Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy & Illustrated by Ekua Holmes | Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book Festival

Black is a Rainbow Color

by Angela Joy &
Illustrated by Ekua Holmes

A child reflects on the meaning of being Black in this moving and powerful anthem about a people, a culture, a history, and a legacy that lives on.

Red is a rainbow color.
Green sits next to blue.
Yellow, orange, violet, indigo,
They are rainbow colors, too, but

My color is black . . .
And there’s no BLACK in rainbows.

From the wheels of a bicycle to the robe on Thurgood Marshall’s back, Black surrounds our lives. It is a color to simply describe some of our favorite things, but it also evokes a deeper sentiment about the incredible people who helped change the world and a community that continues to grow and thrive.

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Angela Joy

Angela Joy was born and raised in Minneapolis. Before graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of Minnesota, Angela attended New York University and Spelman College. Angela then traveled as a background vocalist, also working in television and movie soundtracks. She lives in southern California with her family. Black Is a Rainbow Color is her first book.

Ekua Holmes

Ekua Holmes is a native of Roxbury, MA, a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and a recipient of the 2013 NAACP Image Award, a Brother Thomas Fellowship, and a 5-year appointment to the Boston Art Commission. Her picture books include the Caldecott Honor book Voice of Freedom and the Coretta Scott King Award winners Out of Wonder and The Stuff of Stars. Holmes serves as Assistant Director of MassArt’s Center for Art and Community Partnerships, and manages sparc! the ArtMobile, the institution’s vehicle for community outreach.