Prince William Living, the premiere lifestyle & news magazine of Prince William & Greater Manassas.

1. Chris Yung Elementary Receives Book Donation in Honor of Black History Month
Provided by Prince William County Schools (PWCS)
Amanda Whitfield, mother to a Chris Yung Elementary second-grader and member of the Alpha Kappa
Alpha Historically Black Service Sorority, believes representation has the power to remind us that we are
not alone in our experiences. And what better way to show representation then in the books our young
children read.
In celebration of Black History Month, Whitfield and her sorority sisters set out to compile a set of books
that positively feature main characters who are black. They donated the 35-book collection to the Chris
Yung Elementary School library.
“We believe that representation matters,” said Whitfield. “That children of all races, genders, abilities,
etc. are empowered when they are able to read stories that feature characters that look like them and
share similar backgrounds, and they are further inspired when they read works written by authors who
understand their life experiences.”
Some of the donated books were written by University of Virginia alumnae (Whitfield attended UVA),
some are biographies, some feature action heroes, and many teach a lesson about persevering through
adversity.
Chris Yung Principal Kathy Notyce is thankful for the donation.
“The 35 books will provide students of color many opportunities to see themselves in roles such as
educators, presidents, scientists, etc.,” Notyce remarked. “These additional books will be added to our
collection and will inspire and motivate all of our students to dream big and believe in themselves.”