Charisma’s Turn

The Billie Holiday Theatre presents an evening with Monique Couvson, the award-winning author of Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools, who has now authored vibrant illustrated art from Amanda Jones and a foreword by poet, artist, and arts educator Susan Arauz Barnes, Charisma’s Turn, an inspiring story about what can happen when Black girls are given the opportunity to find their genuine power.

Couvson’s trailblazing book Pushout laid the groundwork for understanding how our schools are failing Black girls; her follow-up, Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues, provided a blueprint for their healing and liberation. To complete this trilogy, Couvson now invites readers to be inspired by her liberatory imagination with an original narrative told from the perspective of the very girls she has been fighting for years to lift up. Charisma’s Turn follows the dynamic story of Charisma, a Black high school student who is grappling with mounting pressures from home and school. When frustrations with her family intersect with a conflict at school, she reaches a crossroads, facing a choice that could change her future.

Please bring family and friends for what will be an engaging conversation with this dynamic author at The Billie.

Books will be available for sale through Café con Libros.