Summary

The article discusses the author's personal journey of healing from childhood trauma related to colorism through reading children's books that celebrate Blackness, particularly Lupita Nyong'o's book "Sulwe," and the concept of inner child work.

Abstract

The author reflects on the lack of diversity and representation in the books they read as a child, which predominantly featured white characters or talking animals. They highlight the emotional impact of finally encountering inclusive children's literature that positively represents dark-skinned Black characters, such as "Sulwe." The book resonates deeply with the author, mirroring their own struggles with colorism and self-acceptance. The article emphasizes the importance of inner child work, as introduced by Dr. Nicole LePera, in understanding and healing from past traumas. The author acknowledges the transformative effect that seeing oneself positively represented in media can have, even in adulthood, and advocates for the necessity of such representation for the well-being and self-love of individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Opinions

The author believes that the inclusion of diverse characters in children's literature is crucial for fostering a sense of self-love and acceptance in young readers.
They express that the scarcity of books with Black protagonists during their childhood contributed to feelings of alienation and internalized colorism.
The author asserts that Lupita Nyong'o's "Sulwe" is a powerful tool for addressing colorism and promoting self-acceptance among dark-skinned Black children and adults.
They emphasize the profound influence of inner child work on their personal growth and healing, suggesting that unresolved childhood emotions can significantly shape adult behavior and self-perception.
The author points out that while there is an increase in inclusive children's books, there is still a need for more stories that celebrate Blackness without focusing solely on racial trauma or perpetuating stereotypes.
They advocate for the idea that everyone, regardless of age, can benefit from media that affirms their identity, and that such representation is essential

Reading Children’s Books Helped Heal My Inner Child

It’s never too late to show your inner child the love they deserve

Trigger warnings: colorism, childhood trauma, racism

The books I read as a child featured two kinds of main characters: white people and talking animals. Books like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Inkheart, and Redwall ate up my free time.

I curated a long, vibrant list of vocabulary words from my excessive childhood reading habits. But — the words “diversity” and “inclusion” weren’t on that list.

Growing up, it was hard to find books featuring Black main characters. In my mostly white town, my local library either didn’t have sections dedicated to Black books or didn’t have Black books in the first place.

Now, books are more inclusive than I’ve ever seen before.

The other day I walked into Sam’s Club and saw, front and center, children’s books that were celebrating Blackness. I loved seeing books like Matthew A. Cherry’s Hair Love and Grace Byers’ I Am Enough.

But, then I saw Lupita Nyong’o’s book Sulwe. I was reminded of when I had borrowed the book from my online library months prior, and ended up ugly crying on my pillow by the time I reached its final page.

What is Sulwe about?

Sulwe is about a young dark-skinned Black girl who wants to be lighter, like her mother and her sister. In the book, she deals with discrimination from others and tries every method possible to make herself lighter.

Through a magical journey at midnight, she learns about finding beauty in her dark skin and accepting herself for who she is.

I felt her struggle deep within me. Since childhood, I spent a lot of time comparing myself — just like Sulwe. I’d ask myself questions like: Why am I not pretty like her? Why does she get attention and I don’t? I attributed beauty to many different attributes that I didn’t have, including light skin.

I had never seen dark skin being celebrated, only ridiculed. For example, I heard many jokes in childhood about not being able to see me in the nighttime. As I matured, the jokes became more malicious. Some called me manly. Others compared me to an animal.

I desperately needed a book like Sulwe when I was younger.

I needed someone to tell me that my dark skin was beautiful, not that I was beautiful despite it.

I didn’t expect Sulwe to hit me as hard as it did. It spoke directly to my inner child. She was still broken by the alienation and rejection she experienced from others because of her dark skin.

Recently, I’ve been working towards healing my inner child. It’s been more impactful than I could have ever imagined.

How inner child work has changed me forever

I first learned about inner child work through the internet’s encyclopedia: YouTube. Dr. Nicole LePera, also known as The Holistic Psychologist, describes the inner child as “part of our mind that stores all of our emotional experiences from childhood.”

She says that our inner child affects every decision we make, from our career to relationships.

Getting to know my inner child has helped me cultivate more self-love and self-compassion throughout my day-to-day life. It’s like I’m finally getting to know myself.

Every part of me stems from childhood, including my relationship with colorism. Although my relationship with my dark skin has gotten better, it’s not overflowing with love like I’d like it to be.

Seeking out positive representation of dark-skinned Black people has helped me heal. You become what you see, even as an adult.

This journey has been rough. A lot of the media representation of dark-skinned Black people I’ve seen has been stories centering on racial trauma. Other stories feature harmful stereotypes about Black people.

In Sulwe, Nyong’o succeeds at a task I’ve rarely seen attempted by mainstream media: approaching the issue of colorism with validation and love. That’s something that many of us can gain from, despite our age.

Conclusion

Positive representation is something that we all need but is only given to a few. Everyone deserves media that celebrates who they are, despite who it’s marketed to.

Allow yourself, and your inner child, the joy of being seen. You never know how deeply it’ll benefit you.

Nia Simone McLeod is a writer, content creator, and pop culture enthusiast from Richmond, Virginia. She’s the creator and editor of the Medium publications oh, write and coiled. In her newsletter, she shares writing prompts, the best in pop culture, and sneak peeks at her upcoming work.