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“My name is Red Shaydez and I want to celebrate New England Black History by honoring Ann Petry of Connecticut. Ann Petry was a bestselling author who wrote the book ‘The Street.’ It was the first novel by a Black woman to sell over a million copies in 1946. ‘The Street’ was a brutally honest tale about a young Black woman raising her son amidst the violence and adversity in Harlem during the 1940′s. It was dubbed as ‘a masterpiece’ and a ‘Black protest novel’.”
Red Shaydez is a Boston hip-hop artist, mentor, educator, and multi-hyphenate creative.
Jeneé Osterheldt can be reached at jenee.osterheldt@globe.com. Follow her @sincerelyjenee and on Instagram @abeautifulresistance.