SCBWI

Society of
Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators

Equity & Inclusion Team

Welcome to our SCBWI AZ EI Team Page

At SCBWI, we recognize that publicly committing to equity and inclusion is crucial to our membership and the readers we serve. Words, stories, and images are powerful: They define who we are for ourselves and for others. Historically, content creation that reaches a wide audience of children and teens has been intertwined with a legacy of privilege, oppression, bias, and racism. We acknowledge that, as part of the children’s publishing industry, we share in that legacy.

You can find our complete Equity and Inclusion Statement here: SCBWI Equity and Inclusion Statement

Our Mission

Support the creation and availability of quality books for every young reader championing equity and inclusion. 

Our Goals

– Expand inclusivity in our membership and create a welcoming and safe environment for all members.  

– Provide learning opportunities to increase social consciousness. 

– Increase inclusive programming, events, and community outreach.

Meet our E&I Team

As we are building our Regional Equity & Inclusion Team, we are thrilled to introduce you to our two Co-Leaders.

 

Fawzia Tung

Fawzia Mai Tung, the daughter of a diplomat, grew up around the globe, receiving her education in 13 different schools in five countries and four languages.
Now a retired journalist, psychiatrist, and educator, as well as a mother of seven and grandmother of 7, Fawzia writes stories drawn from her experience and background. She is very interested in the growing movement of Equity and Inclusion and has been a member of SCBWI since 2017.

 

Eboniè P. Fields

Eboniè Fields is a children’s book author and the founder of Ebby’s Book House LLC, an organization that provides online writing coaching. Fields has years of experience writing for local papers, tv stations, and corporate websites. In 2008, she was awarded Rising Star in American Women in Radio & Television and selected as a nominee for Houston Business Journal’s 40 under 40 Award in 2014. In 2021, Fields was awarded the Women Educator Champion- Impact Award by the Women in Business Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce. To learn more about Ebby, visit her website at www.eboniepfields.com/


Equity and Inclusion Member Spotlight Interviews

 

April
2021

Karen S. Chow

 MG Author

June
2021

Harshita Jerath

 PB Author

September
2021

Violet Duncan

 PB Author

November
2021

Shazia Rehman
Desert Sunrise Scholarship Winner

February
2022

Sara Fujimura

 YA Author

 

April
2022

Bill Konigsberg

 YA Author

June
2022

Nouha Deliou

 PB Author


Resources:

Sticks and Stones and the Stories We Tell – As part of SCBWI’s Equity and Inclusion Initiative, the Sticks and Stones and the Stories We Tell video is available free to members and the general public and focuses on how ten BIPOC creators turned racism into art.

Access the video here: Sticks and Stones and the Stories We Tell Digital Workshop


Events:

– LatinX KidLit Book Festival – https://www.latinxkidlitbookfestival.com


BIPOC Bookstores in Arizona: 

– Palabras Bilingual Bookstore – Latinx-owned bookstore in Phoenix. https://palabrasbookstore.indiecommerce.com/

– Grassrootz Bookstore – Black-owned bookstore in Phoenix. https://grassrootzbookstore.com/


More opportunities: 

Pitch events for BIPOC: 

– DVpit – A biannual Twitter pitch event for self-identifying, historically marginalized authors & illustrators https://www.dvpit.com/

– Latinxpitch – A Twitter pitch event specifically for Latinx creators held on September 15th  https://latinxpitch.wordpress.com/

– We Need Diverse Books – A resource page with articles about writing diversely and grants/awards for diverse creators.  https://diversebooks.org/resources/resources-for-writers/


#Ownvoices or #Livedexperience author or illustrator books recommendations:

Check out the SCBWI Arizona Curated EI Book List


Join us:

Our volunteer form can be filled out online here: https://arizona.scbwi.org/volunteer-interest-form/


Additional Resources:

It Gets Better Project

Human Rights Campaign

Sunshine Behavioral Health

7 Anti-Racist Books Recommended by Educators and Activists

10 Black History Movies & Docuseries to Educate Yourself on Anit-Racism

Project Implicit

YouTube Video of Dr. Robin DiAngelo discusses “White Fragility”


Diversity: What Can We Do About It?

Diversity: What Can We Do About It?

SCBWI Executive Director Speaks Out on Diversity

SCBWI Executive Director Speaks Out on Diversity

Organizations and Resources Supporting Black Lives

Organizations and Resources Supporting Black Lives

National Hispanic Heritage Month Resources

National Hispanic Heritage Month Resources

Disability Awareness Month

Disability Employment Awareness Month Resources

Diversity Resources for Parents, Educators, Authors, Illustrators. and more

Diversity Resources

 

Comments and suggested additions to our Equity and Inclusion Team Page

Do you have any suggestions or additions that you would like to see here? Please email us at: arizona@scbwi.org.