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The Racial Unity Team is hosting its sixth annual Art & Poetry Challenge in 2024. New Hampshire residents are invited to submit a poem or visual work of art inspired by this year’s theme: “Belonging.”
For teachers and parents encouraging students to participate, please consider the following questions:
Resources for all age groups are available in the resources pages below. They are offered to all participants and are especially meant to assist teachers and parents discuss the theme with students as they create their submissions.
Looking for additional resources? Check your local library or bookstore.
Dreamers is an autobiographical picture book by Yuyi Morales that tells the story of a mother and her son's journey from Mexico to the United States in the mid-1990s, highlighting the many obstacles immigrants face while trying to survive in a new country that doesn't readily welcome non-English-speaking people of color. The book celebrates the transformative power of literacy, language, and the picture book form, and features magical art that incorporates Mexican traditions and mythology, as well as tributes to kid lit classics, old and new.
Last Stop on Market Street tells the story of a young boy named CJ and his Nana, who take the bus to its last stop on Market Street every Sunday after church, and through Nana's playful imagination and gentle leadership, CJ begins to see each moment as an opportunity to find beauty in what he has and can give, as well as in the city where they live.
The Name Jar is a picture book by Yangsook Choi that tells the story of Unhei, a young Korean girl who has just moved to America and is ashamed of her name when the children on the bus find it difficult to pronounce and ridicule it, but with the help of her classmates and a boy named Joey, she learns to appreciate her name and cultural identity.
In Everything in Its Place, Nicky doesn't feel that she belongs, but she learns to appreciate her identity when she meets a group of motorcyclists who celebrate their differences. Poetic text and rich illustrations offer a touching account of the challenges of assimilation and the importance of validation.
This is a kids book about belonging. It tackles what it’s like when you feel like you belong to a group or family or team, and what it’s like when you don’t. It addresses what it feels like when you don’t fit in, or when it may feel like others don’t want you around.
This book teaches kids aged 5-9 how to incorporate the feeling of belonging into their lives. The feeling of belonging is something that everyone strives for, which is why it’s important to know how to belong to yourself and love who you are, and how that helps you to belong anywhere.
The Matchbox Diary is a picture book by Paul Fleischman and Bagram Ibatoulline that tells the story of an Italian-American immigrant who shares his childhood memories with his great-granddaughter through a "diary" of saved objects that commemorate the important events of his life. The sepia-toned illustrations beautifully express his journey from Italy to Ellis Island and the start of a new life, providing an inspirational introduction to the immigration story that captures the humanity of the journey.
In New Kid, a graphic novel by Jerry Craft, African-American boy Jordan Banks navigates the mostly white Riverdale Academy Day School, where he experiences microaggressions and struggles to find his self-identity, but through art and with the help of supportive classmates, he learns to cope with the challenges of being the new kid and the only student of color.
An intro to the book by author Jerry Craft:
In Fish in a Tree, a middle-grade novel by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Ally Nickerson, a dyslexic girl who has attended seven schools in seven years, copes with her difficulty reading and misunderstandings caused by her acting out, until a creative new teacher helps her recognize her dyslexia and renew her determination to read. The story offers a poignant portrayal of the challenges of dyslexia and the importance of supportive teachers and friends.
First three chapters read by the author:
In Rain Is Not My Indian Name, the sensitive and witty narrator, 14-year-old Cassidy Rain Berghoff, grows up in a small Kansas town as one of the few people with some Native American heritage. The story follows her conflicts and experiences, including the death of her mother, her best friend's death, and her enrollment in her great-aunt's Indian Camp, and the book offers a poignant portrayal of the challenges of growing up and finding one's identity.
Ghost is a middle-grade novel by Jason Reynolds that follows Castle "Ghost" Cranshaw, a boy who has been running for three years since his father shot a gun at him and his mother, as he gets recruited by a local track coach for a championship team, but must stop getting into fights at school to stay on the team. The story portrays the challenges of growing up and finding one's identity, tackling issues such as theft, bullying, and domestic violence with candor and bravery, while opening a door for empathy and discussion.
A young Korean girl named Chuna struggles to find her place in the world as she navigates cultural differences, family dynamics, and the pursuit of self-identity in her new American home
In her debut graphic novel, Harmony Becker captures the experience of living in a foreign country and grappling with a new language through the story of Nao, a Japanese American teenager. Becker's art references manga and Japanese urban aesthetics, reinforcing the book's themes of immersion and self-definition, making it a must-read for teens interested in language and cultural exploration.
Walking In Two Worlds by Wab Kinew
Kinew's Walking In Two Worlds is an exhilarating and thought-provoking novel that seamlessly blends heart-pounding action with textured family and community relationships, all while showcasing the vibrant future of Indigenous culture through the eyes of a young protagonist. Bugz's journey through the real and virtual worlds is a captivating exploration of identity, self-discovery, and the power of connection. Kinew's writing is both thrilling and deeply personal, creating a narrative that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. This novel is a must-read for fans of young adult fiction, Indigenous literature, and anyone seeking a story that will stay with them long after the final page.
18-year-old Ben, kicked out by their unsupportive parents after coming out as nonbinary, finds refuge with their estranged sister Hannah and her husband Thomas. Starting a new school, Ben meets Nathan, a friendly student assigned to help them adjust. As their bond deepens, Ben grapples with self-acceptance and anxiety, facing the challenge of coming out to Nathan and exploring their budding feelings. Deaver's debut novel tackles complex issues like LGBTQ+ identity and family acceptance with sensitivity and heart, offering a relatable and hopeful story. Along the way, Ben discovers the true meaning of belonging, finding acceptance within their chosen family and the possibility of love with Nathan.
Adult Fiction
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza tells the story of a splintered Muslim Indian family in California, focusing on the varied experiences of Layla and Rafiq, who try to maintain Islamic traditions, and their children, who struggle with faith, responsibility, racism, fear, longing, and jealousy. Mirza conveys with graceful specificity the rhythms of Muslim life, from prayer to wearing hijab, gender etiquette, food, holidays, and values, all of which illuminate universal quandaries about family, self, culture, beliefs, and generational change.
Adult Fiction
Linus Baker, a tightly wound caseworker, is sent to observe a remote orphanage for magical children, where he meets extraordinary kids and starts to question a world that treats magical children as second-class citizens, in this breezy and fun contemporary fantasy by TJ Klune.
Adult Fiction
Victor, a young medical student, fights in the Spanish Civil War and later escapes to Chile with Roser, a pregnant woman he marries in name only. They build a life together, raising Roser's son, but face political persecution under the Pinochet dictatorship. Allende's vivid prose beautifully captures their journey of exile, love, and resilience against the backdrop of historical events.
Adult Nonfiction
Renowned cultural critic bell hooks examines the meaning of home, belonging, and the connection between people and the land in her book Belonging: A Culture of Place. This collection of essays reflects on issues of land and land ownership, regionalism, the self in place, connection, community, and the past, present, and future of the South, while also discussing the esthetics of blackness and the politics of race and class, and offering a remarkable vision of a world where all people can live fully and well, wherever they may call home.
Adult Nonfiction
In Tribe, National Magazine Award-winning journalist Junger meditates on tribal sentiment, how it aids "loyalty and belonging and the eternal human quest for meaning," and how the disappearance of this sentiment has had toxic consequences for modern societies. Junger explores the virtues of tribal communities, in particular Native American societies, for their embrace of belonging as a core principle of human well-being, and suggests that the U.S. could cure its ills if it could only focus on the collective good.
Adult Nonfiction
In Braving the Wilderness, author Brene Brown explores how to cultivate community and belonging in a disconnected world. Through personal stories and research, she outlines the elements of true belonging, which encourage readers to connect with others, set boundaries, and be more curious than defensive. The book emphasizes the importance of taking risks and living from "our wild heart" to achieve a healthy sense of interconnectedness and Brown offers practical advice for building meaningful relationships.
The Art & Poetry Challenge 2023 “Untold Stories - A Hidden Past >>> An Inclusive Future" is on a state wide tour. To learn more about the exhibit view the flyer on your left. The exhibited will be hosted at the Howe Library's Ledyard Art Gallery in Hanover NH, during library open hours. It will then move to the next tour site provide on the list below.
Preview the 2023 winning submissions here
Tour Schedule 2023-2024
Leigue of NH Craftsmen Art Galery, Concord Merrimack County - June-July 2023
Exeter Public Library, Exeter, Rockingham County
September - 2023
NH Arts Association Levy Gallery Portsmouth, Rockingham County - October 2023
Wiggin Memorial Library, Stratham, Rockingham County Nov-Dec 2023
Manchester City Library, Manchester, Hillsborough County - January 2 - 30, 2024
Baker Free Library, Bow, Merrimack County
March 2024
Amherst Town Library, Amherst, Hillsborough County
April 2024
Pease Public Library, Plymouth, Grafton County
May - June, 2024
Howe Library, Hanover, Grafton County
July 2024
August 2024
Vacant, Location TBD
There's much to see here and learn about how we are using the arts to create social change. So, take your time, look around, and learn all there is to know about us and the work of artist and poets in New Hampshire. We hope you enjoy our site and take a moment to drop us a line. Y'all come back now.
Racial Unity Team hosts Art & Poetry Challenge for New Hampshire residents of all ages
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Racial Unity Team
P. O. Box 101 Stratham, NH 03885
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HEADING ART: Unity, by Richard Haynes
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