Harlem teacher shares her love of literature, how she promotes diverse authors

Fatuma Hydara grew up in the Bronx as the eldest daughter in a Muslim family of West African immigrants. Though she shouldered many household responsibilities, books provided an escape.

Because of her love of books, she decided at a young age to pursue a career as a librarian, in book publishing, or as a teacher. After a summer internship at HarperCollins showed her that cubicle life wasn’t for her, she opted to become a teacher. She’s been in the classroom for the past eight years.

Hydara teaches English to eighth graders at Harlem’s Neighborhood Charter School, where her background has helped her connect with students and parents who are also Muslim and West African. Some of those families, her own included, have connections to the Bronx neighborhood where New York City recently saw one of its deadliest fires in decades.

Hydara’s background also inspired her to start her own virtual book store, Tuma’s Books and Things, where each month she curates a selection of books from authors who identify as Black, indigenous, persons of color and/or queer.

“My mission is to ensure that ALL identities can find stories that reflect and honor who they are, while allowing others to learn about people who might be different from them,” Hydara said.

She also sits on the Council of Educators for RetroReports, a journalism nonprofit that creates classroom-friendly videos aimed at connecting history to current affairs. She is one of 20 educators from across the nation in the organization’s inaugural council, tasked with helping create lessons to accompany the videos.