• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HBCU Lifestyle – Black College Living

  • HBCU Colleges
    • What is an HBCU?
    • List of HBCUs
  • College Bound
    • HBCU Rankings
    • Black College Tours
    • College Scholarships
    • College Planning
  • Campus Life
    • HBCU College Life
      • HBCU Greek Life
  • Careers
    • Jobs
    • HBCU Career Hub
    • Career Exploration
You are here: Home / HBCU Colleges / Alabama State Alumna Eartha Dunston Wins Book of the Year Award

Alabama State Alumna Eartha Dunston Wins Book of the Year Award

August 1, 2016 by HBCU Reports

Alabama State University alumna Eartha Dunston has earned an award for her children’s book that celebrates a young girl’s ever-changing natural hair texture and styles.
Author Eartha Dunston and her book The Hair Adventures of Princess Lindsey Sidney

Alabama State University alumna Eartha Dunston (‘99) recently was named the 2016 winner of the Black Pearls Literary Excellence Book of the Year Award for her first children’s book, “The Hair Adventures of Princess Lindsey Sidney.”

The Hair Adventure of Princess Lindsey Sidney

In “The Hair Adventure of Princess Lindsey Sidney,” Dunston introduces readers to a beautiful princess who celebrates her hair as it transitions textures and styles throughout the week. Dunston said she spent hours every Saturday trying to get her daughter’s hair straight.

“It was never as sleek or straight as I thought it should be,” Dunston said. “Some days, I would let it frizz up to its natural state. She always stood in the mirror to admire her hair. At times it would be a huge pile of unshapely frizz.”

Eartha Dunston noticed that when she told her daughter she was a beautiful princess, she believed it because she told her so.

“That made me realize the importance of instilling a positive self-image in her regardless of the state of her hair,” Dunston said. “I want parents and educators to know the importance of instilling a positive self-image in our little girls regardless of their hair texture. I see girls as young as six years old, crying and dealing with self-esteem issues because their hair isn’t straight. It is up to us as parents to teach our children they are beautiful and to make sure they know beauty is not defined by one image. We are subconsciously taught by society that straight is better, and I want to dispel that myth.”

As a clinical social worker, Dunston’s passion for helping others through life’s obstacles has led her to write several forthcoming books, including “Grandma is Dancing in Heaven” to help children cope with the loss of a loved one; a book to assist with the effects of military deployment on small children; and her memoir, “Chasing Dreams in the Midst of the Storm.”

Attending Alabama State University

Dunston, a native of Miami, graduated cum laude from ASU with a bachelor’s degree in social work and earned a master’s degree in social work from Virginia Commonwealth University.

She said it was during her freshman year at ASU that she first realized her love for writing.

“ASU played a pivotal role in the call to be a writer. I wrote and performed my first piece of poetry right there in Thelma Glass Auditorium,” she said. “To my surprise, I got a standing ovation. I was shocked and excited that my words could cause that reaction. I knew in that instant that I wanted to be a writer.”

Eartha Dunston said that ASU gave her a solid foundation, and she wants future and current students to know that there is opportunity to grow and learn at ASU.

“ASU is a great place to get a quality education, but you will get so much more. It’s a place that allows you to discover yourself and what the world has to offer,” Dunston said. “At the end of my undergraduate journey, when I walked across the stage, I knew I had received more than just a degree. I also received a lifetime of lessons, rich in cultural experiences, and I felt elevated and empowered to go out and make a difference in this world.”

“The Hair Adventure of Princess Lindsey Sidney” is available to purchase at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Connect with Eartha Dunston

For more information about Eartha Dunston visit: http://www.earthadunston.com or follow her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/EarthaSDunston

Source: Timothy C. Ervin, Alabama State University

HBCU Colleges, HBCU Alumni Network

Primary Sidebar

Search

Quick Links

  • Newsletter
  • Jobs and Internships
  • Shop
  • List of HBCU Colleges
  • Top 25 HBCUs in the Nation
  • HBCU College Tours
  • Contact Us
  • About Us

Popular Posts

  • Happy female college student working on research paper topics. Research Paper Topics: 50 Ideas to Get Started
  • HBCU Sororities and Fraternities to Consider The Divine Nine: Sororities and Fraternities on HBCU Campuses
  • A female African American HBCU student poses while smiling and holding her book in her arms. HBCU Rankings 2023: The Top 25 Black Colleges from U.S. News
  • Young Black Female College Student Looking Up And Thinking Joining a Black Sorority: 5 Things to Consider Before Pursing Membership
  • How to pick the best fraternity or sorority...for YOU Greek Life: 5 Tips For Choosing Black Fraternities and Sororities

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Before Footer

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to receive weekly HBCU news, jobs, and advice in your inbox.

Sign Me Up

Footer

About HBCU Lifestyle

The spirit and camaraderie of black college living is a lifestyle - the HBCU lifestyle! We're committed to keeping you connected to the black college living experience, bringing you the latest on everything, from scholarships and dorm living to Greek life and alumni giving.


Contact Us

Latest from the Blog

  • GSU Receives $74K Grant To Create Ethical Hacking And Penetration Testing Lab
  • The HBCU Media Collective Program Launched to Enhance Newsroom Diversity
  • TSU Music Business Program Gives Students Access to Industry Executives and Artists
  • HBCU Elevate Launched to Drive Revenue for Athletic Departments
  • Newsletter
  • Jobs & Internships
  • Shop
  • List of HBCUs
  • HBCU Rankings
  • HBCU Scholarships
Copyright © 2010-2023 HBCU Lifestyle, LLC. All rights reserved.
Contact Us | Sitemap | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Get the best of the Black college experience delivered to your inbox.
Your email address:*
Name:*
Subscribe to (select all that apply):*





Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide
No spam, ever. Promise. Powered by FeedBlitz