During the Broward County School Board meeting on August 25, 2026, several individuals voiced concerns about schools affected by past or potential future closures. However, a different issue emerged as the district decided to cancel an event featuring Vashti Harrison, a New York Times best-selling author. Criticism arose due to Harrison’s previous statements concerning Israel and her call for a ceasefire in Gaza from 2024.
Vashti Harrison is well-known for her children’s books, which focus on Black history and self-love. She was set to appear at a district-sponsored parent event at the African American Research Library & Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale on September 17. Broward County Public Schools issued a vague social media post on Thursday, indicating they ‘understand the concerns raised regarding the selection of a speaker’ and admitted to being ‘unaware of previous statements made by the speaker at the time of the selection.’ Consequently, the district canceled the event and related field trips and plans to reschedule with a different speaker.
Although the district did not specify which event was canceled, a spokesperson for the Broward County Public Library confirmed the cancellation of Harrison’s event. The event was intended as an orientation for the Parent Training Academy, a series of workshops designed to assist parents in supporting their children’s learning. Promotional materials described Harrison as a ‘New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of children’s books’ promoting self-empowerment through her work.
Harrison authored ‘Big,’ a picture book that follows a young Black girl’s journey to self-love, which earned her the 2024 Caldecott Medal and Coretta Scott King honor for its both writing and illustration. Attempts to reach Harrison for comment were unsuccessful.
This decision to cancel follows a blog post by local journalist Kevin Deutsch. Deutsch highlighted Harrison’s involvement in a ceasefire campaign in Gaza through a 2024 Instagram post, where she endorsed a letter to President Joe Biden, asking for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Deutsch queried the Broward school district regarding their awareness of Harrison’s participation in this campaign.
The letter criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, which responded to Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel that resulted in the death of approximately 1,200 Israeli civilians. The letter was signed by over 7,000 individuals from the children’s publishing community, including writers, illustrators, agents, and editors, who argued against the Israeli government’s military responses. The campaign called #kidlit4ceasefire characterized the situation in Gaza as genocide, a claim rejected by many Jewish Zionist groups.
According to the letter, over 31,000 Palestinians were killed, including 12,000 children with a median reported age of five. Many more Palestinian children were reported missing or trapped under rubble.
Support from Trish and Dan Bell, along with contributors from South Florida’s Jewish and Muslim communities, helped produce this story in collaboration with Journalism Funding Partners. However, the Miami Herald, where this article was initially published on September 4, 2026, retains full editorial oversight.
Lauren Costantino, the author of this piece, is the religion reporter for the Miami Herald. Funded by contributors from the Jewish and Muslim communities in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, she joined the publication in 2021. Lauren has a history of engaging with audiences through social media, podcasts, and community-focused initiatives. Currently, she resides in Miami Beach with her dog, Oliver.