Lawrence Lindell’s “From Black Boy With Love” has gotten positive responses from parents. (Lawrence Lindell Twitter)
When artist and musician Lawerence Lindell learned about the issues Black girls face regarding inner-beauty ideals, he decided he needed to write a book to inspire confidence.
“From Black Boy With Love” is a children’s book released March 20 written and illustrated by Lindell and dedicated to “all the girls of color across the world who have been made to feel uncomfortable in their own skin.”
“I was inspired by the Black and brown women in my life,” Lindell said. “My girlfriend often shares her stories with me about growing up and how she was made to feel her darker skin and hair was something bad. That’s how the book started. I made a drawing saying ‘Brown Girl,’ then I started thinking about my mom, my aunts, my sisters, cousins and nieces. I made this for them and all of the girls of color who get a hard time for the things that should be looked upon as a blessing, not a curse.”
The 24-page, full-color page book, a top-seller available on Lindell’s website, is also shipped with a personalized illustration. Lindell noted the book’s main goal is to “uplift girls and women of color” and to “let them know they matter, they are important and they are beautiful.”
“Not that superficial beauty, but the deep kind,” Lindell added. “The kind that only the soul can see. For the boys, I really just want to change the narrative of how we treat, act and speak to girls and women.”
“From Black Boy With Love” contains illustrations of Black boys telling girls things like, “Your skin is magic, your voice is power, you are life!” The musings have been a hit with parents, as Lindell said the response has been “so amazing.”
“I have gotten a lot of mothers and fathers who are concerned with the future of their children,” he said. “I have gotten a lot of love and thank yous from women of color saying things like, ‘From a girl with brown skin, I want to say thank you’ and ‘Where was this when I was growing up?’
“Knowing my work is helping people is what it’s all about.”