First, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement Jury for honoring me with this prestigious award. I humbly accept the 2025 Virginia ­Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. At the same time, I feel a mix of emotions, as my dear friend and Coretta Scott King colleague of more than thirty years, Chrystal Carr Jeter, is not here to celebrate this moment with me. May she rest in peace.

It is a privilege to receive an award named after our beloved Virginia, who had a profound influence on children’s literature. She was arguably the first ­African American author accepted into mainstream children’s literature and was the first to win a Newbery Medal in 1975 for her book M.C. Higgins, the Great.

My journey to librarianship has been nothing short of unexpected. During my middle school years, I encountered a frustrating incident with my local segregated public library. The situation started when I lost some library books, which led to an unfortunate confrontation with the librarian. Rather than being understanding, she enforced strict rules that prevented me and more than twenty of my cousins from borrowing books. My father intervened, explaining that only I should be held accountable for the lost books. He even offered solutions, suggesting I could volunteer at the library to cover the costs of the missing items. Because she refused, I was unable to use a library until I was in high school. Therefore, the idea of becoming a librarian was far from my thoughts.

I was born in ­Vicksburg, ­Mississippi, where I grew up ­during the ­challenging era of segregation. Despite the times, my childhood was filled with joy, ­sustained by the warmth of a loving extended family and a resilient community that cultivated a deep sense of belonging. I witnessed the emergence of the civil rights movement as brave freedom workers came to our city to fight for voter registration and challenge Jim Crow laws. I vividly recall the tears we shed as my siblings and I gathered around the television upon hearing the tragic news of Medgar Evers’s assassination. Myrlie, his widow, was a native of Vicksburg.

Carolyn as a high school senior. Photo courtesy of Carolyn L. Garnes.

In 1966, I had my first dining experience at a restaurant when my high school principal treated the top seniors to dinner at the Holiday Inn. That year, at my graduation ceremony, actress Bea ­Richards, a native of Vicksburg who portrayed Sidney Poitier’s mother in the well-known film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, delivered the keynote address. She recited the rousing poem “Strong Men” by Sterling Brown, which resonated passionately within us as we faced the uncertainties of integration. The poem’s refrain echoed in our hearts: “The strong men keep a-comin’ on. / The strong men get stronger.” It felt like a ­rallying cry for our generation, inspiring us to forge ahead with strength and courage.

I enrolled at Alcorn State ­University to become a high school English teacher. However, after some time, I reassessed my career aspirations. To gain insight and direction, I consulted my former high school English teacher, who had recently achieved certification as a school librarian. She encouraged me to consider librarianship.

Reflecting on my previous incident with the library, I found the prospect of pursuing a career in librarianship less than appealing. To gain a fairer assessment of the current landscape, I began researching contemporary developments within library systems. I ­discovered a wealth of exciting ­initiatives taking root in inner-city communities, including innovative model-city programs and dynamic library outreach efforts.

Motivated by curiosity, I visited our counseling center to inquire about ­fellowship opportunities. To my ­surprise, I discovered a possibility at the ­University of Illinois, where I received a fellowship as a Carnegie Scholar. This was an early 1970s effort to increase the diversity at the library school.

The pioneering program recruited thirty minority students into the library school for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s history. Remarkably, twenty-nine of us successfully graduated and many ­subsequently assumed influential positions within the library profession.

I started working at the Atlanta Public Library six years after it began integrating its professional staff. During the 1970s, demographic changes in the city provided Black Atlantans with access to multiple libraries within their communities. I was hired as a librarian to manage one of these libraries. I focused on building diverse book collections, contributing to high turnover rates as patrons found representation within the available literature. I engaged with the community and demonstrated how libraries could enhance their lives.

One of my most significant challenges and simultaneously my most fulfilling achievement was creating the library ­system’s outreach program for underserved communities. I meticulously designed, developed, and launched an ­innovative program, funded by a substantial $35 million bond referendum. It was a program intended to reach Atlanta’s populations that might not typically use traditional branch libraries. Our focus included public housing communities, individuals in geographically isolated regions, senior citizens seeking connection and support, and at-risk ­preschoolers needing early literacy intervention. Through this outreach effort, I had the opportunity to enrich and diversify our library collections. Most importantly, the program allowed me to introduce young readers to the world of African American children’s literature.

The exploration of Black children’s ­literature started at the University of ­Illinois during my studies in library school. I authored a paper on the topic, referencing Charlemae Hill Rollins’s work We Build Together: A Guide to Negro Life and Literature for Elementary and High School Use. I was especially impressed by the contributions of two key figures, Augusta Baker and Effie Lee Morris, who were instrumental in shaping the literature for Black children. Along with Rollins’s, their advocacy for authentic depictions of African Americans was unparalleled. The inquiry has greatly influenced my career path, guiding my professional endeavors toward championing diverse voices in children’s literature.

Over the years, I have fostered a profound appreciation for African American children’s literature. As a result, in 1982, I secured a grant to establish the Black Image in Children’s Book Collection, which aimed to increase library usage by making these books more accessible. In 2007, I had the honor of receiving the ALA Carnegie-Whitney Grant to develop a multimedia guide to African American literature, featuring titles across various formats.

Carolyn (right) with author Sharon Draper. Photo courtesy of Carolyn L. Garnes.

My efforts in promoting these outstanding books have taken me to local schools, PTA meetings, and community events. I have been impressed by the enthusiasm for Black literature. My visits to schools and juvenile detention facilities featured book talks centered on the works of African American authors, sparking lively discussions and engagement. After my presentations, several parents inquired about how they could obtain the books or where they could purchase them.

Additionally, I returned to my home state of Mississippi to present talks on Black literature. During my visits, I engaged with members of Jack and Jill, a Black cultural organization; students from Jackson Public Schools; and participants in summer enrichment programs at the University of ­Mississippi Medical Center. I also collaborated with an alternative school and received a Laura Bush grant, which allowed us to increase the library’s collection of African American titles. The most moving aspect of these presentations was observing Black children discovering their identities through these books for the first time, an experience that showed the strong impact of literature on young minds.

My connection with the CSK Book Awards began long before I engaged with the American Library Association. Glyndon Greer, one of the enthusiastic founders, spent seven years in Atlanta. Key local institutions such as the King Center, the Atlanta University Library School, and the Atlanta Public Library played a pivotal role in nurturing her vision and sustaining the award. Among the early champions of the CSK Book Awards was Ella Gaines Yates, the director of the Atlanta Public Library, whose unwavering encouragement inspired her staff to participate and contribute to a meaningful cause.

In the 1980s, I began ­attending the ALA conferences. Since that time, I have been involved with the CSK Book Awards, serving in various ­capacities, including awards chair, book jury ­member, and chair of the fiftieth ­anniversary marketing committee.

Through these roles, I observed the momentous evolution of African American children’s literature, which has powerfully transformed the landscape of children’s literature as a whole. I saw a distinguished group of Black children’s book creators ascend to prominence, bringing African American stories to the forefront and infusing the literary world with much-needed diversity. I cultivated deep relationships with authors, illustrators, and publishers. These connections provided opportunities for Atlanta’s youth to meet renowned African ­American authors, creating memorable experiences and fostering a love of literature.

Upon retirement, I established Aunt Lil’s Reading Room, a nonprofit organization in Georgia dedicated to the memory of my supportive mother. The organization was created to connect children of color with authors, illustrators, and books tailored specifically for them. We aspired to provide unique opportunities for children to engage face-to-face with local talents and nationally acclaimed literary figures.

Throughout its existence, Aunt Lil’s Reading Room hosted a remarkable lineup of authors in Atlanta. Our efforts were recognized with awards such as the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s Retiree of the Year and RUSA’s (Reference and User Services Association) Zora Neale Hurston Award. Regrettably, the challenges posed by the pandemic, coupled with the increasing prevalence of book bans, led to the heartbreaking closure of a vital nonprofit.

Another notable aspect of my retirement phase was taking on the role of an elementary school media specialist. It was a position that allowed me to reconnect with children in a library setting where I could continue to promote African American literature through storyhours and other engaging activities. I organized Black book fairs and obtained another Laura Bush grant to enhance the school’s collection of African American titles.

Upon leaving the educational system, I realized the lack of opportunities to contribute meaningfully to Black literature. To address this, I joined Diverse BookFinder (DBF) as a coder. DBF (diversebookfinder.org) is a comprehensive database specializing in ­children’s and young adult literature that highlights characters who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). My role has included contributing African ­American titles to this essential resource.

For more than four decades, I have been dedicated to advancing literature that acknowledges the rich mosaic of cultural narratives that mirror the varied experiences of African Americans. I have often reflected on a favorite quote by George Washington Carver: “No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.” Perhaps this work has been that. Looking back, I recognize that I have been more than just a voice; I have chosen to be a powerful advocate rather than merely an echo.

Carolyn L. Garnes is the winner of the 2025 Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime Achievement. Her acceptance speech was delivered at the annual conference of the American Library Association in Philadelphia on June 29, 2025. From the July/August 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine: Special Issue: ALA Awards. For more speeches, profiles, and articles, click the tag ALA 2025.

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