Black Boy, Black Boy
Behind the Scenes
The journey from idea to published was never meant to be a straight line. There was a lot of twist and turns. Ups and downs. Highs and lows. Good and bad, but I would do it all again for this! For the feeling of accomplishment; of pride; of invincibility.
Watch the moment Crown The Writer saw her book baby for the first time!
It a must see moment! -Crown Shepherd
“At a time when we still have to shout that Black Lives Matter, I wanted to prompt the Black Boys who I love to envision all the possibilities before them,” Shepherd explained. “I wanted then to picture a future of positivity and hope- one of pride in their own greatness and power.” Arming myself with over 200 books, and 1800 dollars in donation, I decided to peacefully protest by handing out signed copies of my book to every Black Boy I encountered fighting for change on the front line.
Song produced by Angelo Bombay Sang by Tha Rift
Where it all started
After one of my nephew decided to turn our little story into a song, I knew it need to be shared with the world.
My nephews loved the call-and-response structure. It felt like a game, but as an adult who loved them, I knew something more was happening. At a time when we still have to shout that black lives matter, I wanted to prompt the black boys who I loved to envision all the possibilities before them. I wanted them to picture a future of positivity and hope—one of pride in their own greatness and power.
Soon I wrote down my favorite responses from my nephews, and Black Boy, Black Boy was born.
"I see a strong black boy looking at me!!"
The Music Video
THE INTERVIEW
Behind The Scenes
I needed to raise some funds to help me get Black Boy, Black Boy made. Like most indie creators, I turned to crowdfunding.
I chose to go with Kickstarter. During my research into how to run a successful kickstarter, I learned that making a video talking about your passion was a great selling point.
So, I decided to make a music video.
Local Artist Priest Jones wrote, and performed a song entitled”Black Boy”. The song was meant to celebrate and empower young black boys. Seeing as that was also what I wanted for “Black Boy, Black Boy”, we teamed up and made a music video.
Clink the link below to see behind the scene gems!
