Newark Teen Author Embarks On Mission To Give 1,000 Books To Girls In Essex County

NEWARK, NJ — Sometimes your own coming-of-age story can illuminate a pathway for others. That’s the message of hope that is powering Rashanna E. James-Frison’s ongoing “Books on the Ground” movement in Essex County.

James-Frison, 18, recently kicked off a campaign to give away 1,000 copies of her poetry book – “The Black Unicorn: A Daughter from Newark” – to eighth-grade girls throughout the county.

James-Frison published the book last year. It features original artwork from students at Arts High School, and delves into topics that include social justice, gun violence and Black girlhood.

Poetry sparked a light for the New Jersey native, who is currently studying criminal justice and sociology at Lincoln University. Now, she’s hoping it can also inspire other young women at a key phase of their lives.

“Eighth grade is when everything starts to shift,” James-Frison said. “You're not a little girl anymore – but the world hasn't fully seen you yet. I want these girls to hold something that reflects them, before the world tells them who to be.”

Learn more about the Books on the Ground movement or make a donation here.

These days, James-Frison continues to carve out her own identity as a community activist and rising scholar. In addition to being the youngest commissioner on Newark’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, the 2025 Sheila Y. Oliver Memorial Scholarship recipient has served on the Youth Advisory Board of the Victoria Foundation, completed fellowships with The GEM Project and the W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute, and logged more than 2,000 hours of community service with local nonprofit Girls, Live, Love, Laugh Inc.

She still remembers what it was like to be 13, however.

“When I launched the Books on the Ground Movement, it came from a very personal place,” James-Frison told Patch.

“My ‘aha moment’ was realizing that if someone had handed me a book like mine at 13-years-old, it could have changed the way I saw myself – and the way I walked into my future,” she added.

“Books on the Ground isn’t just about reading – it’s about being seen, being inspired, and realizing that your story is not finished,” James-Frison said.

“I want every 8th grader girl to know: your pen is in your hand, and you can write the life you deserve,” she encouraged.

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