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.
Amanda Malek Ahmadi
Amanda joined SCBWI in 2019 and since has published fer first picture book, 10 BALLERINAS, with the Small-Tooth-Dog Publishing Group. It is a Story Monster Approved book and an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award winner. Amanda loves that she was able to combine her passion for dance with her dream of publishing a book. Currently Amanda teaches dance at three valley studios and dances with Wight Noise Dance Company, a professional contemporary dance company in the West Valley. When not dancing or working on her writing, Amanda enjoys having adventures with her husband, three boys, and rainbow baby girl.
Equity and Inclusion Member Spotlight Interviews
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April MG Author |
June PB Author |
September PB Author |
November 2021 Shazia Rehman Desert Sunrise Scholarship Winner |
February YA Author |
April YA 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:
7 Anti-Racist Books Recommended by Educators and Activists
10 Black History Movies & Docuseries to Educate Yourself on Anit-Racism
YouTube Video of Dr. Robin DiAngelo discusses “White Fragility”
Diversity: What Can We Do About It?
SCBWI Executive Director Speaks Out on Diversity
Organizations and Resources Supporting Black Lives
National Hispanic Heritage Month Resources
Disability Awareness Month
Diversity Resources for Parents, Educators, Authors, Illustrators. and more