“Mommy, I See Me”: Black Kids as main characters in books

“Mommy, look—it’s me!” Those were the words my two children, CJ and Ami, exclaimed as they looked at the pages of their favorite books Cool Cuts and Happy Hair.

My kids love reading books on fictional superheroes and colorful animal characters, however, when they saw books that depicted little Black boys and girls with awesome hairstyles and cool fades, their faces lit up like a bright sun on a hot summer afternoon. The interesting thing about this is that Black children are not commonly seen in the books they read. In fact, white children, animals, trucks, and other mythical beings are more commonly shown in the books all children have access to read as they grow up. These troublesome facts served as a catalyst for a young Black girl, Marley Dias, to launch the #100BlackGirlBooks Campaign, in an effort to gather books where Black girls could be seen as main characters in books.

So this particular morning reconfirmed something to me that I already knew— that children of all hues and shades need to see themselves depicted in the world. They need to see themselves in books and on TV screens and in leadership positions and in different occupational roles. They need to know that there are possibility models for what they can aspire to be when they grow up and not feel limited in their choices based on how society chooses to display its limited perceptions of what BIPOC can be. Children of color need to be seen, validated, and affirmed at a young age and not made to feel ashamed of any part of them that would make them want to trade in their crowns of royalty for the tattered rags of approval from those who wish to tear them down.

As we continue to raise our children, it is absolutely imperative for us to continue to normalize them seeing Black excellence. In a world that doesn’t always see their beauty, we will continue to remind them that they are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), worthy, valued, and loved. Perhaps one day we will write a children’s book together to pay it forward to the next generation to come.

***Please note that this blog post includes affiliate links. (See my kid’s favorite book list here)