Jeffery Weatherford
Born in High Point, North Carolina, Jeffery the Artivist has exhibited his creative spirit from a very young age. The son of a New York Times best-selling author, the gift of gab is in his genes. A multi-faceted, award-winning children’s book illustrator, artist, and internationally known spoken word poet/MC, Jeffery received his Master of Fine Arts from Howard University in May of 2016. Since graduation, his debut title, You Can Fly: The Tuskegee Airmen has been making notable waves in the children's book realm. His lifestyle as an illustrator recently got him invited to Ghana and Senegal on an international tour where he taught youth about being an illustrator and performed his poetry for the community every chance he got. He was given the name 'Yaw Ngyabo Aja I' by an elder named Revelations while on his tour of the motherland in Ghana, which translates to "Thursday born word witch" because of the power in his tongue and how his words are mesmerizing to those that hear them. Jeffery/Yaw teaches that HIP HOP is an acronym for "Higher Infinite Power Healing Our People" and uses his artistic voice as an MC to be an eloquent voice for the voiceless and oppressed. A diverse spoken word artist, MC, social media expert, as well as the founder and chief of the global hip hop collective, TRiiiBE Worldwide, Jeffery/Yaw has been steadily adding to his accolades. From clothing design to music, opening up for the Wu Tang Clan, Azalea Banks, Dave East, Oshun, and many more, to poetry, to visual arts, Yaw is making a name for himself globally. He was just recently on his second international tour in the United Arab Emirates, teaching the youth about African American Culture, Hip Hop, and Spoken Word!
Reviews
Kin: Rooted in Hope
“Coretta Scott King Award winner and National Book Award finalist Carole Boston Weatherford teams up once again with illustrator son Jeffery Boston Weatherford to explore their shared past and honor their enslaved ancestors through dignified poems and stunning artwork in Kin: Rooted in Hope. Mother and son begin their narrative in 2016 at the Door of No Return, a trading post on Gorée, an island off the coast of Dakar, Senegal, where "captive Africans/ were held for weeks, months,/ until their numbers could fill/ a ship's belly." Next, they travel to the Wye House Plantation in Easton, Md., where their ancestors were enslaved by the Lloyd family. Carole Boston Weatherford's narrative follows both chronological history and the mother/son's trip to uncover the painful past. Her poems use historical records that showcase the diverse voices of her ancestors, as well as those of the enslaving family, and even first-person points of view for ships, Chesapeake Bay, and the Wye House itself. Weatherford's rhythmic and artistic narrative, inspired by Alex Haley's novel Roots, brings to life her ancestors, the places they lived, and their oppression. Additionally, her personification of places that "witnessed" generations of enslavement gives readers an unexpected viewpoint. Jefferey Boston Weatherford accompanies his mother's poems with expressive black-and-white scratchwork illustrations that add further weight, humanity, and grandeur to the history. For many Black families, the process of tracing their ancestry is difficult because of the enslavement of their ancestors; here, the Weatherfords invite readers who may feel lost and erased to share in their own history.”―Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
“The Weatherfords—a mother-son duo—pay tribute to their enslaved ancestors’ pain and resilience across generations in this moving collection of illustrated poems, inspired by Alex Haley’s Roots. Hoping to learn more about her family history, the author attempts to trace her lineage to its beginnings. In 2016, while traveling to Gorée, an island off the coast of Dakar, Senegal, Weatherford and her son visit “slave castles”—trading posts where “captive Africans/ were held for weeks, months,/ until their numbers could fill/ a ship’s belly.” From there, the two embark on a journey that takes them to the Wye House Plantation in Easton, Md., where their ancestors were enslaved by the Lloyds, a white Quaker family. Throughout, poems showcase various perspectives, including those of the creators’ forebears, the enslaving family, and a ship carrying captives. While this narrative range can sometimes cause confusion, it nevertheless makes for a layered text that highlights the perseverance of the Weatherfords’ ancestors and the horrors that they endured. Sketch-like b&w line illustrations depict key moments within the narrative. By sharing their family’s story, the Weatherfords craft a harrowing and motivational addition to enslaved peoples’ history.”—Publishers Weekly
“A sweeping, poetic, and genealogical look at how family was defined and unraveled through enslavement, Carole Boston Weatherford’s novel in verse explores her own journey toward finding her ancestors, alongside the gut-wrenching, detailed scratchboard artwork of her son. How can one trace their family history from a portrait hanging in a living room to a slave ship bobbing off the coast? Through historical records and Weatherford’s rhythmic, imaginative style, her ancestors come to life, as does the reader’s journey through time, from plantation to plantation, through historical moments and quiet afternoons in the Wye House. Weatherford’s work here—to help build a bridge from the Door of No Return to a place of hope for generations to come—is an impressive feat that nicely supplements any nonfiction work on the Middle Passage through the Civil War. The stark line illustrations on alternating black and white pages are a searing accompaniment to the verse, bringing these figures out of the darkness and deepening the humanity that glows in the pages. For fans of Kwame Alexander, Ashley Bryan, and Faith Ringgold.”―Booklist
You Can Fly: The Tuskegee Airmen
“Weatherford again wields the power of poetry to tell a gripping historical story, reinforced by dramatically shaded scratchboard illustrations by her son, making a notable debut.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“Weatherford’s skill with language provides clear voices for the trainees, and cultural specifics provide additional texture and deepen understanding of the young men. A masterful, inspiring evocation of an era.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“The narrative voice draws readers into the action, addressing them directly and inviting them to imagine themselves into this ground-breaking role . . . this title is particularly well adapted to classroom use, where language arts and history students can share common air space.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
