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Photo courtesy Krenice Ramsey

Evanston native Krenice Ramsey has always loved to read. As the founder of Young, Black & Lit (YB&L), she ensures today’s Evanston youth have that same joy, providing District 65 kids with books that reflect their lives and communities.

Ramsey recently stepped into running the nonprofit full time while raising her two daughters, 3, and one who is almost a year. The transition from one to two children, she says, has been “Exhausting, fun. The good thing is my oldest daughter is obsessed with the baby, so there was no jealousy.”

She’s focused on YB&L’s Lit Year program, offered to District 65 K through third-grade students. “They can enroll and receive 15 new children’s books from us throughout the school year for free,” she says. “We send the packages to the home, addressed to the student, so they know the books are for them.” Meanwhile, with YB&L’s Lit Monthly program, schools and youth-serving organizations nationwide can sign up to receive a box of free books.

Ramsey and her husband, who is from Detroit, moved to Evanston from Chicago after they had kids, which she says has been great in terms of being closer to family, and “interesting” in terms of following the school districts. “You’re like, ‘OK, my kids are going to be going through this. I should pay attention to what’s happening now before they get there.”

Photo courtesy Krenice Ramsey

In terms of finding her Evanston community as a mother, Ramsey has made friends through YB&L events, which draw a loyal volunteer base, Black Women of Evanston get-togethers, and at city family events like Nature Tots & Tunes.

Ramsey, childfree when she founded YB&L, started the organization in honor of her niece, who sought more books featuring characters whose lives looked like hers. “I think now, being a mom has made me a little more thoughtful about what the reading experience is for families in the home,” she says. “Because I know, even when I’m tired and don’t feel like it, how meaningful of an experience it is to sit in our rocking chair and be like, ‘All right, pick three books for tonight. Come on over and let’s read.’”

Credit: Richard Cahan

Here are some of her recommendations:

Books that most inspired her as a child. Picture books like Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe and Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold. Then, once I got older, Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli stuck out to me. I went through an R.L. Stine Goosebumps phase.

Favorite Evanston restaurants to take her family: YoFresh (635 Chicago Ave. #7), Hartigan’s Ice Cream Shoppe (2909 Central St.), and Buffalo Joe’s (812 Clark St.)

Favorite Evanston place to revisit as a grownup: Penny Park (1500 Lake St.) was a staple for me. My daughter loves that one because she can just run loose with all the other kids.

Reading right now: Matriarch by Tina Knowles. I make myself read for 20 minutes a day.

Her daughters’ favorite reads: Jacqueline Woodson books, like The Day You Begin. A fun one we’re reading now is Mermaids Are the Worst! by Alex Willan. Grace Byers’ I Am Enough is one that my 3-year-old has kind of memorized. We love reading that one because it’s all about just being a kind person in the world and believing that you can.

Supporting YB&L: The best way is donations. But second to that is volunteering. A couple of volunteers have joined our board. It’s a really good group of people who then become our mouthpieces.

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