HBCU PREP SCHOOL IS BRINGING REPRESENTATION TO CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE CO-FOUNDER OF THE MOVEMENT
Following your heart is a difficult decision when faced with worldly responsibilities, but if done correctly, it can yield beautiful results. When Claudia Walker made the jump from Wall Street to Education, what resulted was a ripple effect that would impact her future students and black children's literature as a whole. As an HBCU grad, Claudia has made an effort to teach her students everything that she knows about HBCUs and financial literacy. In 2020, she took things to the next level with the family owned education company HBCU Prep School. Along with co-founder Bryan Walker, Claudia aims to amplifies Black voices and Black joy in children's literature. Fittingly, their first two books do just that.
Their debut book "The ABCs of HBCUs" takes readers on a front-row, all-inclusive tour of Historically Black Colleges & Universities. The follow up "The ABCs of Black Wall Street" takes readers on a nostalgic trip through the heart of Tulsa's historic Greenwood District. From Madam C.J. Walker and O.W. Gurley, to Williams Dreamland Theater and Osborne Monroe's Roller Skating Rink, children learn about the innovators, activists, and establishments that created one of America's wealthiest Black communities.We wanted to hear more about their movement and its origins so we connected with Claudia for the below interview. As an HBCU grad myself, we were honored to do so.
1. I READ THAT YOU'RE A SECOND GENERATION HBCU STUDENT. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT HBCU'S THAT ATTRACTED YOU PERSONALLY? WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE EXPERIENCE HELPED SHAPE YOU IN A POSITIVE WAY?
I attended predominantly white schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade, so when it was time to start researching colleges, I wanted a different experience. My mom, a Savannah State graduate, had been laying the groundwork for me as a child. She would tell me stories about HBCU life that almost sounded like scenes from movies. Needless to say, I was intrigued. During my senior year of high school, I went on a Black college tour of the Atlanta University Center and knew that Spelman was where I needed to be. At Spelman, I had the opportunity to take classes at Morehouse, Clark, and Morris Brown. It was such a transformative experience. It shaped my view of the world and my place in it as a Black woman.
2. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT THAT LEAP THAT YOU TOOK FROM WALL STREET TO EDUCATION, AND HOW THAT EVENTUALLY LED YOU TO CREATE YOUR BOOK SERIES?
I ended up on Wall Street because my professor encouraged me to participate in a summer internship. That led to a full-time job offer. I loved working in finance because it was fast-paced and unlike anything that I'd experienced, but a couple of years into my career, 9/11 happened. Even though I knew I'd be taking a drastic pay cut, I decided to follow my heart, return to California and become a teacher. Since then, I've been teaching my students everything I know about Black colleges, Black history, and financial literacy. I launched my publishing company, HBCU Prep School, in 2020 because I wanted to reach more students and scale my impact.
3. WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT FROM THE SECOND BOOK IN YOUR SERIES "THE ABCS OF BLACK WALL STREET"?
The ABCs of Black Wall Street is all about Black joy and Black excellence. The series introduces readers to the leaders and visionaries that created one of America's most enterprising Black communities. I'm especially excited about our activity books because they'll teach children about entrepreneurship, investing, and the value of cooperative economics. These topics are so important, but unfortunately, they're not taught in most schools.
4. ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT?
As a family-owned company, we love keeping our kids involved in the business. Knowing that children learn in different ways, we created a song called "The ABCs of HBCUs Anthem." Howard grad and videographer, Jay Cox helped us bring the song to life with a video that pays homage to HBCU greats like Thurgood Marshall, Vice President Kamala Harris, W.E.B. Dubois, Oprah Winfrey, and Chadwick Boseman. It was such a fun project and is just another way that we're using our platform to celebrate Black history makers.