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The Power of Representation: Cherokee Author Traci Sorell Visits OKCPS Students
Oklahoma author and Cherokee Nation citizen Traci Sorell recently visited with approximately 800 OKCPS students and read two of her award-winning children’s books. Hosted by the OKCPS Foundation’s ReadOKC program, Traci’s visit exemplified the importance of diverse and Native representation in literature and left a lasting impact on students and teachers alike.
A citizen of the Cherokee Nation who lives near Wagoner, Oklahoma, Traci Sorell writes best-selling, award-winning fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults. Many of her stories highlight Cherokee values such as education, cooperation, humility and equality.
Her book Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross tells the true story of the first known Native American woman engineer. Naturally, Traci chose to read this story to students at Mary Golda Ross Middle School, which is named after this pioneering Oklahoman, to showcase Ross’s trailblazing feats, inspire students to reach for the stars and highlight the critical need for accurate and widespread cultural representation in children’s literature. Each student was gifted a copy of the book to add to their home libraries.
"One of my greatest pleasures as an author is visiting with young people, my target audience, and sharing contemporary as well as historical stories about Native Nations with them,” said Sorell. “For our children today to see themselves and their peers represented in books is a critical part of relationship building for the future of our communities and our state."
Born in Oklahoma, Mary Golda Ross was the first Native American woman engineer and is renowned for her contributions to interplanetary space travel and earth-orbiting satellites. Ross taught math and science in rural Oklahoma schools for nine years before pursuing her engineering career. After retiring in 1973, Ross spent her time as an advocate for education and empowered young women and Native American youth to explore careers in STEM fields.
“Mary Golda Ross was an accomplished woman who led the way for females in the aerospace and engineering industry, ” said Mary Mélon-Tully, President and CEO of the OKCPS Foundation. “Her time as an educator propelled Mary Golda Ross to be a trailblazer for many Native women, and we are grateful for Native authors like Traci Sorell who understand how diverse representation in literature profoundly and positively impacts minority children to advance their reading skills and further invest in their own education.”
OKCPS’ Esperanza Elementary also welcomed Sorell for a visit on Wednesday where she read another of her books entitled We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga. Again, each student was given a copy to take home.
Traci’s visits were made possible by the OKCPS Foundation and its ReadOKC program, an initiative that aims to instill a love of reading in students across the district and community. In addition to coordinating author visits, the Foundation also hosts reading challenges during school breaks, increases access to reading materials and pairs students with Reading Buddy mentors.
Sorell’s visit to these OKCPS elementary schools was sponsored by the Foundation’s longtime partners at Children’s Hospital OU Health. Along with a new book, each student received a complimentary drawstring bag from Children’s Hospital OU Health and a ReadOKC bookmark.
In addition to its ReadOKC efforts, the OKCPS Foundation works to support the district’s goals and greatest needs by providing innovative teacher, classroom and school support, building advocates for OKCPS and recruiting and retaining top-quality teachers and leaders.
To volunteer with ReadOKC or to learn more about how you can support the OKCPS Foundation and local students, classrooms and teachers, visit okckids.com.
Traci Sorell is a two-time Sibert Medal and Orbis Pictus honoree for her nonfiction work. Five of her books have received awards from the American Indian Library Association. The first to graduate from college in her family and a longtime lover of books, Traci understands and appreciates the critical role reading plays in education and future success. You can learn more about Traci and her work at www.tracisorell.com.