Brown, Phyllis Jane: - Phyllis J. Brown has inspired students since she was four, playing school. After attaining a B.A. in Spanish, she married and taught second grade until the births of her son and daughter. When she returned to her career, she earned four credentials, an M.A., and taught high school English, culminating nearly 32 years in the classroom before retiring. Phyllis has published two African American Literature and Cultural Activities Kits for Educators, grades K-3 and 4-6; poetry, her Master's Degree thesis entitled: Narratives of Enslaved People: Lifting the Veil, Resisting the Peculiar Institution; and a play that she also directed which was performed in several California venues, entitled, O Freedom! In pursuit of historical authenticity for Folayan's Promise, she visited 3 continents, and 34 countries, including 14 in Africa to create a rich palette of culturally authentic African heritage, with its perils of enslavement, as well as, traditions, triumphs and African contributions to the world portrayed in The Legacy of the Gold-Banded Box series. Author, speaker, and coach Phyllis Brown, is a California Literature Consultant, who was honored to be a finalist for the Teacher of Excellence award. Her five-book series, The Legacy of the Gold-Banded Box, received the Outstanding Fiction award at the Southern California Writers' Conference. Along with keynote speeches, and teacher training workshops, she also presents Sankofa Seminars for parents and mentors who desire to implement knowledge of African heritage, life skills, and academic success strategies for themselves and their children.