When I first started writing Oh Brother, My Brother, I wasn’t thinking about becoming an author.
I was thinking about boys.
Specifically, Black boys who might see themselves in the story I was creating boys growing up in blended families, single-parent households, or situations where their relationship with a parent or caregiver isn’t always as close as they wish it could be.
I wanted them to have access to a story that felt familiar.
Now, that mission is becoming bigger than I imagined.
I’m incredibly honored to announce my partnership with Barbershop Books, a national nonprofit working to promote literacy and reading comprehension among Black boys.
Through this partnership, Oh Brother, My Brother is now available through the Barbershop Books e-library at no cost to under-resourced boys across the country.
That means a story that started with my own experiences can now reach children far beyond my own community.
And that’s what partnership can do.
I’ve always believed that meaningful work shouldn’t be built in isolation. The right collaborators don’t simply help you accomplish a goal…they help you expand the impact of the work.
That’s what makes this partnership especially meaningful to me.
Barbershop Books founder Alvin Irby and I share more than a commitment to literacy. We’re both from Little Rock, Arkansas, and both graduated from the Little Rock School District.
There’s something powerful about two people from the same place finding their way through different paths and eventually coming together around a shared mission.
For me, this is about more than a book.
It’s about collaboration.
It’s about partnership.
It’s about access.
It’s about spreading love and joy.
And it’s about uplifting both parents and children.
As a creative entrepreneur, I’m learning that the question isn’t simply, “What can I create?”
It’s also:
“Who can I create with, and who can we reach together?”
That’s where the real impact happens.
The book was never meant to sit on a shelf.
It was meant to be read.
It was meant to start conversations.
And most importantly, it was meant to reach boys who need to see themselves in the story.
I’m grateful that this partnership is helping make that possible. 💙
📚 If you’d like to explore Oh Brother, My Brother digitally for a Black boy in your life, check out Barbershop Books.
And if you’d like a signed physical copy, visit BrandonDCampbell.com.
