Newbery Medal-winning children’s author Meg Medina talks about the power of writing in Spanglish, and relates her own childhood to her 2019 book Merci Suárez Changes Gears. And: Nishaun Battle (Virginia State University) talks about the historic “adultification” of young black girls. Her book is Black Girlhood, Punishment and Resistance: Reimagining Justice for Black Girls in Virginia.

Later in the show: Studies show that women professors are often relegated to lower-ranked positions while their male counterparts ascend to the top. Khadijah Miller (Norfolk State University) helped form the Sistah Colleague Circle to give women encouragement and a collaborative work environment. Also featured: Despite her background in psychology, Winx Lawrence (University of Virginia) was shocked when her daughters lost confidence upon entering middle school. She co-founded the Young Women’s Leaders Program, where college women pair with middle school girls to help them reach their potential academically, socially and emotionally.