Family and Friends,
I love my grandma. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how special she is to me. I have mentioned her in some of my post, but mainly in the Valentine’s Day posts (coming soon). It is one of her favorite holidays. She is the reason that I love and the reason why I strive to spread it. Growing up, she has always taught me the importance of self-love and loving others. Though loving on others has seemed to come easier for me, I admit that loving on myself has been kind of hard.
From my time in elementary school up until two years ago, I struggled with my identity as a Black Woman. I attended school in the suburbs of Massachusetts (which was predominantly white), and at the time I was the only black girl in my school. The only other person that looked like me was my friend, Alan. I would always feel different. And though my teachers and peers never treated me differently, I knew that I was. Their eyes were blue and green and their hair was fine and straight. My eyes and skin were brown, and my hair was curly and puffy.
After school, I would cry when I got home, and my grandma would always encourage me. She encouraged me with her words, dolls, and many books and workbooks about Black girls like me, growing up Black, Black culture, Black history, and stories of Black heroes. This is where my passion for reading and writing came from. I was inspired by Black Women, many who were also writers, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Iyanla Vanzant, and Oprah. If it wasn’t for my grandma building my confidence, I don’t know where I would be. For this reason, I am sharing some of the books that inspired me, with you. I hope that they will inspire the little girl inside of you to shine and your children. Please go through them by clicking the links below as some speak to children and some will speak to the woman you are right now. You can check them out at your local library or order them from the links provided below. May we be encouraged and walk boldly and comfortably in our skin.
Don't Give It Away! : A Workbook of Self-Awareness and Self-Affirmations for Young Women
You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down: Stories by Alice Walker
Happy Black History Month!
Noelani
(For more information on Black History Month and what it means, check out this video here.)
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