Keenan Jones, an author in Plymouth, Minnesota, grew up in Gary, Indiana and south suburban Chicago. Coming from a family of educators, pastors, athletes, and musicians, he shifted to education after a college basketball injury, working as an elementary teacher before returning to writing. Jones believes literacy can inspire youth to dream and achieve greatness, aiming to provide all children with access to captivating books. His works celebrate Black culture, promoting representation in children’s literature. His debut book, Saturday Morning at the ‘Shop, about a boy’s day at a barbershop and its role in Black culture, releases in 2025.