The mission and influence of Amistad Press

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - The books that we read and the stories that are told play an important role in informing the world that we live in. For the last 30 years, Amistad Press has been giving a platform to a diverse group of writers. And in the process is changing the narrative.

I'm here at the offices of Harper Collins to catch up with Tracy Sherrod, the editorial director of Amistad Press. She is enthusiastic, she is passionate, and she is feeding this moment of diversity in publishing.

Prior to 1986 when Amistad Press was formalized, Sherrod says there just wasn't a lot of acknowledgement for the vital roles people of color were making.

That story is like so many others she shared with me. It hinges on opportunity. Sherrod, an African-American woman, moved to New York City for a $50-a-week internship with the Feminist Press. Today she is one of the most well-respected in her profession.