Coloring Book for Court, in collaboration with 4th graders at Achievement First Endeavor Elementary School, Brooklyn, NY, 8.5 × 5.5", 2019

I collaborated with a group of 4th grade students in Brooklyn to create a coloring book for children waiting in immigration court rooms, waiting rooms, and related spaces. These booklets and small boxes of crayons are now being distributed by New Sanctuary Coalition when they accompany families and children to court hearings and check ins with ICE. There is an incredible amount of waiting in sterile, unfriendly, often guarded spaces that is part of the immigration process.

It was important that the students making the initial drawings the the children doing the coloring are in the same city, perhaps sharing a community. There is not a clear distinction between the two groups of children, it is possible that there is overlap between them. Much too often kids miss school to go to court; kids in court should be outside of court - coloring, playing, learning.