The mission of BCBA is to introduce and reintroduce the world to Black authors who write children’s and young adult literature. There are some names that readily come to mind when discussing Black children’s books—Walter Dean Myers, Nikki Grimes, Eloise Greenfield—and a few others, Morgan Monceaux is not one of them. So in keeping with our mission, BCBA spotlights Morgan Monceaux, a native of Louisiana who is talented in many art forms, painting, singing, and dancing. Although his formal education include studying music and theology, Monceaux is a self-taught artist. For a period of time Monceaux, a Vietnam veteran, was unemployed and homeless, but began teaching himself to paint while working as a custodian in a club. See “Additional Reading” to learn more about Monceaux’s amazing journey from homelessness to renown artist and author of two nonfiction children’s books, Jazz: My Music, My People and My Heroes, My People: African Americans and Native Americans in the West.
Jazz: My Music, My People
My Heroes, My People: African Americans and Native Americans in the West
