In honor of Black History Month, Family Equality is celebrating the Black revolutionaries who made LGBTQ+ history with an interview and read-a-long of Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution! by Joy Michael Ellison and Teshika Silver. Sit down with your Littles and press “play!” for storytime or discuss some of the questions and answers below with your Middles. Then, print out our Marsha P. Johnson coloring book page for more family fun!
Watch: Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution!
Read: An Interview with Joy Michael Ellison & Teshika Silver
Q: What conversations do you hope this book might spark between parents and their children?
A: I hope families talk about how we can follow Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson’s example. They spent their lives working for justice by building friendships and sharing their resources. That’s one of the types of activism we need right now.
Q: What is the biggest takeaway you hope that families get from your book?
A: LGBTQ+ people fought back at the Stonewall Rebellion because of racism, poverty, and police violence, as well as much as homophobia and transphobia. The stories about people of color who participated in the rebellion, like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, are essential to understanding what happened during the protests.
Q: What books featuring LGBTQ+ people & families are you reading right now?
A: I’m loving 47,000 Beads by Koja Adeyoha and Angel Adeyoha, illustrated by Holly McGillis and When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita.
Buy the book!
Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution! is the perfect way to start conversations with your children about important topics like gender, activism, police, and social justice. Buy the book today and check out more resources for parents and teachers at the link below!
About This Series
Family Equality is devoted to bringing you and your family opportunities to learn, grow, and have fun through the power of LGBTQ+ inclusive books for all ages! With our new blog feature, Reading the Rainbow, we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite LGBTQ+ family books from our Book Nook, in addition to featuring exclusive author Q&As. Tag us on social and tell us: What book should we highlight next?