First-grade and kindergarten students of Uncommon Kings Elementary School’s After School All-Stars Program packed into their auditorium seats on Sept. 8. They knew they’d be getting a talk about a new children’s book, but they did not know the book’s author, Lizzo, would be reading it to them.
Lizzo entered the auditorium and was greeted by a mass of screams from hundreds of young fans. She began by asking kids to introduce themselves and shout out their names.
“We didn’t know she was coming until today,” first grade teacher Antoinette Waite told BK Reader.
According to Ashley Russell, director of operations at UKES, their community heavily values representation. Waite noted that the kids know Lizzo as a woman of color, a successful singer and now an author.
The theme of the event and children’s book, said Uncommon Kings Elementary principal Jamie Marrier, is that there’s something different in every one of the kids.
The auditorium rang with cheers as Lizzo greeted the room. “Can I scream too?” she asked.
The pop star continued to ask the kids questions, such as what kind of music they liked to listen to and what kind of instruments they play. She read “Lil Lizzo Meets Sasha B. Flootin,’” on stage with the words and illustrations projected behind her.
The book, published Sept. 8, follows young "Lil Lizzo" on an adventure of self-discovery, where after feeling isolated as a young child, she discovers her flute, Sasha Flute. Lizzo had arrived on the stage with her flute in hand, and encouraged students to clap while she played on stage.
Uncommon Schools NYC operates 23 tuition-free charter schools across Brooklyn, and its After-School All-Stars program provides free after-school and summer programs to underserved students nationwide.
According to Marrier, these events are not just about academics, but about community development. UKES works to inspire a love of literature. “We get to start that love,” Marrier said.
Select students went up on stage and gave Lizzo a gift on behalf of Uncommon Schools. On her way out, Lizzo asked the students for a group hug and was nearly trampled in a flurry of excitement at the front of the room.
