KIM JOHNSON

Author      Speaker       Educator

THIS IS MY AMERICA

The Hate U Give meets Just Mercy in this unflinching yet uplifting first novel that explores the racist injustices in the American justice system.

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"An incredible and searing examination of the often tragic

collision of racism and a flawed criminal justice system. Read and reread ... and reared again." --Nic Stone, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin

"Harrowing and worthwhile; a call-to-action from the anti-racist insights of a generation of black activists." --Kirkus, starred review

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“Activist Johnson’s powerful debut is a timely testimony that echoes the social realities behind today’s #BlackLivesMatter protests.” --Publishers Weekly, starred review

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"This is My America promises a powerful story about racial injustice, featuring stunning prose reminiscent of Nic Stone and Angie Thomas.” --Paste Magazine

"This strong debut will strike home with socially conscious readers." --Booklist 

"A strong debut. Will appeal to readers of Angie Thomas and fans of criminal justice podcasts like Serial and In the Dark." --SLJ

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(Photo credit JBoy Photography)

Articles

BIO

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Kim Johnson held leadership positions in social justice organizations as a teen and in college, and is now an author and incoming interim vice provost at the University of Oregon. She maintains engagement in various organizations while also mentoring Black student leaders and serving as a graduate advisor and member of an historically Black sorority.

This Is My America is her bestselling novel that explores racial injustice against innocent Black men who are criminally sentenced and the families left behind to pick up the pieces. She is an award-winning novelist, with 2021 accolades that include the Pacific Northwest Book Award, YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction, and the ILA Notable Books for a Global Society. Her novel also received recognition as a NPR Concierge Best Books and Kirkus Best Fiction, Amazon Teacher's pick, and a Junior Library Guild and Project Lit Community Book selection. Her novel has also been selected for the Spirit of Texas and Humanities of Tennessee 8-12th grade reading programs for their respective States.

She holds degrees from the University of Oregon and the University of Maryland, College Park.

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BOOKS

THIS IS MY AMERICA

Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont writes letters to Innocence X, asking them to help her father, an innocent Black man on death row. After seven years, Tracy is running out of time—her dad has 267 days left.

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Then one night changes everything. The police arrive, pounding on the door, and Tracy’s older brother, Jamal, goes from being a bright, promising track star to a “thug” on the run, accused of killing a white girl. Determined to save her brother, Tracy investigates what really happened between Jamal and Angela down at the Pike. And as Tracy discovers the racist history that still haunts her small town’s present, she begins to wonder if she’s lighting the torch that will illuminate her family’s innocence . . . or lighting the fuse that will cause her world to explode.

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Kim Johnson’s gripping debut is a revelation—an incendiary, crucial look at the American justice system delivered as an uplifting read where love conquers hate and justice is delivered in the face of injustice.

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THIS IS MY AMERICA is planned for publication July 28, 2020 by Random House Children’s Books.

Media

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