MONIQUE DUNCAN is an author, educator, and researcher with a deep passion for promoting literacy, and crafting stories that inspire and affirm young readers. Freedom Braids, her first traditionally published title, was featured in the New York Times, endorsed by Amnesty International, and deemed by Kirkus “a poignant tale of courage and resistance and of long-standing cultural traditions.” Her picture book, When Mama Braids My Hair, was nominated for an Ezra Jack Keats Award. After obtaining degrees in Journalism and Childhood Education, Monique earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in the Bronx, NY and continues to teach children as she works on future book projects. 

​FREEDOM BRAIDS

Written by Monique Duncan and illustrated by Oboh Moses, Freedom Braids is a picture book of love, liberation and legacy inspired by the true story of enslaved African women in Colombia braiding maps to freedom. Day after day, Nemy is forced to sow seeds in the sugarcane plantation, until one night, she follows a woman called Big Mother to a hidden shack. There, she finds a group of women braiding each other’s hair. But these are no ordinary braids. Hidden in each elaborate pattern is a secret – a message signaling their intent to flee and a map to guide them in their escape. Will the paths these courageous women weave guide Nemy to a new home where she can be free? This compelling story pays homage to a courageous group of people who embodied sacred cultural traditions, ingenuity, perseverance, and hope.