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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Griffin from Jackson, MS is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Griffin is requesting

Black Brilliance Bookshelf Fueling Minds with Stories That Matter

Help me give my students books to empower them through black history and racial justice literature

FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Griffin's classroom raised $683

This project is fully funded

My Project

I work with bright, resilient high school freshmen at a Title I school in a low socio-economic area, where most of our students are African American and face daily challenges that extend far beyond the classroom. Many of them come from homes where resources are limited, and access to books, especially those that reflect their heritage, identity, and potential, is scarce.

We seek donations to build a classroom library focused on Black history, racial justice, and culturally relevant literature that can empower, educate, and inspire.

These books are not just stories—they are mirrors and windows. Mirrors, because our students deserve to see themselves, their ancestors, and their culture reflected in powerful, affirming narratives. And windows, understanding the struggles and triumphs of those who came before them fosters strength, pride, and a sense of purpose.

Why It Matters:

Representation matters. Students who see themselves in books are more likely to engage with reading and feel connected to their education.

Education is empowerment. Books about Black leaders, inventors, activists, and everyday heroes show our students what’s possible.

Understanding racial justice gives our students the tools to advocate for themselves and others in a society that doesn't always treat everyone equally.

These stories combat erasure. In too many classrooms, Black history is limited to a handful of figures or one month a year. Our students deserve more.

Ms. Griffin Lanier High School Grades 9-12

Celebrate Black teachers and kids! This project supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of students are Black.

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Jackson, MS View local requests

Nearly all students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

HBCU Alum 100 students impacted 5donors

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Ms. Griffin is requesting.

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Logan Family Saga, 9-book set • Amazon Business $60.39 1 $60.39
Seminole Burning: A Story of Racial Vengeance • Amazon Business $21.93 1 $21.93
The 100 Best African American Poems: A Black Poetry Collection • Amazon Business $20.46 1 $20.46
Freedom’s Dominion (Winner of the Pulitzer Prize): A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power • Amazon Business $18.97 1 $18.97
How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice, and Skill • Amazon Business $17.66 1 $17.66
The Pain We Carry: Healing from Complex PTSD for People of Color (The Social Justice Handbook Series) • Amazon Business $17.42 1 $17.42
Their Eyes Were Watching God • Amazon Business $17.10 1 $17.10
White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color • Amazon Business $16.69 1 $16.69
Systemic Racism 101: A Visual History of the Impact of Racism in America • Amazon Business $16.30 1 $16.30
Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights • Amazon Business $16.09 1 $16.09
You Don’t Know Us Negroes and Other Essays • Amazon Business $15.99 1 $15.99
Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice • Amazon Business $14.99 1 $14.99
Magnolia Flower - Reinforced Book • AKJ Education $14.59 1 $14.59
Harlem Stomp! - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $14.59 1 $14.59
In Every Mirror She's Black: A Novel • Amazon Business $14.42 1 $14.42
Native Son • Amazon Business $13.49 1 $13.49
Jimmy's Blues and Other Poems • Amazon Business $13.39 1 $13.39
Black Boy - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $13.13 1 $13.13
Assata: An Autobiography • Amazon Business $12.89 1 $12.89
My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies • Amazon Business $11.91 1 $11.91
A Lesson Before Dying - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $11.68 1 $11.68
All the Days Past, All the Days to Come • Amazon Business $11.56 1 $11.56
Manchild in the Promised Land • Amazon Business $11.25 1 $11.25
Have I Ever Told You Black Lives Matter • Amazon Business $11.23 1 $11.23
Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do • Amazon Business $11.01 1 $11.01
A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiaga Story • Amazon Business $10.74 1 $10.74
Black Girl/White Girl • Amazon Business $10.23 1 $10.23
Midnight: A Gangster Love Story (1) (The Midnight Series) • Amazon Business $8.84 1 $8.84
Life After Death: A Novel (2) (The Winter Santiaga Series) • Amazon Business $8.73 1 $8.73
To Be Young, Gifted and Black (Signet Classics) • Amazon Business $8.20 1 $8.20
Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre • Amazon Business $7.89 1 $7.89
Black Like Me • Amazon Business $7.81 1 $7.81
The Mis-Education of the Negro • Amazon Business $7.24 1 $7.24
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings • Amazon Business $7.19 1 $7.19
The Willie Lynch Letter and the Making of a Slave • Amazon Business $6.50 1 $6.50
The Souls of Black Folk (Dover Thrift Editions) (Dover Thrift Editions: Black History) • Amazon Business $4.65 1 $4.65

Materials cost

$507.15

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $35.50

3rd party payment processing fee

$7.61

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$580.26

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$102.40

Total project goal

$682.66

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $682.66

3 Donors

-$336.92

Donations toward project cost

-$293.88

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$43.04

Matching donations from our partners

-$336.92

Match offers toward project cost

-$286.38

Match offers to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$50.54

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$8.82

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Griffin and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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