"This frank, spirited guide spotlights a thoughtful leader who embraces social responsibility." — Kirkus
With witty humor and a strong sense of self, musician, model, and technology executive Shavone Charles recounts her journey through Google, Twitter, and more – and outlines her mission to make space for herself and other young women of color both online and IRL.Pocket Change Collective was born out of a need for space. Space to think. Space to connect. Space to be yourself. And this is your invitation to join us. This is a series of small books with big ideas from today's leading activists and artists.
"The right balance of curiosity and good old nerve has always pushed me toward good directions in my life. During the darkest, most discouraging times, I can lean on those two parts of me." In this installment of the Pocket Change Collective, musician and technology phenom Shavone Charles explores how curiosity and nerve led her from a small college in Merced, California, to some of the most influential spaces in the tech world: from Google to Twitter to eventually landing a spot on the coveted Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Grateful for being the first in many spaces, but passionate about being neither the last nor the only, Charles tells her story in the hopes of guiding others and shaping a future where people, particularly women of color, feel empowered to make space for themselves and challenge society’s status quos.
On sale: November 8, 2022
Age: 12 and up
Grade: Grade 7 & Up
Page count: 64 Pages
ISBN: 9780593387535
Reading level: Lexile: 1290L | Fountas/Pinnell: Z
Shavone Charles (she/her), known mononymously as SHAVONE, is a musician, entrepreneur, activist, and technology executive. Having worked at some of the biggest names in the tech world—Instagram, Twitter, and Google to name a few—Charles uses her work and her platforms (Magic in Her Melanin and Future Of Creatives) to amplify the stories of women of color to make space in a world that so often tries to silence them. Find her on Instagram @shavonec.
Ashley Lukashevsky (she/they) is an illustrator and visual artist born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, currently based in Los Angeles. Ashley uses illustration and art as tools to strengthen social movements against systemic racism, sexism, and anti-immigrant policy. She aims to tear down these systems of oppression through first envisioning and drawing a world without them. Her clients include Refinery29, Broadly,
The Washington Post, Planned Parenthood, Girls Who Code,
GOOD magazine,
Brooklyn magazine, ACLU, Red Bull, Snapchat, Air Jordan, and Logo TV. Ashley is also the illustrator of the best-selling
Antiracist Baby, by Ibram X. Kendi.
“Shavone’s personal story about breaking into tech is equal parts accessible and inspiring. We need more relatable role models for young people from diverse backgrounds in the technology space. Shavone shows our future generations not just how to get a foot in the door, but how to thrive when there. I highly recommend this for any young person with big dreams of innovating in tech!”
—Kimberly Bryant, founder and CEO of Black Girls CODE
“
Black Internet Effect is the book we all need now. With refreshing empathy, curiosity, and grace, Shavone Charles encourages everyone—but especially women of color—to settle for nothing less than we all deserve. Shavone’s authenticity and humor make for an inspiring read, and I encourage readers to learn and laugh as they experience this Pocket Change Collective book.”
—Melonie D. Parker, Chief Diversity Officer, Google
"This frank, spirited guide spotlights a thoughtful leader who embraces social responsibility." —
Kirkus
This latest entry in the Pocket Change Collective series comes from a young African American
woman who was the youngest and first-ever Black woman hired onto Instagram's marketing and
communications team. She then moved to TikTok for a newly created role as the company’s first-
ever head of Diversity & Inclusion Communications. As a teen, Charles never seriously
considered a career in tech. She liked technology and was into gaming and coding but was also
aware of the dismal statistics concerning the few women in Silicon Valley, let alone the tiny
percentage of people of color. Still, she applied for a Google BOLD internship, was accepted,
and excelled. As her career took off, Charles quickly realized she was most effective when she
represented herself—her Blackest, most authentic self—and she urges readers to do the same.
She stresses that young users should become active participants in building safe and inclusive
platforms where individual voices, especially voices from marginalized communities, can be
heard and recognized. Teens will appreciate the straight talk and unique insights.
— Kathleen McBroom, Booklist Reviews
