Representation in children’s books is important, said Roy Kinsey, a librarian and rapper whose book “Deangelo and the Dandelion” tells the story of a queer Black youngster from Chicago who is deemed different and effeminate and then bullied.
In Kinsey’s book, Deangelo compares himself to a dandelion that he identifies as a flower but is told instead is a weed, which leads to a journey of self discovery.
The ideas behind Kinsey’s book, which is available for preorder, are on display at the Oak Park Public Library’s latest Idea Box, Maintaining Wonder: Deangelo’s World. The exhibit, which opened last week, focuses on Deangelo’s bedroom, a place that represents protection from the outside world, where ideas originate and where creativity thrives.
Kinsey said he wished he had something like his book to read when he was younger during an opening event Friday at the library. About 100 people were on hand to explore Deangelo’s bedroom, which was filled with artifacts from the 1990s and 2000s that are highly regarded in Black culture, such as Chicago Bulls memorabilia and posters of influential artists like Michael Jackson.
Rasheed Owens, the lead curator for the installation, spent the last four and a half weeks working on the bedroom. It was the first exhibit he has curated, but could lead to more down the road, he said.
“It feels good to know that I can do this and I also have original thoughts and ideas and things I actually want to build, and then from those ideas I can actually do it,” Owens said.
The curator’s work received a good review from Angel San Juan, a friend who came out to support Owens. He said he wished his own bedroom looked like the one Owens created, calling the installation “amazing.”
“I’m just really happy for him that he’s able to do this in public spaces, because I know he’s been talking about this for a long time,” San Juan said.
Items for the display were sourced through Fad2Fresh, a Chicago vintage clothing and memorabilia business.
Sonia Randhawa, a Wrigleyville resident, is looking forward to the official release of the book, but went to the installation for her love of art. The bedroom felt lived in and she could gather a sense of warmth just from looking at it, she said.
“It shows how much art really does affect a person and who they are because this is the showmanship of who this person is and there’s just more of it everywhere, and it was really nice to see,” Randhawa said.
“I love tapping into the community, especially during times like these in America,” she said. “I feel like it’s really important to come together.”
The strong turnout meant a lot to the author.
“We are not having real conversations about the power of the humanities, the power of imagination and what art means in people’s lives,” Kinsey said. “It’s always very humbling to be able to get people together and to be able to have an idea that then inspires other artists.”
Cam’ron Hardy is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
