KALAMAZOO (MICH.) – When 18 young women filed into the Children’s Room of the Kalamazoo Public Library (Central Branch) little did they know they were in for a treat. As they prepared to interview a mystery guest, their task was, as teams, to think of 5 questions to discover her identity (they could not ask her name). Once they received the clues, the first team to bring back a book that represented who they thought she was, would win lunch with her. Team Broncos were the winners!

The scramble around the library had the three teams searching Google, filing through bookshelves, and more to learn their guest was Brittany “Bea” Jackson, a bestselling children’s book illustrator. Jackson, a native of Detroit, spent the day with the Explorers as part of their 3-day Discover Academy. In addition to an interactive visit to the Jackson, the Explorers took part in an exclusive CSI Forensic Explorers challenge in partnership with the Dr. Homer Stryker School of Medicine (WMed). (*Look for that story on August 30).

(See trailer of the Explorers' visit with Brittany Jackson) https://fb.watch/7EWypJvQNw/

(See the trailer of Day 1 of Explorers at KPL!) https://www.facebook.com/merzetate/posts/2716591865304871

Each Explorer received an autographed book illustrated by Jackson (Parker Looks Up, written by Parker and Jessica Curry). The children’s book features Parker Curry’s visit with her family and friends to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. When little Parker saw the enormous painting of former First Lady Michelle Obama, she was mesmerized. A photo of her entrenched in the image went viral and the idea for the book was born. Parker and her mother, Jessica, have been featured on various talk shows and interviewed by those such as Ellen, and on various networks such as CBS, NBC, and NPR.

The experience is one of many Explorers has had to interview women of local and international fame. The girls, in grades 4th-12th, explore possibilities by visiting places to learn about careers through hands-on adventures. Explorers have visited Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, Ruth Carter, the first African American to win an Oscar for Costume Design (Black Panther), author Margot Lee Shuttery (Hidden Figures), and many others. The opportunity to talk to women about their careers, who inspired them, and the advice they have for young girls is what makes the program unique. In addition, the participates learn media skills to help create an annual Girls Can! Magazine released each October as part of National Day of the Girl.

The Merze Tate Explorers was founded in 2008 by Sonya Bernard-Hollins, an award-winning journalist who grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. When Bernard-Hollins learned of Merze Tate, a Michigan native, she was amazed that she had never heard of Tate. The story of Tate’s journey from a small farm in Mecosta County, Michigan to a first in areas of education and more, stuck with the reporter. A photo of Tate with a group of students headed to Washington D.C. in 1932 led her to found her own Travel Club as a history teacher at Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis, Ind. Today, the now-Merze Tate Explorers is a nonprofit organization that has led girls of color around the globe in a quest to experience 20 of their most-admired landmarks and discover a world they never could have imagined.

Each year the Explorers reside on a college campus, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the youth participated in a 3-day day camp with the support and sponsorship of the Hammond Family Fund, WMed, and Kalamazoo Public Library. The 3-days of adventure began with an amazing interactive visit with the women of WMed who named each of the teams after a college Merze Tate made history (Western Michigan University Broncos; Radcliff College, and Oxford University). Look for the WMed story on August 30! Learn more about Merze Tate in our menu above.