CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This weekend wraps up national storytelling week, which is a week that celebrates the power of sharing stories. A book is a gift that you can open over and over again.
As the week comes to an end, one local author is continuing to fill in the gaps by highlighting authors of color.
Dedrick Moone is a local author, publisher and writer. Moone's goal is to continue celebrating authors of color and their literature.
"When I was younger, we didn't see books that were written by black authors and the only stories that we heard were about, you know, slavery, civil rights, and that’s all the hurt," said Moone.
Moone reviews and higlights books from marginalized authors with the goal of supporting disadvantaged voices in the literacy world.
"We're a small, marginalized community in and of itself, and I was like, so whatever I can do to help support the next one, I'm willing to do that," Moone added.
According to 2022 data from Zippia, Black, Hispanic, and Latino authors represent less than 10% of all authors.
Moone's hope is that his work and reviews encourage black and brown authors to continue filling in the gaps and also open doors to opportunities for the younger generation.
This kind of story gives us hope for a better tomorrow.
Tradesha Woodard: Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.