Launch Party for Aya Anthology Honors Aspiring Young Black Authors in St. Paul, MN

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Oct. 17, 2022 - PRLog -- The book launch party for "Aya: An Anthology of Racial Justice, Healing and the Black Experience"  is an opportunity for community members to support St. Paul's youth writers. The event is free to attend.

Dr. Artika Tyner, founder of the non-profit organization, Planting People Growing Justice™ Leadership Institute (PPGJLI), announced that the book launch party will be held on Nov. 12, 2022 from 12 noon-1 p.m. at Subtext Books, located at 6 Fifth Street West, in Saint Paul, MN.

Youth artists will read their contributions during the event, along with Tyner. Refreshments will be provided by the event's sponsor, Mississippi Market Co-Op.

The book is available in a paperback edition at the PPGJ Bookstore (https://www.ppgjbooks.com/product/aya-an-anthology-of-racial-justice-healing-and-the-black-experience/156?cs=true&cst=custom). It's made possible through a grant from the Saint Paul Star Program. Aya is an anthology produced by Black Minnesota voices. Youth and community activists shared their reflections on justice and healing. The 2022 publication is its inaugural edition.

"The Aya Anthology was created to ignite change in the furtherance of racial justice," said Tyner. "It serves as an invitation to lead and serve in the community."

The anthology is the culmination of PPGJLI's annual writing contest. All entrants were ages 13-18 and St. Paul residents of African American heritage. The anthology includes poems, prose, fiction, and creative non-fiction.

The anthology takes its name from the word Aya, a West African Adrinka symbol, represented by a stylized fern. In the Twi language, its symbolic of endurance, resourcefulness, and defiance against oppression.

The community is invited to attend the PPGJLI (https://www.ppgjli.org/) launch party for "Aya: An Anthology of Racial Justice, Healing and the Black Experience." It's an opportunity to honor St. Paul's aspiring new wordsmiths as they begin their journey of healing and exploration.