Freedom Braids
For ages 3+
Inspired by a true story of enslaved African women in Colombia braiding maps to freedom.
By Monique Duncan, illustrated by Oboh Moses (Lantana Publishing, 2024)
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“Amnesty International endorses this book as it vividly unfolds the story of an enslaved child who finds friendship, solidarity, and an escape to freedom.” - Lantana Publishing
As picture books go ‘Freedom Braids’ is a stunning book to behold. As a Black history book, honouring enslaved Africans in North and South America who fought for freedom, this is a story that will give the younger reader an age-appropriate soul-deep awareness of Black liberation during the Transatlantic Slave Trade era (c. 1526 - 1867). The story also gives the listener/reader an empowering insight into the heart and light that a community of Black enslaved women in Columbia, South America - forced apart from their loved ones in the physical - managed to manifest the power of hope and faith that they will find a way to escape and survive.
Even after toiling away in the sugarcane fields day after day in impoverished conditions they fight back, and form an ingenious network of resistance. The women are bonded over their circumstance. One lady becomes ‘Big Mother’ nurturing them with stories, food, caring for their hair... We witness this all through the eyes of Nemy, a young enslaved girl, and the story of her brave journey to a new life.
Author, Monique Duncan’s ‘Freedom Braids’ educates us all about the vital role that Afro hair braid-styles had in the fight for freedom from slavery. As you will see from the incredible end pages (the highly detailed inside cover illustrations by Oboh Moses) there are multiple styles of braids with significant names pertaining to warnings, routes or landmarks for escape routes and hiding places for gold or seeds for use once safe and sound. You will learn more about this and more in the double spread at the back of the book in which Monique gives some background to her research of actual historical events and locations. I have to add that Oboh’s artwork is absolutely on point - vivid, emotive - the cover artwork. Oh my gosh! Congratulations to Monique, Oboh and all the teamwork behind publishing this amazing story. I love the cover reveal in Times Square, NY - so awesome!
Stories like this these fit into broader conversations around Black history, which is so important. Picture book, ‘Freedom Braids’ is an absolute must for Black History Month in the UK during October - and as I always maintain, for all year round; plus for ages 3+ it is a stunning sister Children’s book to the beautiful ‘The Story of Afro Hair’ by K.N. Chimbiri, illustrated by Joelle Avelino (Scholastic), which is for ages 7+. Both these books, in my opinion, are essentials for Primary Schools and Children’s sections in public libraries, and parents looking to share Black history with young readers.
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About Author - Monique Duncan
Monique is a Black author of Jamaican descent. Her book When Mama Braids My Hair was nominated for the Ezra Jack Keats Award. She has an extensive background in education and fine arts coupled with a passion for teaching and preserving Black history and culture. She lives in New York City.
About Illustrator - Oboh Moses
Oboh is a Black digital illustrator who has been passionate about art since he was seven years old. In 2021, his work was selected for the American Illustration 40th Anniversary Annual. He lives and works in Lagos, Nigeria.
About Publisher - Lantana Publishing
Lantana Publishing is an award-winning children's book publisher and social enterprise with a mission to publish inclusive books by authors from under-represented groups and from around the world.
Praise for ‘Freedom Braids’
“A show-stopper of a picture book. The combination of a fantastic storyline, based on historical facts, and wonderful illustrations has created a book that simply has to be read. Put simply, this book should be in every school library!” - Spy Readers
“A poignant tale of courage and resistance and of long-standing cultural traditions. Quietly tinged with hope, Duncan's narrative demonstrates how those in bondage used skills passed down over generations to find the liberty they desired. Moses’ digitally rendered art depicts intricate braid patterns; his dramatic use of color during the escape scene heightens the drama, bathing characters in deep blues as they make their way to freedom." – Kirkus Reviews
“A captivating tale of struggle, female empowerment, and redemption that will leave you awestruck.” - Leo Boix, poet and author
“Freedom Braids pays loving homage to an imagined child’s journey, embodying the experiences of countless people who endured the horrors of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and honoring traditions forged in community.” - Uma Krishnaswami, author of Threads of Peace: How Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Changed the World
