Books | Culture & Community | Arts & Culture | Youth Arts Journalism Initiative | Yale Peabody Museum | Arts & Anti-racism
Natalie Clorio Photos.
As he flipped through the pages of his book, author Abdul-Razak Zachariah paused before asking the dozens of young people in front of him if they ever experienced playing with friends. Hearing the question across the room, several children shouted their friends’ names while those at the back nodded in response.
Those words came to the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History on a recent Saturday, as authors Zachariah and Laura McClam Williams brought a Juneteenth-themed storytime to the building's central gallery. As both read to dozens of young attendees, the event fostered a spirit of inclusion, creating narratives by and for people of color focused on community.
Juneteenth marks the anniversary of June 19, 1965—a full two years after the end of the Civil War and the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation—when word reached Galveston, Texas, that slavery had ended. On that day, according to groups like the Official Juneteenth Coalition of Greater New Haven, there was celebration and commemoration of a milestone in American history.
Four years ago, then-President Joe Biden designated the date as a federal holiday.
“For me as an author, it’s important to show more stories where there are Black children and children of color enjoying themselves and living their lives without being in some kind of situation where there is a problem happening but being able to live safely and happily,” Zachariah said.
The event focused on the local authors, both of whom have experience in living and working within and advocating for communities of color. Inspired by Zachariah’s sister, Aisha Nabali, The Night Is Yours tells the story of a young Black girl named Amani, playing hide and seek with her friends in the apartment courtyard. The moon watches Amani and her friends with love. As the children play hide and seek, the moon celebrates her self-confidence and the love from her community.
Natalie Clorio Photos.
Across the room, kids and families took their seats, some smiling, laughing and chatting even before the reading started. Most of the kids decided to sit up front on a colorful rug to have a closer view. As more time passed, the room began filling up with taken seats. Newcomers leaned against the wall to watch a larger-than-life version of the book on a projector screen.
As he flipped through the thick pages, Zachariah looked around, peppering his young readers with questions meant to keep them engaged. Had students had similar experiences? Did they like to play hide and seek? Did they live in a building like Amani’s? With every question, loads of children raised their hands; others shouted the word “Yes!” excitedly across the room.
As the story ended, Zachariah asked the audience if they had any questions about the book. As a response, questions ranged from the author personally to the main character, Amani, of the book.
“Because … the book it’s showing Black children and children of color while playing freely, I think it connects to a sense of freedom and what we should also be allowing kids as a sense of freedom in all communities,” he said.
Laura McClam Williams, author of Be Patient and Wait, presented a story focused on learning patience. She explained that her inspiration comes from working with children who have Autism. The book follows a character named Mikey who sometimes struggles to stay patient or calm, and his mother’s gentle reminder that the things he needs will come to him in due time. The words “Be patient and wait” are repeated on every page, like a mantra.
Beyond reading, McClam Williams had come prepared with sensory activities, including a reminder that having patience can yield magical results. As she spoke to the group, she handed out vibrant and colorful scarves, walking attendees through a series of movements that they could emulate. By the end, she placed an object inside her palm and then opened it, the object, slowly blooming into a flower.
This article comes from the 2025 cohort of the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative (YAJI). YAJI is a program in which New Haven, Hamden and West Haven Public Schools high school students pitch, write, edit and publish articles through the Arts Paper. This year, YAJI advisors include Arts Paper Editor Lucy Gellman and reporter and YAJI alum Abiba Biao. Natalie Clorio is a rising senior at Hill Regional Career High School.