DE&I Hear My Voice
Hear My Voice: The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States
In 2019, the United States detained more than 300,000 children. Stories collected by human rights advocates revealed shocking and deplorable conditions at the border. Children reported hunger, cold and sickness while being forced to sleep on concrete floors without access to bathing or clean clothes for days upon weeks.
Our brief was simple—make the voices of the children heard. Despite the fact that hundreds of sworn declarations from children had been filed in federal court, their stories were lost amidst the partisan debate with many Americans unaware or apathetic.
Our objective for this pro-bono project was to present their stories in an accessible format in order to change hearts and minds. To do that, we knew the issue would have to be reframed as a humanitarian, not a political, matter while making an emotional connection with the American public at large.
Approach: Why a children’s book?
Why a children’s book?
Our client was Project Amplify, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the establishment of legal protections for children in government care through the sharing of their stories. The problem was that even though the sworn statements of the children were publicly available, they might as well have been invisible to the American public.
Our idea was to turn these black-and-white legal declarations into a vibrant children’s book. Placing these harrowing, heartbreaking stories in this context would not only allow people to connect emotionally but also serve as a reminder of how fundamentally wrong it is for children to be treated this way. By targeting parents, children and educators, the issue would be reframed in a way that is disarming and more persuasive than political appeals.
Hear My Voice/Escucha mi voz is a hardcover children’s book that tells the stories of 61 migrant children detained at the border, ranging in ages from five to 17, including young mothers of infants. Their voices are paired with the powerful artwork of 17 Latinx artists, including Caldecott medal winner Yuyi Morales and Pura Belpré Award winner Raúl the Third. With a foreword by Michael Garcia Bochenek of Human Rights Watch, the book also includes a reader’s guide for children and families plus simple ways to help. The bilingual book is English on one side, Spanish on the other, with both languages meeting in the middle.
Results
Published by Workman, the book was released on April 13, 2021. It received praise from critics, including coveted “starred reviews” from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. It became an indie bestseller and was named to several end-of-year lists including the New York Public Library’s “Best Books of 2021.” Most importantly, it was awarded the Junior Library Guild’s Gold Standard, which led to the donation of 1,000 copies to children’s libraries across the country where it is now taught in schools.
Since publication, Project Amplify’s funds are up 398% with a 16x spike in web traffic immediately after release. In addition to being featured on CNN, NPR and more, the book was sent to 200 members of Congress, governors and the White House. The book is now available wherever books are sold including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores, Target and more. 100% of royalties directly benefit children in migration.
