As the Star of Zion marks 150 years of bearing witness to Black faith, intellect, and excellence, a new generation is stepping forward to turn the page. Youth across The A.M.E. Zion Church are carrying this sacred literary legacy into the present through a vibrant month-long initiative called Black & Beautiful Bedtime Stories.
The effort is led by Seven-Hazel Boone, youth president of the Sensational Salisbury District’s VICYC and a graduating senior at Gray Stone Day School. Her vision was sparked by an African American Read-In she attended at Livingstone College, where she experienced the power of Black stories being read aloud, honored, and shared as living history. From that moment, Seven-Hazel imagined a project that would root literacy firmly in Black History Month while cultivating leadership among youth throughout the denomination.
What began as a one-night idea took flight during the Christian Education Department’s Winter Meeting as Seven-Hazle met with other youth to develop and plan the event. However, after sharing her concept of youth reading works by African American authors with Darin Kent, Chief Communications Officer of The A.M.E. Zion Church, the project expanded in scope and spirit. Kent, who is passionate about elevating youth voices as a hallmark of the newspaper’s sesquicentennial celebration, challenged Boone to stretch the program across the entire month.
“Mr. Kent’s vision was more than I planned,” Boone reflected, “but his challenge pushed me beyond my comfort zone to create something even bigger than I imagined.”
Mindful of the Star of Zion’s global reach, the group thoughtfully addressed copyright legalities and shifted from familiar classics to spotlighting contemporary authors who granted permission for their works to be shared. These stories, rich with affirmation and imagination, now form the heart of the program. The featured texts include Brown Baby Lullaby and Prayer Is by Tameka Fryer Brown, Seven’s Heaven by Da’Tarvia Parrish, Mirror Work 4 Kids by S. Chevellia Wright, Paula the Powerful by Kenielle Morris-Albany, and Whatever Happened to the Boy Who Played Basketball All Night? by Jim Blissett III, Gina Takes A Leap by Gia Wright, and What Are You? All Mixed Up, Everyone’s Invited by Michael Simmons.
At its core, Black & Beautiful Bedtime Stories pursues three aims: building a connected community of youth leaders within The A.M.E. Zion Church; strengthening confidence and leadership through public reading and role modeling on a national platform; and nurturing pride, dignity, and cultural affirmation in children seven and under by offering stories in which they can see, feel, and dream of themselves. Audrey Robison of Saint Luke A.M.E. Zion Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, said, “I am so grateful for this opportunity to participate and visit the headquarters while meeting Mr. Kent. His professionalism and creativity are unmatched, and I am really looking forward to the production and my church family sharing in the experience.
Other readers participating in the celebration include Kayla Carr of Hemphill A.M.E. Zion Church in Summerville, GA; brothers Riley and Reid Chandler of Freedom Temple A.M.E. Zion Church in Baltimore, MD; Kaiyon Courtney of Neely’s Grove A.M.E. Zion Church in Gastonia, NC; Ellis Dogbe of Mountain of Grace A.M.E. Zion Church in Accra, Ghana; Brian Thompson II of Simon Temple A.M.E. Zion Church in Fayetteville, NC; Dylan Walker of Little Rock A.M.E. Zion Church in Charlotte, NC; and Courtney Wilson of Soldiers Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church in Salisbury, NC.
Through youthful voices and beloved words, this celebration beautifully echoes the enduring mission of the Star of Zion to uplift Black literacy, amplify Black voices, and invest boldly in the future.
The series aired on AMEZ.TV and on all Star of Zion virtual platforms every Sunday night in February at 8:00 p.m. EST.
