Representation in literature is crucial when it comes to celebrating our black culture and black legacy. We need to show the youth stories of people who look just like them. We need to show them that there is a world that they have not even imagined yet, but also know that that world is possible for someone like them. There has been a lot of progress within the media and literature, but we still have a long way to go. In 2018, an infographic was released by David Hucyk and Sarah Park Dahlen showing the diversity in children’s books. The numbers showed that only 10 percent depicted characters were African/African American, 1 percent American Indians/First Nations, and 5 percent Latinx. While on the other hand 27 percent animals and 50 percent White/Caucasian.
Anna Nyakana is an author who is bringing magical stories to life with multicultural characters where children can see themselves. Nyakana was born in Berlin, Germany and immigrated with her family to the U.S in the early 90s. She saw the lack of brown or black people on the cover of the stories she would read at a young age. Nyakana created her own stories to fill in the gap.
Read the full story now in our JAN/FEB 2021 issue of FEMI Magazine which is now available in print and digital under the subscription tab!
Image Credit: Niyah Zuri Studios
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