The Playground Queen

As a mother who truly believes that representation matters for our young children, and with a daughter who loves to read books, I try to fill my 5-year old's bookshelf with books that demonstrate my beliefs. However, one message I think we are missing is the reality that we still have so much more work to do as a nation before we reach an equally received feeling of equality, inclusivity and diversity, particularly in our schools.

I truly understand the beauty of children's books and how they provide the ability to creatively paint a picture of the imaginative future, but I also love the idea of painting a picture of the beauty of what actually presently exists. The message of "The Playground Queen" teaches our young children the reality that they may experience some form of rejection within their peer group. It teaches them to lean on people in their community to uplift them, and lastly, it teaches the importance of forgiveness.

In our home, we practice Kwanzaa each year. One of the principals of Kwanzaa is Umoja or unity, which means, to strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. Kya felt rejected by Neo, who ignored her when she returned to school. She felt alone and lost initially but was uplifted by Malik and other kids in her community. Her community empowered her to feel like she was a playground Queen, as exhibited in the strength she sees in her mother. That feeling of empowerment and confidence that Kya's community helped Kya realize, allowed her to forgive Neo and welcome him with open arms when he recognized his mistake of not acknowledging her.