193:
While Ford was working for
Scholastic, a friend and co-founder of Just Us Books, Cheryl Willis Hudson, contacted her wanting to turn a poem she had written into a children's book aimed for black children. Bernette decided to turn the poem into a children's picture book instead, which was then
151:, who created a workshop "for the few people of color working in publishing in the mid-1970s." They eventually founded a group called Black Creators for Children, which would assist African American authors in creating new works by following a set of philosophies. She met her husband,
147:'s division of children's books as "editorial assistant in training", as part of their "minorities recruitment program." Ford remained in that position for the first two years there. Around 1975, she met Valerie Flournoy, Phyllis Fogelman and
135:. She was encouraged by family and friends to become a writer, but due to her lack of knowledge with the profession, Ford instead pursued the publishing career as "a way to get a foot in the door".
667:
632:
622:
176:
and helped the company launch their new imprint, Cartwheel Books. Ford was the vice-president and editorial director of the imprint, and was responsible for starting the
662:
637:
627:
652:
647:
642:
383:
127:. She was the daughter of Morton, a white factory worker, and Martha Goldsen, a black actress, music teacher, singer and seamstress. She grew up in
657:
469:
575:
672:
565:
274:
255:
236:
597:
298:
Dianne, Johnson (2009). "African
American Women Writers Of Children's And Young Adult Literature". In Angelyn, Mitchell (ed.).
99:(June 30, 1950 – June 20, 2021) was an American author, editor and publisher. She worked as editor-in-chief at
617:
201:
business called Color-Bridge Books. The company's first job was the production of a new series for beginner readers, called
107:, where she was vice-president of the Cartwheel imprint, which she helped launch. She was known for being one of the few
168:
166:
to work as editor-in-chief, and was then promoted to publisher. During her six years there, Ford worked on expanding
602:
214:
152:
88:
414:
519:
128:
317:
197:
Ford worked with
Scholastic until 2002, when she decided to leave to found her own company in 2003, a
612:
607:
163:
132:
112:
100:
73:
440:
178:
159:
162:
to work as senior editor of their children's books imprint, Golden Books. In 1983, she moved to
571:
270:
251:
232:
173:
108:
104:
77:
198:
346:
591:
148:
144:
194:
illustrated by George. This was the first time she collaborated as a coauthor.
187:
124:
470:"Bernette Ford, Champion of Diversity in Children's Books, Dies At 70"
217:. She died of lung cancer on June 20, 2021, at her house in Brooklyn.
567:
Multicultural and Ethnic
Children's Literature in the United States
318:"Bernette Ford, Who Made Children's Books More Diverse, Dies at 70"
545:
Rust, Suzanne (September–October 2004). "Let Every Child Relate".
205:. All the books were illustrated and written by people of color.
300:
The
Cambridge Companion to African American Women's Literature
158:
After seven years working for Random House, Ford was hired by
302:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 210–223.
16:
African-American author, editor and publisher (1950–2021)
84:
69:
61:
47:
30:
23:
408:
406:
404:
227:Cheryl Willis Hudson; Bernette G. Ford (1990).
463:
461:
377:
375:
373:
371:
369:
367:
311:
309:
8:
415:"An Interview with George and Bernette Ford"
143:In the same year she graduated, Ford joined
123:Bernette Ford was born on June 30, 1950, in
668:Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state)
633:21st-century African-American women writers
623:20th-century African-American women writers
514:
512:
492:
490:
250:. Just for You! series. Fitzgerald Books.
20:
570:. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 126.
439:Johnson-Feelings, Dianne (11 June 2019).
345:Lyons, Kelly Starling (7 February 2010).
172:property. In 1989 she began working with
115:, having begun her career in the 1970s.
290:
638:21st-century African-American writers
628:20th-century African-American writers
340:
338:
7:
155:, during a meeting with this group.
663:African-American children's writers
648:21st-century American women writers
643:20th-century American women writers
468:Bonfiglio, Briana (16 July 2021).
14:
653:American women children's writers
382:Maughan, Shannon (29 June 2021).
316:Genzlinger, Neil (14 July 2021).
505:(3). Fairfax: 14. May–June 1999.
186:series, the latter authored by
131:. Ford graduated in 1972 from
1:
441:"Black Creators for Children"
413:Sutton, Roger (28 May 2019).
169:The Little Engine That Could
658:American children's writers
524:Cheryl Willis Hudson's Blog
267:No More Pacifier for Piggy!
689:
673:Connecticut College alumni
564:Gilton, Donna L. (2020).
384:"Obituary: Bernette Ford"
265:Bernette G. Ford (2008).
246:Bernette G. Ford (2003).
65:Author, editor, publisher
547:Black Issues Book Review
520:"Bright Eyes Brown Skin"
499:Black Issues Book Review
213:Bernette was married to
119:Early life and education
229:Bright Eyes, Brown Skin
209:Personal life and death
598:American women editors
129:Uniondale, Long Island
618:Writers from Brooklyn
111:editors working with
164:Grosset & Dunlap
101:Grosset & Dunlap
351:The Brown Bookshelf
133:Connecticut College
74:Connecticut College
57:New York City, U.S.
43:New York City, U.S.
322:The New York Times
160:Western Publishing
577:978-1-5381-3841-0
553:(5). Fairfax: 58.
388:Publishers Weekly
231:. Just Us Books.
94:
93:
680:
603:American editors
582:
581:
561:
555:
554:
542:
536:
535:
533:
531:
516:
507:
506:
494:
485:
484:
482:
480:
465:
456:
455:
453:
451:
436:
430:
429:
427:
425:
410:
399:
398:
396:
394:
379:
362:
361:
359:
357:
342:
333:
332:
330:
328:
313:
304:
303:
295:
280:
261:
242:
174:Scholastic Books
113:children's books
109:African-American
105:Scholastic Books
54:
40:
38:
21:
688:
687:
683:
682:
681:
679:
678:
677:
588:
587:
586:
585:
578:
563:
562:
558:
544:
543:
539:
529:
527:
518:
517:
510:
496:
495:
488:
478:
476:
467:
466:
459:
449:
447:
438:
437:
433:
423:
421:
412:
411:
402:
392:
390:
381:
380:
365:
355:
353:
347:"Bernette Ford"
344:
343:
336:
326:
324:
315:
314:
307:
297:
296:
292:
287:
277:
269:. Boxer Books.
264:
258:
245:
239:
226:
223:
211:
141:
121:
56:
52:
42:
36:
34:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
686:
684:
676:
675:
670:
665:
660:
655:
650:
645:
640:
635:
630:
625:
620:
615:
610:
605:
600:
590:
589:
584:
583:
576:
556:
537:
526:. 13 June 2010
508:
497:"Cartwheels".
486:
457:
431:
400:
363:
334:
305:
289:
288:
286:
283:
282:
281:
275:
262:
256:
243:
237:
222:
221:Selected works
219:
210:
207:
199:book packaging
140:
137:
120:
117:
92:
91:
86:
82:
81:
71:
67:
66:
63:
59:
58:
55:(aged 70)
49:
45:
44:
32:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
685:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
654:
651:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
595:
593:
579:
573:
569:
568:
560:
557:
552:
548:
541:
538:
525:
521:
515:
513:
509:
504:
500:
493:
491:
487:
475:
471:
464:
462:
458:
446:
445:The Horn Book
442:
435:
432:
420:
419:The Horn Book
416:
409:
407:
405:
401:
389:
385:
378:
376:
374:
372:
370:
368:
364:
352:
348:
341:
339:
335:
323:
319:
312:
310:
306:
301:
294:
291:
284:
278:
276:9781905417896
272:
268:
263:
259:
257:9781424202195
253:
249:
244:
240:
238:9780590454162
234:
230:
225:
224:
220:
218:
216:
208:
206:
204:
203:Just for You!
200:
195:
191:
189:
185:
181:
180:
175:
171:
170:
165:
161:
156:
154:
150:
146:
138:
136:
134:
130:
126:
118:
116:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
97:Bernette Ford
90:
87:
83:
79:
75:
72:
68:
64:
60:
51:June 20, 2021
50:
46:
41:June 30, 1950
33:
29:
25:Bernette Ford
22:
19:
566:
559:
550:
546:
540:
528:. Retrieved
523:
502:
498:
477:. Retrieved
473:
448:. Retrieved
444:
434:
422:. Retrieved
418:
391:. Retrieved
387:
354:. Retrieved
350:
325:. Retrieved
321:
299:
293:
266:
247:
228:
212:
202:
196:
192:
183:
177:
167:
157:
149:Tom Feelings
145:Random House
142:
122:
96:
95:
53:(2021-06-20)
18:
613:2021 deaths
608:1950 births
215:George Ford
184:Little Bill
153:George Ford
89:George Ford
592:Categories
285:References
188:Bill Cosby
103:and later
62:Occupation
37:1950-06-30
248:Hurry Up!
70:Education
474:LI Press
182:and the
125:Brooklyn
530:21 July
479:20 July
450:20 July
424:20 July
393:20 July
356:20 July
327:20 July
574:
273:
254:
235:
139:Career
85:Spouse
179:I Spy
572:ISBN
532:2021
481:2021
452:2021
426:2021
395:2021
358:2021
329:2021
271:ISBN
252:ISBN
233:ISBN
48:Died
31:Born
594::
549:.
522:.
511:^
501:.
489:^
472:.
460:^
443:.
417:.
403:^
386:.
366:^
349:.
337:^
320:.
308:^
190:.
78:BA
580:.
551:6
534:.
503:1
483:.
454:.
428:.
397:.
360:.
331:.
279:.
260:.
241:.
80:)
76:(
39:)
35:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.