The simple act of telling your story can create radical change. George M. Johnson knows that better than anyone—their powerful memoir-manifesto All Boys Aren’t Blue, a New York Times bestseller about growing up as a Black queer boy, has inspired readers worldwide to “be themselves unapologetically.”
George’s powerful YA memoir sits alongside titles by Toni Morrison and Lavin speaker Angie Thomas as among the 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021. Called “an exuberant, unapologetic memoir infused with a deep but cleareyed love for its subjects” by The New York Times, All Boys Aren’t Blue confronts bigotry and celebrates love of all kinds.
Through their writing and activism, George proves that even in the midst of oppression, we can still find pockets of beauty and joy. “As long as we can continue to imagine a future greater than this, I’m going to find a way to find happiness, even in the midst of my worst moments,” George says. With honesty and deep love, they encourage young people to find their identity, embrace their joy, and tell their own stories.
Watch George speak on the power of imagination here:
