Meet Mijha Godfrey | Founder of Jambo Books

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mijha Godfrey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mijha, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
When my first daughter turned 1, I decided to stay at home with her until she started school. It was during my time as a stay-at-home mom that the idea for Jambo Books took hold. My daughter received a membership to book club by mail as a gift from her grandfather. All of the books were from the 1940s-1950s time frame and all of the main characters were White. We’re an African-American family and I really wanted my daughter to see herself and other children of color in the fiction books we were reading. The stories we tell our children give them a sense of what we value and who is important. When they don’t ever see themselves portrayed positively in media and literature, we are passing on a strong message about what is normal, what is beautiful and who belongs.

It was important that my daughter see herself and other children of color represented in the stories we were reading. I wanted books that didn’t concentrate on race, discrimination or overcoming oppression. The stories of people of color do not always resonate in trauma. I wanted her to see joy, fantasy, fun and all of the rich tapestry that makes up the life of children and I wanted to her to see herself in those images.

My husband and I set out to find books that fit that criteria and were dismayed to find that it was harder than we would have liked. I kept saying that I wished there was a service that would just send those books to our door. Since we couldn’t find one, we did a little market research and started the service ourselves.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career has been a bit peripatetic, but the thread that has always tied all of my career moves together has been a search for justice. I have been an attorney, an affordable housing developer, a campaign finance director and finally, an entrepreneur with Jambo Books.

When you ask if my path has been easy, it makes me think of the great Tina Turner. I can hear her saying in “Proud Mary”, “We never ever do nothing, nice and easy.” Ha! Starting and maintaining a business has not been a crystal stair, but it has been a worthy and edifying way to engage in social justice work. When Jambo Books started, I didn’t have any experience in running a business so there was (and still is) a lot that I have had to learn. I have been very lucky to be in a fellowship with other Black women business owners and also to receive extremely valuable mentorship from seasoned business people in the last year. Without their encouragement and advice, I probably would have had to shut Jambo Books down.

I’ve always been in search of how I could use my talents to create greater social justice. I would like the world to know that Jambo Books is a hopeful endeavor. That we are seeking to embrace as many people, languages, religions, backgrounds, family structures and ethnicities as possible. We are highlighting stories of children of color from all walks of life so that they can see themselves and know their stories are important enough to be told. We also highlight them so that all children and adults can be exposed to the great wide swath of humanity and let go of narrow conceptions of what is “normal”. So much pain that adults deal with can be traced to their efforts as children to try to fit into constricted, societally-dictated roles of what they’re “supposed” to be like. If we were all able to live authentically, without shame or reproach, we would alleviate mountains of pain for children and adults. Jambo hopes to give children the license to be themselves and exist outside of stereotypes and constraints.

We also hope that children who grow up reading Jambo Books will grow into adults who expect and enjoy diverse viewpoints and who value all people. Our hope is that a child who reads Jambo Books will become an adult who, when in the position to make decisions at work or in the community, will seek out viewpoints different from her own. Kids who reads Jambo Books may grow up to be police officers who won’t mistake Black children for adults and teachers who will celebrate all of the extraordinary children in their classrooms and communities. We believe that children who learn to value differences when they are children will be better prepared to thrive as adults in a diverse world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I just love Atlanta and the surrounding area. But I have to admit that it’s been a full year since we really hit the town due to the pandemic and we just had our third child in July. However, in a covid-free world, I could really show my bestie a great time in Atlanta!

Before we had kids, my husband and I used to love to go dancing. Some of our favorite spots were 595 North and MJQ for great music and dancing all night. Whenever someone comes to visit me, I always take them to the Beltline so we can walk, chat and enjoy the great weather that we enjoy here almost year-round.

Now that I have three kids, I try to find fun outlets that kids and adults can enjoy. I just love the Botanical Gardens, the Zoo and the Georgia Aquarium for multi-generational fun. The Fox Theatre always has a great show to offer and it has the added bonus of an intriguing interior design that visitors always love. Young and old visitors love the High Museum and everyone can find something great to eat at Restaurant 1280. I also love Southern Gentlemen restaurant for classy soul food. Patria Cocina in Grant Park has fresh and delicious Mexican food. Mix’d Up serves up yummy burgers and fries. Butter & Cream is one of my favorite ice cream spots in the entire city, and Revolution donuts are the best (don’t miss the bacon and maple donuts). Chai Pani, Niramish and Aamar have outstanding Indian food and Papi’s never disappoints for Cuban fare. Finally, if we need something soothing, comforting and healthy, the recently reopened Souper Jenny is a sure bet.

For free fun, Atlanta and Decatur are full of great parks so the kids can play while we talk.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout is to my mom. She brought me up to treasure and respect all people, regardless of their background. She spent much of her professional life creating art dedicated to bringing people together across racial and ethnic lines, in love and equality.

Website: https://www.jambobooks.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jambobooks/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mijha-butcher-godfrey-99017/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jambobooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jambobooks/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCilTRZJV4ob9m1WMDzYD_yQ

Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jambobookclub/

Image Credits
Elizabeth Karp Photography