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Tampa Bay area author receives $10K grant from Beyoncé's foundation

The books Kentrell Martin writes help introduce parents and kids to American Sign Language and Deaf culture.

TAMPA, Fla. — A  Tampa author recently got a special message from Beyoncé and her BeyGood foundation. 

Kentrell Martin, the author of "Shelly's Adventures", got an email one day from the foundation that said he would be getting a $10,000 grant.

The books Martin writes help introduce parents and kids to American Sign Language and Deaf culture.

Before the pandemic hit, Martin would travel around talking to students about the topics covered in Shelly's Adventures.

Martin says his books are an eye-opener for children to see the world from another perspective. 

"Going into the pandemic, I had four books. Now I'm at nine. I have one more that's about to be published. It helped me out a lot, especially now and then for the future because for things to open up. Now, I have more books for kids," Martin said. 

You can see more of Martin's books and learn more about Shelly's Adventures online.

The BeyGood Foundation says it has helped support 715 Black-owned small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic in partnership with the NAACP. 

You can read more about the foundation here. 

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