This heartfelt story is more than a glimpse into one college’s legacy. It’s a celebration of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the generations of women they have empowered.
Age Range: 1-18
Grade Range: Preschool-12
Publication Date: August 9, 2020
Page Count: 28 pages
I Want to be a Bennett Belle
Paperback
$14.95
Description
What do you want to be when you grow up?
When a bright and curious little girl asks her grandmother this simple question, she opens the door to a story that will shape her future in ways she never imagined.
As her grandmother begins to share her journey, readers are transported into the proud and powerful legacy of Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, a place where young women are nurtured to become confident, compassionate, and purpose-driven leaders. Through stories of growth, sisterhood, and self-discovery, the little girl begins to see what’s possible for her own life.
With each memory, she falls in love not only with the spirit of Bennett College, but with the idea that her dreams matter and that it’s never too early to begin becoming the woman she is meant to be.
Inspired by the author’s own family, spanning multiple Bennett Belles, this book honors a tradition of excellence, pride, and what many lovingly call “the Mecca of Black girl magic.” Warm, inspiring, and full of possibility, it reminds young readers everywhere that their future begins with a single question, and the courage to dream the answer.
Author Deedee Cummings
Deedee Cummings is a professional dreamer. She is also an author, therapist, attorney, and mom from Louisville, Kentucky. Cummings founded Make A Way Media in 2014 after struggling to find books with characters who looked like her own children and an extreme lack of stories that reflected their life experiences. Books published by Make A Way focus on hope, diversity, social justice, and therapeutic skills for children and adults. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Forbes, NPR, USA Today, Essence Magazine, Psych Central, well+Good, and The EveryGirl, among other media outlets. In 2021, she was appointed to the Kentucky Early Childhood Advisory Council by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and reappointed to a second term in 2025, acknowledging her decades-long service to the children and families of Kentucky. Cummings is also the founder of The Louisville Book Festival. She was inspired to work to highlight and celebrate a culture of reading in her community after working as an in-home therapist and visiting homes of children who had no books. Cummings believes literacy is a fundamental human right. Her work highlights inspiring messages that remind us all it is never too late to begin again.
Reviews:
I loved reading this short book and getting to know not only more about Bennett College, but the sweet and loving relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter. After reading this book, I wished I had attended this college. The life lessons the author learned while attending this college are ones that if every person lived them fully, the planet would be a much friendlier and loving place to live.
– Danielle
