Article Interview of BARNARD THE BARBER from the Florida Press :

Barnard Sims was one of the authors promoting his book at the festival. His novel, “The Southern Awakening: A Black Man’s Guide to Liberating the Rural South,” won the Best Book award at the American Book Festival. 

Wearing a t-shirt that read “Black Authors Matter,” Sims said he is passionate about addressing racial inequalities in the United States and empowering marginalized communities. 

“One of those ways [to liberation] that I’ve found is through writing and reading,” Sims said. “We have some challenges in our community with literacy.”

Alachua County Public Schools has the largest racial discrepancy in language arts achievement rate among public school systems in the state, according to the Florida Department of Education’s 2023 report. 

Between white and Black students, there exists a 45% gap in English Language Arts Achievement, at 70% for white students and 25%…