Jesse Barnes is director of Brown Bag Productions, a nonprofit that promotes literacy among kids.
Photo by Susan McSpadden
Who he is: director of Brown Bag Productions, a nonprofit that promotes literacy among KC kids.
How long he’s done it: He founded his nonprofit in May, but he’s been volunteering with kids for much longer.
In the genes: Barnes’ father was a pastor, so Barnes grew up working in the church, mostly with children. While attending Morehouse College in Atlanta, he continued volunteering with kids. He didn’t have much money, so he made puppets out of paper bags. Years later, Barnes still uses paper-bag puppets.
Eventually, he hopes to open a youth center in Kansas City.
His 9-to-5: Barnes has worked as a teacher, a library media specialist and — more recently — a life coach. In his off time, he likes to hang out in his garage studio, where he stashes his art supplies, makes puppets and builds stages.
Bookworm: Barnes loves to read, and in 2005 he wrote a book called The Magic Tooth, about a little boy who doesn’t believe in the Tooth Fairy.
He says he wrote the book to fill a literary void: “I hadn’t seen any books for African-American children about losing teeth.”
The Magic Tooth is available at Reading Reptile, 328 W. 63rd St.
