Not Enough Books with Characters of Color? ‘No Problem,’ Says Alexis Clark ’20 M.S.

At the start of the pandemic, when elementary school teacher Alexis Clark sought reading material for her second-grade class at KIPP AMP Charter School in Brooklyn, she discovered a lack of books featuring characters of color. According to a 2019 survey by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education, the number of books about white children, talking animals, and other anthropomorphized characters such as trucks and monsters represented nearly three-quarters of children’s and young adult books.

Rather than giving in and using material that was not ethnically diverse, Clark decided to write her own book and teamed up with illustrator Cameron T. Wilson to publish Lexi Dreams! The story follows a young girl who learns about making a change in the world from her teacher, Ms. Porter. The teacher in the book is based on Clark’s "Spelman sister" and friend Ashley Sharpe-Porter). “As an educator and a Caribbean-American woman, I continuously work to push my students to question, for teachers to advocate for what’s right, and for parents to use their voices in systems that aren’t innately inclusive,” says Sharpe-Porter.

Clark took her teacher’s lessons to heart. “Change is the theme for my book because children learning to give and serve provides them with the ability to make a positive impact,” says Clark. “Several years ago, I served as a City Year [community service] corps member in southeast D.C. and was able to bring change to a second-grade classroom there. I made meaningful relationships with my students and helped my students succeed. I also did a ton of service which changed my life in a major way. I am now in my seventh year of teaching in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, because of these moments of change.”

Once the book was published, KIPP AMP Charter School Principal Antoine Lewis supported Clark’s mission to bring diversity into school reading materials by purchasing 300 copies for the school.

After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology from Spelman College in Atlanta, Clark earned an M.S. in Early Childhood Education at Brooklyn College. She credits Professor Mary DeBey with inspiring her always to go above and beyond, and she also credits her mother, who served as business manager for the book while helping her daughter at every stage. “I could not have done this without the extensive support system of family, friends, and teachers, who ignited my passion for educating,” says Clark.

Clark is now pursuing a Doctor of Education degree at Northeastern University in Boston. She has plans for a sequel to Lexi Dreams!, but for now, she hopes that her debut book will do the job. “I want my students at KIPP AMP Elementary School to know that they can make a change at any age.