#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
