Pitching Operation Sisterhood
by Kenzie Hofmann
About Operation Sisterhood
Operation Sisterhood is a story written by Olugbeisola Rhuday-Perkovich and follows Bo and her mother as they enter the world of being a part of a blended family. As they join her mother’s boyfriend and his three daughters, Bo and her new family face the struggles of being a blended family and the importance of community.
Why this book matters
Operation Sisterhood is an important novel because it shines a light on a variety of themes that are limited in literature. Conversations in literature surrounding blended families are limited, and those, depicting family dynamics within the Black community are even more limited. As readers are brought on this journey with Bo and her mother, they are taught the power of relationships, community, and the emotional changes that teenagers undergo. Operation Sisterhood matters because it serves to create a space for more stories of the Black community, ensuring that there is not one singular representation of Black girlhood being exemplified in literature.
In a recent interview with "We Need Diverse Books", when asked about advice for storytelling and preserving history, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich said:
“Black people have a legacy of stories that is deep and wide and high and long, and our stories are a blessing to anyone fortunate enough to connect with them. Across the Diaspora, we have such deeply rich and powerful stories of ingenuity and innovation, endurance, triumph, struggle, and infinite joy.”
Looking in the mirror….
Similar to how Cilla Lee-Jenkins provides a mirror for Chinese-Americans, Operation Sisterhood provides a mirror for Black girlhood. With the already limited portrayals of the Black community in literature, the ability for young females to find a mirror within it is even more challenging. Operation Sisterhood acts as one of these mirrors for Black females to see themselves in as it touches on conversations surrounding the importance of sisters and the difficulties that accompany change. By having novels like Operation Sisterhood, Black girls are no longer confined to the limited representations of who they are. They are instead able to enter a world where they are the normalized character.
The process of entering a new family environment is one that is frequently challenging for children, and it can be a difficult thing to adapt to. Operation Sisterhood acts as a mirror for those facing these types of shifts in their lives and provides an opportunity for children to see the ways in which others who are going through similar circumstances are processing their emotions. This provides children with feelings of solidarity and ensures that the emotions that they are experiencing are normal.
Video: Carlotta Penn and lifting black voices in children's books
Dr. Carlotta Penn's talk at the TEDx event further supports the need for diversity and representation within literature by discussing the importance of not only Black children being able to see their culture reflected back to them through literature but also the importance of making space for more Black authors.
"Tedx Talks: Lifting Black Voices In Children's Books". Youtube, 6 Nov. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxsNEOl3sqM. Accessed 2 April, 2022.
Peeking through the window…
As important as it is for children to see themselves in the characters of the books they read, it is equally important that children are also provided with a window to see the world through the eyes of others. It is important that we are providing children with a diverse set of representations so that they are able to better understand those who have different experiences than themselves and learn from their experiences.
Black girlhood
In her article “Imagining New Hopescapes: Expanding Black Girls’ Windows and Mirrors”, S.R. Toliver discusses the necessity of having representations of Black girlhood in literature. Toliver emphasizes that while there should be stories surrounding racism and prejudice, it is equally important to have stories that portray hopeful and positive outcomes. In a world where Black girls and women are continuously neglected, it has never been more important to put a spotlight on these experiences and celebrate who they are, encouraging self-affirmation in a society that far too often chooses to overlook them. Toliver's article further reiterates just how significant of a role Operation Sisterhood can play in literature. It serves as a good representation for the windows and mirrors that literature should be striving to achieve as it normalizes the narrative of Black girlhood.
Sources
Toliver, S.R. "Imagining New Hopescapes: Expanding Black Girls' Windows And Mirrors". Research on Diversity in Youth Literature: Digital Commons, vol.1, no.1, article 3, https://sophia.stkate.edu/rdyl/vol1/iss1/3/. Accessed 1 April, 2022.
Yao, JoAnn. "Q&A With Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Operation Sisterhood". We Need Diverse Books, https://diversebooks.org/qa-with-olugbemisola-rhuday-perkovich-operation-sisterhood/. Accessed 1 April, 2022.