The Chosen One, page 24
And there was God. The creator. The infinite. The beginning and the end, as it says in the Bible. My eyes were watching. Waiting. Wondering if he/she/they was going to grant the miracle or not. If I was going to be a Chosen One. Those mythical Horatio Alger people who rise from the dust and conquer unimaginable circumstances because they have no other choice.
“Steady,” God would reply. “Forward. Many fields brimming with possibility lie ahead.”
When I finally arrived at Dartmouth, I understood viscerally what I was up against. The energy of my spirit collapsed to a singular point of focus, which is what I’ve done my entire life. Focus. Not on all the privilege, wealth, racism, and sexism around me, but on the resources available at my disposal. Dartmouth was rich in opportunity and resources.
I leaned into professors and mentors who could see inside me and knew I couldn’t fail. Professor Edlin, who told me I was lit from within. I didn’t understand then. I do now. Professor Lenhart, who taught me to revere the written word. Were it not for his introductory English class, I may never have thought to become a writer. Professor Hamlin, a consummate artist, who taught me how to cultivate my own burgeoning artistic impulses. I did not think it was possible to be an artist before meeting her. President Wright, who spoke so passionately at my convocation about pushing Dartmouth in a direction that was more inclusive of minority students. I will never forget how welcomed his words made me feel. When I heard his speech, I knew I had made the right decision. Tommy Woon, who sheltered me with his calm, knowing spirit and introduced me to life-changing diversity workshops and programs along with Dawn Hemphill. Sadhana Hall, whose grace, wisdom, and brilliance showed me how to cultivate true internal power and stay lifted as a woman of color in a world stacked against you. The high school English teacher and her husband who drove me to Dartmouth, paid for my flights home on holidays, financially supported me when I studied abroad, and drove my mom to my graduation.
Casque and Gauntlet, the senior society I was inducted into my senior year, who became my community after three years of feeling out of place. I met some of the most amazing people I’ve ever known there. Skywalkers, like me, wanting a better world for all.
I would not have survived Dartmouth without these people.
My message to you is this: Your destiny is yours for the taking, but you have to find the people that can help you survive it. Remember, a Chosen One never walks alone.
This journey was never meant for people like us. The proof is in the long lineage of ancestors in our families who have been beaten down and denied. Yet, here we are reaping the fruits of their sacrifice and efforts. Here we are standing on the other side of an oppression that can never murder our spirits.
Let no one tell you that you are not worthy. Let no one belittle or undervalue the enormity of your spirit. Let this be a reminder of the magnitude of what you have already overcome. May you decide to join the ranks of the Jedi and shine your light into the world. I hope you answer the call of your soul. I hope you do what you came here to do. I pray you never forget who you are, on the inside, and if you do, I pray you remember the way home.
May the Force be with you, always.
Love,
Echo
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There is no greater supporter of my work than my editor, Jessica Anderson. From the beginning, she knew my voice and experiences were uniquely suited for young readers. While I never imagined this path for myself, I can’t think of a more noble and profound calling. Thank you, Jessica, for helping me realize such an important mission in my life. May the words continue to flow like water until the purpose is fully realized.
Macmillan was the home of my first book, Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard. I am deeply appreciative of the advocacy, commitment, and efforts their team put into launching Black Girl Unlimited. I could not have asked for a better introduction to the book community.
I am so grateful to have the constant support of Christy Ottaviano Books in publishing my work. Thank you to my publisher, Christy Ottaviano; my jacket artist, Noa Denmon; and the many gracious, passionate advocates I am lucky to have at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: Megan Tingley, Jackie Engel, Emilie Polster, Stefanie Hoffman, Shanese Mullins, Jéla Lewter, Savannah Kennelly, Marisa Russell, Sasha Illingworth, Victoria Stapleton, and Annie McDonnell.
Janine Kamouh, Sanjana Seelam, and Olivia Burgher at WME: Thank you for championing my work and preserving the creative soul of my words in our journey toward converting my books to the screen. I’m confident we will strike gold eventually.
Like so many others, I will remember 2020 as a year of loss. I lost my baby brother to a fentanyl overdose. He was thirty years old. The pulse of his spirit will forever beat inside of me and the stories I tell. I hope you are at peace, Demetrius Dante Brown. I hope you know now how much we love and adore you. I hope I see you at the crossroads so you won’t be lonely.
My kidneys also failed that year due to lupus. At the time I was living in Paris, and a team of French doctors and nurses, few of whom spoke English, saved my life. My gratitude cannot be captured in words. May karma find you and weave an abundance of blessings into the fabric of your lives.
When it became clear that I would need a transplant, I returned to Cleveland. It was the only place where I knew love was waiting for me, which is what I needed most. I’ll never forget the look in my parents’ eyes when I returned from my travels, battered but not defeated. “Ecka back,” they said. No other words were needed. My mother and father remain the only true home I have ever had in this world. Spending this precious time with them has given me so much joy through the strife. To my parents: may your forthcoming days be long and full for my and Lee’s sake.
I will be thirty-seven by the time this book is released. The most important lesson I have learned so far is to give it your all, but be prepared to surrender to the great mystery of life. It cannot be controlled no matter how hard you try. Trust me, I tried really hard.
To my sweet kitty, Baba Baby, whose gentle and steady spirit has anchored me through the chaos, suit up: the next mission awaits.
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ECHO BROWN
ECHO BROWN is the award-winning author of Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard, which was named a William C. Morris Award Finalist, an SLJ Best Book of the Year, a New York Public Library Best Book of the Year, and a Rise: A Feminist Book Project Selection, among other honors. A performer and playwright, Echo created the acclaimed one-woman show Black Virgins Are Not for Hipsters. She is a Dartmouth alumna and the first female college graduate in her family. She invites you to visit her at echobrown.com.
Praise for
Black Girl Unlimited:
The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard
A William C. Morris Award Finalist
An SLJ Best Book of the Year
A NYPL Best Book of the Year
Rise: A Feminist Book Project List Selection
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection
A BCCB Blue Ribbon Title
A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
★ “With the nods to Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Malcolm X, and Alice Walker.… This revelatory YA book deserves space on shelves for its healing power for all readers to break the chains of intergenerational pain and trauma.”
—SLJ, starred review
“A guidebook of survival and wonder.”
—The New York Times
“Just brilliant.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“This story marks the arrival of a bold new literary imagination.”
—Esquire
“This is a story of Black girl magic, trauma and healing, learning to save oneself, connection and forgiveness, and given and chosen family.”
—Book Riot
Echo Brown, The Chosen One
