Episode 8 features Chiquita Toure, a librarian, educator and curator who talks with us about the uniqueness of every "Fire" and the connection between literacy and living as our best selves.

Chiquita R. N. Toure was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She is a proud graduate of Chicago Public Schools and received both her B.S. in Elementary Education and M.Ed. in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a second M.Ed. in School Library and Information Technologies from Mansfield University in Mansfield Pennsylvania. Chiquita's passion as a literacy liberator has spanned almost 30 years. In 1995 she relocated to Columbus, Ohio and has spent 13 years first as an ELA educator for the elementary and middle school grades; in 2009 she transitioned to the role of school librarian for grades K-12. Currently she serves as the school librarian for the Columbus Africentric Early College school for grades 6-12. In addition to being an educator-librarian, she is a speaker, writer and social justice workshop facilitator for nonprofits, faith-based and independent educational organizations. She has received numerous grants which have enabled her to bring creative and innovative programming to the school communities she serves. In 2018 she was awarded the Helen Jenkins Davis Award for Social Justice for her work in transforming the school library space and creating a safe writing hub for students. She enjoys teaching young people not only how to read with a discerning lens, but also how to write their lives through courageous truth telling. Her future plans are to complete her Ed.D. by 2026 in Educational Policy and Leadership with a concentration in Diversity and Equity also from the UIUC. She would love to teach in higher education and open an independent bookstore where folks can visit, read, write, chat and sip organic tea paired with their favorite books. Chiquita resides in Ohio and is the mother of four daughters and about 25 plants. She enjoys nature walks, vintage shopping, journaling, and visiting bookstores across the country.

Learn more about Chiquita online at www.chiquitantoure.com.