The book is designed to create a direct response in families and in the community. With 26 letters, 26 lessons, and 26 original works of art, the first half of the book is a mental health conversation tool for BIPOC youth on how to survive in America. The second half of the book is designed to inspire adults to take direct action to change laws. With tear-out protest posters and detachable pre-stamped postcards to Congress, this part of the book turns the conversation into action. The book was direct-mailed out to 100 people, schools, museums, and change makers with a

The ABC’s of Survival is the book that should not exist, designed to be torn apart to change laws. The book is designed for children and adults. Its pages are an alphabet of survival lessons that support mental health for BIPOC youth in America and a section of tear-out protest posters and postcards to Congress for adults to take action. The book was made in partnership with The National Black Child Development Institute as part of their 50-years of providing culturally relevant, evidence-based, and trauma-informed resources that respond to the unique needs of Black children. With a total budget of $25,000, the project consisted of 100 limited-edition hard-bound books, an e-book for immediate virtual reading during the pandemic, a website to drive donations, and an Instagram account that teased a letter of the book each day during Black History Month.

The idea for The ABC’s of Survival came from parents, Shamel and Tiffany Washington. After George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were murdered, “we were looking for a creative solution to tell a troublesome story that plagues many Black households,” says Shamel, “and I wanted to create something that could help have “the talk” and help end the talk.” The idea was to create an actionable item to help people stand up for injustice in their communities. The ABC’s of Survival is for written and designed for child and adult audiences. The first half of the book is written and designed to read to children and support mental health for BIPOC youth in America. The second section in the book is designed to be torn apart so that adults can take protest posters into their community and send pre-stamped postcards to Congress to help change laws.

The driving strategy behind the book was the tension in “the talk” itself — having “the talk” about survival with BIPOC youth was both necessary and needed to stop. The book manifests that tension with an A to Z section for children that highlights 26 critical lessons for survival in America from being “aware” or your surroundings to knowing how to remove the “mask” you wear to hide your true self. The book was created by Black parents, artists, teachers, students, and health experts and is aligned with the mission of The National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) to improve and advance the quality of life for Black children and families through education and advocacy. The book was created based on the lessons taught from generation to generation, 50+ years of educational leadership by the NBCDI, and the urgent need to offer mental health support for children of color in

Every detail of the book launch was crafted to make a point. The physical book is hard bound and heavy, providing a physical weight to the emotional toll that weighs on Black families in America. The book is delivered inside an entirely black hard-cover box with die-cut bars—reminiscent of prison bars—that reveal “A B C” on the cover. Inside, there is custom-made artwork from BIPOC artists around the world and typography by Black type designers that pays homage to the civil rights movement. All photographs in the book were printed, torn by hand, and scanned into layout. The website features a video of the book and a menu that spells out “ABCS.” The Instagram account shared one piece of art per day, in alphabetical order, during Black History Month to tease the launch of the book and drive to an e-book made for immediate virtual education.

The book made it into a permanent display item at the Underground Railroad Heritage Museum in Niagara Falls. Forbes featured The ABC’s of Survival as being “How One Book Helps BIPOC Parents Talk To Their Kids About Race.” At the end of February, 100 limited-edition hard-bound copies went out to help create change. These copies went to BIPOC parents, students, teachers, senators, mayors, athletes, musicians, and other key influencers in the community. 10 schools are already using the book as part of their curriculum.The goal was to get this book into the world to create awareness and spark change. So, we made the book downloadable and available so families could read it remotely during the pandemic anytime anywhere, for a suggested donation of $10. The book’s social media presence has helped drive 175+ downloads of the e-book to-date with all donations going directly to The National Black Child Development Institute.