Only 37 percent of children’s literature has a female heroine as the lead and less than 6 percent of children’s literature has diverse nationalities — so, to them, we are virtually non-existent. Upon further research, I found we were non-existent in the publishing world, as well. What this said to me was no one in the publishing industry is really concerned about the psychological impact a young female heroine has on the psyche and subconscious mind. No one in the industry is really concerned about how the underrepresented children see themselves in this world.

Well, we do at Higher Mind Apps©™.

I’m not one to complain and discuss the travesty of our people in this system and the dismal statistics only to think tank about how we can get someone else to include us. Forget that, we started a company to give us what we want. I’m not begging some publishing house or media outlet trying to convince them there is a market and demand. Who’s got time for that?

Higher Mind Apps©™ was created to self-publish the Ameka Love©™ picture book app series and provide on-demand access to the Ameka Love©™ animated series, a STEM enrichment program that is inspirational, intelligent, and driven by captivating stories with STEM education essentials. This is so important because major gaps still exist for women and girls of color in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. We are bypassing the establishment and meeting children where they are, using today’s technology to bring educational content in the fastest growing medium — portable devices. About 43 percent of children under 12 years old with access to a tablet at home use it to watch movies and television shows.

The book series teaches children real solutions for empowerment, which they learn in their youth and use throughout their adulthood. Children are introduced to yoga, meditation, chakras and community gardening, amongst other things. The Ameka Love©™ STEM enrichment animated series focuses on 5 Fundamentals: Meditation, Yoga, Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Art.

“One of the things that I really strongly believe in is that we need to have more girls interested in math, science and engineering. We’ve got half the population that is way underrepresented in those fields and that means that we’ve got a whole bunch of talent…not being encouraged the way they need to.”

— President Barack Obama, February 2013

All girls, specifically girls of color, need to be introduced to STEM as early as possible. We are making this a reality increasing engagement of girls between the ages of 3-8 with STEM subjects in an animated series. The Ameka Love©™ character reinforces empowerment from within. She teaches young girls that the power is inside of you, and that you can be and do anything you want.

We are parents, we are entrepreneurs, and at Higher Mind Apps©™, we don’t talk about, we bout it’ bout it. We’re here to drive change in all forms of media. A nation can only rise as high as its women.

Ameka Ali

Writing since November 2015 · 1 story contributed