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GARYVILLE — The public is invited to come out to the Garyville Library at 111 Historic Front St. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 23 to meet Nyla Choates, the author of “My Roots are Rich.”

“My Roots are Rich” tells the story of a young girl experiencing a lack of positive self-image in her school setting, leading her to believe her roots are not rich. Throughout the development of the book, she meets a friendly butterfly who introduces her to the richness of her roots.

The book is based on Choates’ personal experiences as a young girl.

Choates will be sharing her journey toward becoming an author with young girls and boys of the River Parishes. Her goal is to help them realize they can dream big while also teaching them about the richness of African American culture through story time.

Choates is a “quasi native” of St. John the Baptist Parish, according to Demetria R. Carter, president of the Rotary Club of LaPlace. Choates’ mother, Colette Baloney, and her maternal grandparents are natives of St. John Parish.

Choates is a 19-year-old youth activist and a rising sophomore at Spelman College from Milpitas, California. She has a passion for empowering, inspiring and educating people as well as fighting systemic racism within the educational system.

Her favorite quote is, “You have to be the change that you want to see in the world.”

For more information, email info@myrootsarerich.org or connect with “My Roots are Rich” on Facebook and Instagram.