I HAVE BEEN BLESSED
I have been blessed with the opportunity to do what I really love---write and publish books. I began writing when I was a little boy in my hometown, Mansfield, LA. At first, I wrote poems, then turned to short stories and in the 9th grade, I wrote a play that was staged at my school. Most of my writing was about my own experiences and focused on the people in my life. These were people who were not represented at all in the books in our segregated school, or in other books I was able to secure. Almost all the books available to me either left out people of African descent or maligned them as non- contributors to the development of civilization. My writing was a counterpoint to the world of dehumanizing Jim Crow laws under which we were forced to live. Racial prejudice and discrimination were everywhere when I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. But the writing of my youth pointed to an optimistic future despite the challenges and obstacles. It is that same optimism that I hope to share with children and young people through the books I write and publish today. Yes, I have been blessed indeed to have been given this opportunity.
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BIOGRAPHY
Wade Hudson’s career as a writer spans more than three decades. A native of Mansfield, Louisiana, he majored in political science at Southern University. After his involvement in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, he worked as a newspaper reporter, playwright and public relations specialist. In 1988, wade’s passion for writing and life-long mission to help foster positive self-image within the young Black community, helped propel the launch of Just Us Books, the nation’s leading independent publisher of Black-interest books for young people.
Wade serves as President and CEO of Just Us Books, which is recognized as a pioneer in children’s as well as multicultural publishing. Also an accomplished and award-winning writer, He has dedicated his publishing company to introducing young readers to uplifting portraits of African-American family life and to the personal stories of inspirational black figures from history. He co-wrote Just Us Books’best-selling title, AFRO-BETS Book of Black Heroes, which profiles dozens of Blacks who have excelled in a variety of fields. Edited poetry collections, such as Hudson's Pass It On: African-American Poetry for Children and Poetry from the Masters: The Pioneers, also reflect Wade’s commitment by filling a much-needed void in the works available to young students. In School Library Journal Carol Jones Collins described Poetry from the Masters as "an excellent resource" for literature students or middle-graders "just looking for wonderful examples of poetry to read."
One of Wade's most well-received works, Powerful Words: More than 200 Years of Extraordinary Writing by African Americans sheds a fresh light on the speeches, letters, essays, and other writings of black Americans, many of which are frequently overlooked in similar anthologies. Praised as an "inspiring and enlightening" collection by a School Library Journal contributor, Powerful Words contains excerpts from over thirty influential works, from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall's arguments in Brown v. Board of Education and scientist Benjamin Banneker's commentary to black activist Malcolm X's address before a group of African-American teens and Lauryn Hill's rap lyrics.
Wade serves as President and CEO of Just Us Books, which is recognized as a pioneer in children’s as well as multicultural publishing. Also an accomplished and award-winning writer, He has dedicated his publishing company to introducing young readers to uplifting portraits of African-American family life and to the personal stories of inspirational black figures from history. He co-wrote Just Us Books’best-selling title, AFRO-BETS Book of Black Heroes, which profiles dozens of Blacks who have excelled in a variety of fields. Edited poetry collections, such as Hudson's Pass It On: African-American Poetry for Children and Poetry from the Masters: The Pioneers, also reflect Wade’s commitment by filling a much-needed void in the works available to young students. In School Library Journal Carol Jones Collins described Poetry from the Masters as "an excellent resource" for literature students or middle-graders "just looking for wonderful examples of poetry to read."
One of Wade's most well-received works, Powerful Words: More than 200 Years of Extraordinary Writing by African Americans sheds a fresh light on the speeches, letters, essays, and other writings of black Americans, many of which are frequently overlooked in similar anthologies. Praised as an "inspiring and enlightening" collection by a School Library Journal contributor, Powerful Words contains excerpts from over thirty influential works, from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall's arguments in Brown v. Board of Education and scientist Benjamin Banneker's commentary to black activist Malcolm X's address before a group of African-American teens and Lauryn Hill's rap lyrics.
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In addition to nonfiction, Wade has also published several works of fiction. One of his most popular, Jamal's Busy Day has been praised for its use of a clever conceit that draws parallels between the daily activities of a young boy, Jamal, and those of his accountant mother and architect father. Like them, he gets himself ready for his "work," takes a crowded bus, works with numbers, attends meetings, does drawings, and so on. According to a contributor to Publishers Weekly, the story's optimistic message "is that both parents and children can 'work hard' and accomplish much in their respective arenas: all have something to contribute and all work has value."
As a publisher, author and advocate of diversity in literature, Wade Hudson offers a unique perspective to young people and adults during school visits, panels, workshops and other events. His presentations address some of the most pressing issues related to diversity, education and publishing, including “Identifying and Introducing Authentic Multicultural Literature to Young Readers.” He and his wife Cheryl were commissioned to create and facilitate a workshop for the Freedom Schools, operated by the Children’s Defense Fund. He has also presented at the Madison, Wisconsin school district, Hampton University, the American Library Association, and the International Reading Association.
Wade’s “Meet the Author” school visits are popular for elementary through high schools. In these interactive, engaging presentations, he talks about his work and mission as an author and publisher, beginning with his formative years in the
segregated South, how he began writing as a child, and how that all helped shape what he does today.
Beyond his more than 25 published children's books, Wade has written a number of plays that have been performed on the professional stage, including “Sam Carter Belongs Here,” “A House Divided,” and “A Black Love Story.” He is also very active in his community, serving on the board of the Isaiah House in East Orange, NJ and the Langston Hughes Library at the Alex Haley Farm, operated by the Children’s Defense Fund. In 2004, he and his wife co-founded The Knowledge Is Power Project, a non-profit youth literacy organization dedicated to bringing children and books together. Wade is also as a member of PEN America, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Authors' Guild.
As a publisher, author and advocate of diversity in literature, Wade Hudson offers a unique perspective to young people and adults during school visits, panels, workshops and other events. His presentations address some of the most pressing issues related to diversity, education and publishing, including “Identifying and Introducing Authentic Multicultural Literature to Young Readers.” He and his wife Cheryl were commissioned to create and facilitate a workshop for the Freedom Schools, operated by the Children’s Defense Fund. He has also presented at the Madison, Wisconsin school district, Hampton University, the American Library Association, and the International Reading Association.
Wade’s “Meet the Author” school visits are popular for elementary through high schools. In these interactive, engaging presentations, he talks about his work and mission as an author and publisher, beginning with his formative years in the
segregated South, how he began writing as a child, and how that all helped shape what he does today.
Beyond his more than 25 published children's books, Wade has written a number of plays that have been performed on the professional stage, including “Sam Carter Belongs Here,” “A House Divided,” and “A Black Love Story.” He is also very active in his community, serving on the board of the Isaiah House in East Orange, NJ and the Langston Hughes Library at the Alex Haley Farm, operated by the Children’s Defense Fund. In 2004, he and his wife co-founded The Knowledge Is Power Project, a non-profit youth literacy organization dedicated to bringing children and books together. Wade is also as a member of PEN America, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Authors' Guild.
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Expanding his writing and publishing efforts, in 2008, Wade, his wife Cheryl, and children Katura and Stephan, founded Marimba Books, a multicultural children's book imprint that has published more than a dozen titles, including It's Church Going Time, and Places I Love to Go, both of which Wade penned.
Wade's contributions to literature and the community have been recognized with a number of awards, including the Stephen Crane Literary Award, the Man of Valor Award, the Phillis Wheatley Award given by the Harlem Book Fair, and induction into the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent.
Of his work, Wade says, “One can never take any image for granted. Images, whether in print, film, television, or on stage, are constantly shaping the way we feel and what we think and believe. This is particularly crucial to the African-American community which has been deliberately given negative images of its history and culture. I find it rewarding to help reshape and change those negative images to reflect truth. I think the struggle to present the correct images, the truth, is the most crucial one facing us all."
Wade's most recent titles include We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, co-edited with his wife Cheryl. Published in 2018, the anthology features 50 award-winning creators of books for children and young adults who share words of wisdom, encouragement, inspiration and love for young readers in today's toxic and contentious culture. In September, 2020, a follow-up anthology, The Talk, Conversations About Race, Love and Truth was received to critical acclaim.