For children’s author Eloise Greenfield, racism didn’t instill hatred or self-loathing; it inspired her to spread love and empower others through a literary celebration of Black culture. With books like “Honey, I Love and Other Poems” (1978), Greenfield’s work, even after her death in August 2021, continues to encourage African Americans of all ages to love themselves, cherish their experiences and find joy.
“Children need to know, and to see in books, the truth — the beauty, intelligence, courage, and ingenuity of African and African American people,” Greenfield said in a 2018 speech when accepting the American Library Association’s Coretta Scott-King– Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award.
D.C. Inspires Greenfield’s Literary Journey
Born in North Carolina, and growing up in Washington, D.C. during the Great Depression era, Greenfield was exposed to both the beauty of the booming Black culture in the District, while also witnessing and experiencing the realities of systemic racism and oppression.
“We moved from North Carolina to Washington in 1929, when I was a few months old… African American homeowners, who had fallen on somewhat hard times, were renting rooms in their homes for extra income. Let me add here that although schools, theaters, and restaurants were segregated, public transportation (streetcars) and public libraries were not,” Greenfield told Collaborative Classroom in 2018.
The author was amazed at how jobs varied for African Americans in D.C.
“For most of my childhood, my father worked for the federal government, driving a truck in Washington to pick up and deliver items. Some people were unemployed, but there were also domestic workers, laborers, restaurant owners, public school teachers and officials, doctors, dentists, musicians and other entertainers, Howard University professors, preachers, and many others,” the author explained.
On her ninth birthday, Greenfield and her family moved to the Langston Terrace housing projects in Northeast D.C., which served as a source of inspiration and community.
“There were recreation leaders assigned to us who, along with the parents’ organization, planned trips and other activities for the children. The Langston branch of the public library opened a few steps from my house; and with so many children in close proximity, there was almost always a friend who could come out and play.”
Throughout childhood, Greenfield loved music and took piano lessons. She graduated from D.C.’s Cardozo High School in 1946 and attended Miner Teachers College (now the University of the District of Columbia) until 1949.
As a mother and wife, Greenfield worked as a clerk-typist in the U.S. Patent Office where she often felt uninspired and experienced discrimination. However, her love of music and writing helped her combat boredom, racism, sexism and other challenges. It was during her time working as a typist that she began writing lyrics and poems.
She eventually decided to quit her job in 1960 and began her journey in literary arts. Her piece, “To a Violin,” was published in 1962 in The Hartford Times.
Greenfield’s Mission to Empower Black Children
The District continued to be inspirational as Greenfield developed her craft and style, and as a member of the D.C. Black Writer’s Workshop, the author found her voice. It was during a 1971 session with the organization that Greenfield realized the lack of books geared toward Black children.
“Then and there, I decided to make that my mission,” said Greenfield in a 2013 interview with The LA Watts Times. “I wanted my books to enable Black children to realize how beautiful and smart they are.”
Greenfield’s literary career expanded almost six decades. With more than 40 published works, including poems, fiction and non-fiction books, biographies and more, Greenfield garnered critical acclaim. Celebrated books such as “Rosa Parks” (1973), illustrated by Eric Marlow, won the Carter G. Woodson Book Award from the National Council for the Social Studies, and “Africa Dream” (1976), illustrated by Carole Byard, received the Coretta Scott King Award.
Greenfield died in Washington, D.C., in August 2021 after suffering a stroke. She was 92.
Growing up in the D.C. area in the early 1990s, Greenfield’s work was part of the soundtrack of my childhood. My mother read her poems and stories to me, and her picture book “Honey, I Love,” (1995), illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist, remains one of my favorites.
To this day, I remember the words verbatim. The experiences she relayed were so relatable.
“The day is hot and icky and the sun sticks to my skin. Mr. Davis turns the hose on, everybody jumps right in. The water stings my stomach and I feel so nice and cool. Honey, let me tell you that I LOVE a flying pool. I love to feel a flying pool,” she writes in the story, which chronicles cherished moments in a young, Black girl’s life, such as playing with dolls, visiting family, and kissing her “mama’s arm.”
It’s a beautiful reflection on life’s simple, but treasured times and a reminder to celebrate the things we love – including ourselves.
In 1995, Greenfield signed a copy for me, writing a handwritten note that encourages me to this day. “To Micha, Wishing you joy.”
I contend Greenfield’s wish was for all Black children to find joy to carry with them into adulthood.
“I wanted to write books that inspired and uplifted [Black children],” Greenfield told The LA Watts Times in 2013, “that made them laugh and be happy.”
