On Jan. 20, Ruth Fleury, owner of Scholars of Tomorrow (SOT) Publishing, celebrated her new children’s book, “Soup Joumou: Freedom Celebration” published on Jan. 1, at the Freedom Day Celebration.

Author Justine A. P. Louis and founder of Viv Liv Books who wrote “Dahlia Explores the Haitian Creole Alphabet” joined Fleury at the book signing event.

The celebration was held in partnership with Viv Liv Books, and it was sponsored by Nancy Vielle from New York Life, the Haitian Women’s Alliance and Ti TonTon Art. Chef Kesley from Crystal’s Corner, a bar in Brooklyn, catered for the event.

Fleury, a mom of five, said, “What keeps me young is smiling and choosing joy. My father inspires me to trust the higher power, keep it positive, and enjoy life.”

The author is the youngest of four siblings. Her oldest sister was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti while she and her other two siblings were born in Brooklyn, NY. Her mother is from Jacmel, Haiti while her father is from Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

She has a big family on both sides: Her paternal grandfather had nine children; two children prior to marrying her grandmother. Her maternal grandmother had seven children, resided in Haiti and died in 1996.

Fleury sees her mother as the greatest influence on the path she is on today in life. “Prior to migrating to the United States, she was an entrepreneur and owned a small business in Haiti. I, too, have followed the entrepreneurship journey,” she added.

She also shared that as a young child, her older siblings were not around as much, which gave her a quiet space to talk to God, self-reflect and journal often. She always enjoyed reading especially informative text. She noticed there was a lack of relatable books with people who looked like her growing up.

“So I understand the challenge some children face who are not interested in reading because they are unable to connect with the story. This is one of the reasons that led me to start writing based on my observation as a mother and childhood educator. My goal is to increase reading one child at a time in various communities,” she added.

As a child, she enjoyed eating Soup Joumou on Jan. 1 with my family. However, she did not know why her family had it and gathered together.

“When I became a young adult, I finally learned that the tasteful Soup Joumou represents Haiti’s independence from France. On Jan. 1, 1804, Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti as the first Black Republic to be liberated. This heroic act paved the way for other Black people to gain courage to fight for freedom,” she continued. This year marks 220 years of independence for Haiti.

As a Black woman raised in a Haitian household and low-income community, her experiences have taught her to be resilient and patient.

“Haitian people all over the world have endured many obstacles and roadblocks over the past 220 years. But one thing for sure, they are dedicated and hard workers. Quitting is not an option for us,” she stated.

From reading her book, Fleury wants children and families to gain insight about the importance of Jan. 1 for Haitian people and Black History.

“I would like it to have an impact where unity shines among the various Black cultures within our communities. My book will empower Black communities to use the recipe to cook Soup Joumou and Celebrate Freedom for all Black nations,” she continued.

She wants to focus on “spreading peace, support and unity as symbols of human love,” she said. “I want to inspire young Black girls and boys to be brave, assertive and consistent in achieving their goal through positivity and strong will.”

To support Fleury, those interested can purchase her books, and find more information on SOT Publishing: https://www.scholarsoftomorrowpublishing.com/.

To support Louis and fellow authors at VivLiv Books, those interested can purchase their books and find more information here: https://www.vivlivbooks.com/.