Thank you to Chelsea Eberly, my first editor at Random House. Once we spoke on the phone, I was convinced you would be my greatest cheerleader and would care for my project with the utmost respect. I’m so grateful we were able to see the project all the way through the copyedit. I wish you the best in your new journey. I feel incredibly blessed to have worked with you. Your insight, thoughtfulness, and support have been amazing with this delicate and important subject. You left me in incredible hands with my current editor, Caroline Abbey, who has been just as lovely and supportive. Caroline continues to protect my voice and ensure that my story stays true to its intent. What an honor.

To every single person at Random House Children’s and the entire Random House team that helped make this book possible: special thank-yous to Barbara Bakowski, Anne Heausler, Alison Kolani, and Jules Kelly. Ray Shappell, for your amazing design detail that made the book perfection. The marketing team, designers, school and library team, digital and social media, you are all just incredible. Kathy Dunn, my wonderful publicist, who has worked tirelessly to connect me and my book to readers.

To Chuck Styles for the amazing cover. I feel so blessed that my love of art has also found itself in a cover from a true Black artist. May you continue to shine.

Thank you to those who were essential to my writing journey for This Is My America, as far back to when it was called Just Mercy. I’m forever thankful for Raechelle Garrett, Jennifer Dugan, Janae Marks, Cass Newbould, Sarah Darer Littman, Ely Azure, Gail de la Cruz-Villanueva, Rena Baron, Ronni Davis, Maura Jortner, Judi Lauren, Bethany Morrow, Kim Rogers, Jen Ung, and Matt de la Peña.

Thank you to the many people who shared various experiences with law enforcement, the legal system, incarceration, and the death penalty in the United States. Thank you for opening up your world to me and trusting me. In addition, I am especially grateful to the police officers who actively work to break down implicit and explicit bias and systems of oppression in their policing. Officer Beverly Ridges’s character and the evolution of the characters Officer Clyde and Sheriff Brighton represent the varying changes in policing that can build bridges of justice if people actively work to transform it. A special thank-you to Samson Asiyanbi, trial attorney and former fellow with the Equal Justice Initiative. You gave me incredible context on exoneration work and research to follow up. Any inaccuracies are mine and not a reflection of the expertise or opinions of those interviewed.