Featured Authors

Winston A. Jones
Winston A. Jones authored the book For God, Country, & the Confederacy: Completing the Circle of Acceptance in 2002. The historical novel features the St. Claire family. A wealthy, free, educated African American family living in the New Orleans during the Civil War. At the beginning of the Civil War there were approximately ten million people living in the Confederate South.  Four million of this populace were immigrant slaves and free African Americans, making up nearly 40 percent of the population of the south. Four to eight percent or, up to 320,000 African Americans were considered Free Persons of Color. In his book, Mr. Jones follows the St. Claire family through the excitement and unsteadiness of this highly volatile period in American history.

Gretna Wilkinson
A poet and teacher, Gretna Wilkinson grew up in Guyana, South Africa, speaks to the issues of human suffering, political and social commentary, children’s issues and love. Her poetry collection, Shh…I’m Thinking, was published in 1996 by Peachtree Press.  Her poems have also appeared in Sensations: Journal of New Jersey Poets, among other magazines. She teaches creative writing, literature and intercultural communications at the County College of Morris, New Jersey.  Ms. Wilkinson in the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and a Minority Academic Career Fellowship. She recently completed her doctorate writing her dissertation on the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks, the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in the U.S.A. Gretna Wilkinson is vice-president of the Skylands Writers and Artists Association. 

Salome Thomas-El
Salome Thomas-EL is the author of I Choose to Stay.  He was one of eight children and grew up in the public housing projects in Philadelphia. He was identified as a “gifted” child in the fourth grade, and this gave him opportunities he might not otherwise have had. In 1989, after earning a masters degree in education, Thomas-EL decided to teach at Vaux Middle School. He became not only a teacher, but also a mentor and positive role model to the children. Thomas-EL decided to revive the school’s chess club, the Mighty Bishops and has coached the club to victory as they competed in 3 major championships.  Thomas-EL also instituted other innovative programs, including the 100 book challenge, Saturday tutoring, and in-school breakfasts.  In 1997, Thomas-EL was offered a promotion that would have given him a $20,000.00 raise. He turned it down because he couldn’t leave his students. “I want them to know at least one black male who is committed to staying.”

Thomas-EL has garnered many awards including the U.S. Chess Foundation National Coach’s Award (1997), the University of Pennsylvania Martin Luther King Award (2002), and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (2002). Thomas-EL is a doctoral candidate at Lehigh University. .

Janet Simpkins  
Ms. Janet Simpkins serves as principal to the Roosevelt Alternative School in Norristown, Pennsylvania.