Library Project in the hope of amplifying and empowering Black voices through books.
“I think it is important because we need to see ourselves represented in positive roles,” she stressed. “So often we are told we can’t take on these roles. Students need to see themselves, especially students of color, represented in these characters.”
National Attention
Kamya created a wish list on Amazon of books written by Black authors and has been collecting money on Venmo so she could purchase books from black owned bookstores. So far, she has raised more than $10,000, had more than 500 books sent to her house and mailed books to people in 28 states.
She has bought books from Frugal Bookstore in Massachusetts, the Lit Bar in the Bronx, Mahogany Books in Washington, D.C. and Semicolon Bookstore in Chicago.
“They’re [bookstore owners] overwhelmed with all the books that are being purchased from them right now,” Kamya said.
Kamya’s students on the UWS love what she is doing and she hopes to bring a pop-up Little Free Diverse Library to PS 191 as well.
“I feel like I’m making a small change, but an important change,” she said.
She has also garnered national attention and was recently interviewed on the “Kelly and Ryan” show.
“It’s exciting for a woman of color to really be making a difference and be recognized for her efforts,” she said. “It felt amazing. I feel very fulfilled from this. I’m really excited to see how this has grown and where it goes.”