Evette Dionne facts for kids

Evette Dionne is an American writer and editor. She is famous for her book for young readers, Lifting As We Climb. This book was nominated for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2020.

Dionne writes about important topics like Black women's history, equal rights for women, and pop culture. From 2018 to 2021, she was the editor-in-chief of ... magazine.

Early Life and Schooling

Evette Dionne grew up in New York. She first went to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Later, she moved to Bennett College, which is a historically Black college. She earned her bachelor's degree there in 2012.

After college, she went to Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She earned a master’s degree in media management and women's studies.

Writing and Editing Career

As a culture writer, Dionne focuses on current events and the experiences of Black women. Her articles have appeared in major publications like Teen Vogue, the New York Times, and Harper's Bazaar.

Before her role at ... magazine, she was a senior news editor for other online magazines. She became the editor-in-chief of ... in 2018. An editor-in-chief is the head of a publication who decides what gets published. She left this position in 2021.

Her opinions on famous people and important topics have been quoted by news outlets. She also contributed to other books, including Burn It Down (2019) and Can We All Be Feminists? (2018). In 2021, she worked for Netflix on a project called Tudum, but she and her team were laid off seven months later.

Books for Young Readers and Adults

Dionne has written several books. Her first book was called Fat Girls Deserve Fairy Tales Too: Living Hopefully On the Other Side of Skinny. It was published in 2019.

Lifting As We Climb

Her first book for middle schoolers was Lifting As We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box. It was released in 2020. The book tells the story of how Black women fought for the right to vote.

Dionne was inspired to write it in 2016. She saw people visiting the graves of white suffragettes (women who fought for the right to vote), like Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Dionne wanted to make sure the important roles of Black women in this fight were not forgotten.

The book received great reviews. The School Library Journal called it a "must-purchase." Kirkus Reviews said it was "a lively and critical addition" to the history of women's right to vote.

Weightless

In 2022, Dionne released a memoir called Weightless: Making Space for My Resilient Body and Soul. A memoir is a book where the author writes about their own life experiences.

Published Works

• Fat Girls Deserve Fairy Tales Too (2019, Seal Press; ISBN: 9781580059268)
• Lifting As We Climb (2020, Viking; ISBN: 978-0-451-48154-2)

Awards and Honors

For her book Lifting As We Climb:

• 2020 – National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Longlist
• 2021 – Orbis Pictus Award, Honor
• 2021 – ALA, Coretta Scott King Book Award, Honor
• 2021 – National Council for the Social Studies, Carter G. Woodson Book Award, Winner (Secondary Level)