As magical, powerful and necessary the black woman is to the world, in certain settings it can be considered a "double negative" to be both. You can never choose to put black first or woman first because you're simultaneously fighting the good fight for both until your last breath. With that being said, it's hard to see black women standing up and fighting for their own but the love isn't returned.

How many times have we heard from public figures or on social media that black women have the worst attitudes or that they need to "tighten up". According to whom, may, I ask? Instead of putting us down, wouldn't we accomplish more as a unit if they got the support they deserve to raise the next generation and make millions while feeling good about themselves?

Photo: Lawrence Lindell

Artist Lawrence Lindell witnessed the way black and brown women in his life were made to feel uncomfortable in the skin they're in and decided to start a picture series titled "Brown Girl". These powerful drawings of young boys of color giving positive affirmations to Black and Brown girls led to a 24-page book titled From Black Boy With Love. The book serves as a tribute to these girls and encourages young men and boys to uplift the women and girls in their lives as well.

"I chose to make all the characters in the book young boys of color because I want to start and continue the dialogue of men and boys speaking to women and girls in a positive manner," Lindell explained to Afropunk. "This could be an example of how we should teach our young and especially our old to speak life into our women and girls." Damn right!

Photo: Lawrence Lindell

You can purchase the book for yourself, your best friend, daughter, son, auntie, uncle, cousin, and everyone you know and love right here.

From Black Boy With Love

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