Claudia May, Ph.D., is a poet, educator, and an award-winning author. Her children’s book, When I Fly With Papa, received a gold medal at the 2019 Illumination Book Awards in the Enduring Light Christian Children’s Book Category, a gold medal in the Midwest Book Awards’ Religion/Philosophy/Spirituality category, and first place in the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Award Category: Picture Books, 6 and Older. Her recent poetic work, “Slice,” published in Families, Systems, & Health, explores how nineteenth century African American slave mothers endured invasive surgeries after surviving arduous labors. May received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and is a specialist in African American, Caribbean, and Ethnic American literature.