Our Friendship Matters by Kimberley B. Jones Published by LLC on October 5, 2020
Genres: Young Adult, contemporary, Fiction
Leah and Sasha are 17-year-old friends who had been close to one another since elementary school, but as the summer approaches they find their friendship tested in ways they never anticipated.
Following graduation, Sasha’s privileged life and perception of the world around her is suddenly altered when an old childhood friend persuades her to join in a campaign against an injustice after his best friend is killed by a cop.
But joining the protest has unforeseen consequences for Sasha, distancing her from Leah, who becomes jealous of Sasha’s new friends and finds herself on the opposing side, protesting alongside her group of new white friends.
As the tension mounts between the two bitterly opposed factions, a tragedy strikes and threatens to make Sasha and Leah enemies. Can they find a way to resolve their differences, putting them to the side and learn to accept each other’s viewpoints? Or is their long friendship finished for good?
Today we have author Kimberley B. Jones here to share her insight and steps to creating and maintaining a biracial friendship. It is so important to have these conversations with young adults. For more discussion of this theme and topic, be sure to check out Kimberley’s book- Our Friendship Matters, which comes out later this year (Expected Publication: October, 2020)!
Thanks for being here today Kimberley!
Steps for biracial friendships to succeed during today’s issues by Kimberley B. Jones
Believe it or not, some teenagers struggle with biracial friendship and can’t express themselves. They don’t know how to approach their friends of color or ask parents who have different views for people with different backgrounds. So, what can they do? Take control of their friendship before it gets to be a problem by becoming aware of their culture.
Step 1: Read articles, books, or research your friends’ culture to educate yourself of their background.
Little do we know about friends from hanging around them, we don’t know much about their culture. For instance, many Asians take off their shoes before entering a home. We as Americans don’t do that but for an Asian is to respect their ancestors or keeping their floor cleans by not tracking dirt into their homes. It is a sign of respect.
Step 2: Ask questions. Ask how your friend who is an African American feels about police brutality.
To keep a relationship between you and your friend is to be upfront and ask how they feel about the police brutality amongst their culture. You will likely get an honest answer. It’s an honest answer because it’s a feeling that they have and one thing you can’t do is change a person’s feelings. This has been an issue for decades and most people of color are tired. Tired of fearing for children, teenagers, and loved ones killed amongst the hands of police officers.
The most effective response for someone with privilege is to ask your friend, “what can I do to help you?”
Step 3: Understand each other’s views.
No matter who you are and how you became friends from the same interests you share, there is that one difference that you don’t share. Your best friend likes bananas and you hate bananas. Understand that people are going to have different views on certain subjects. No matter, how many times you try to convince them. There are some things we want to change, but we can’t. All you can do is express to them how you feel as a friend of color. In reality, you may lose friendships, but if they choose not to be your friend, maybe it was for the best. If the friendship is valued and appreciated, then there’s a future for the friendship.
By teaching teenagers how to deal with biracial relationships, is protecting them throughout a lifetime of upcoming issues.
@KimberleyBJones visits @BookBriefs to share a #GuestPost () on Steps for biracial friendships to succeed. #OurFriendShipMatters Check it out --> Click To Tweet
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About Kimberley B. Jones
Kimberley is a professional early childhood educator. She was born in the small town of Saint George, South Carolina, on September 12, 1982. Graduated from Woodland High School in 2000, Benedict College in 2004 with B.S., Child & Family Development, and from Ashford University in 2013 with a Masters in Early Childhood Education.
After receiving her education and being a military spouse, I held several jobs as a preschool teacher and a preschool director, but she wanted her education to be used by writing children’s books. I wrote my first book in college for my children’s literature course. I have self-published several children books located on Amazon.
Currently, I branch off into writing fiction YA, NA, and A novels on issues in society. I love writing and would not change it for nothing in this world. I am now representing Rhetoric Askew, a great publishing company. Kimberley is the author of “Our Friendship Matters.”
sherry fundin
this does sound like a good one to share at this time. thanks for sharing the guest post too
sherry @ fundinmental
Kimberley B Jones
No problem. Thank you!
Amanda Alvarado
I don’t really have any questions or comments other than I think my daughter will love this book!
Danielle Hammelef
I enjoyed I’m Not Dying with You Tonight last summer, so this book will be exciting to read too.