I Am Raised a Little Black Girl

Book excerpt: Gabrielle is a little Black girl with her mother’s features and her father’s brown sugar complexion. She loves these aspects of herself and the resemblance to her parents. She is aware of the power of her heritage and the undeniable strength her Blackness represents. Gabby is also aware of the sometimes-stark differences between her and her friends. Some resemble her, while others are completely opposite, and this is when she first experiences racism. She faces prejudice and adversity from classmates and strangers who attempt to dim her light. With Gabby experiencing racism at an early age, her parents decide it is time to Start the Conversation. They tell her, “Gabby, meet racism, because racism will meet you.” They educate her by defining what racism means and how racism can show up in insidious ways and have a huge impact. Starting the Conversation might be uncomfortable, but it’s the most important talk Black parents can have with their children.