This way little girls of color can see themselves….

#WeNeedDiverseBooks

This way little girls of color can see themselves….

I remember when I first wrote the book, For those who stare at the moon. I wanted to pen a book that focused on the imagination of girls. My goal when writing the book was for little girls to dream beyond the stars. I used my cousin as a model by providing the illustrator of my book with pictures of her as a little girl. I felt my cousin was one of the most beautiful little girls I had ever seen in my life. Her chocolate complexion, long eyelashes, and almond eyes reminded me of the beautiful little girls I would see pictures of from the Motherland. I had my illustrator apply her likeness to the book and I felt her image was the icing on the cake of a great work.

It wasn’t until I went to get the book printed that I ran into a problem. People of all races began asking me to lighten her skin on the cover of the book. I refused because my goal was to show beautiful little black girls that our beauty comes in all shades. I ignored those requests, because after careful research I realized that there were few books on the market that dared to do what I had accomplished. I had created a book where the beauty of little mocha girls was celebrated and honored. I had made them exactly who they are…

As more books emerge in the movement to diversify books, I hope people will view this as a wake up call. We need books that reflect our children. How else will they see themselves?

#WeNeedDiverseBooks