You'd have to be living under a rock not to hear all of the awful things that are happening in this country. There is so much hate fueling people out here, and that hate is usually passed down and taught to children. Those children can grow up to be the angry and evil people we see in on the news. So what happens if 2 million children in the U.S. were taught love and empathy?
That's exactly what author Dubie Toa-Kwapong, illustrator Samuel Fleming, and creator Nana Adom Mills-Robertson are looking to do with their book This Land is My Land.
As described on the book's website, This Land is My Land follows a little girl named Amina. Amina lives in a city called Minneapolis with her mom, dad, and baby brother, Alfie. Amina is a very happy girl. She loves her family and mathematics. However, some things have recently changed at her school. Some of her schoolmates have started to say and do mean things to Amina and some of her friends because they are different. It has been making Amina very sad. Luckily, Amina has a mom who reminds her that she and her friends are wonderful, just as they are.
The trio's goal is to use the power of communities to get this book reaching more and more people. They hope that parents and educators will use this book to draw courage and speak about their experiences in the journey to teach their children empathy.
A kickstarter to get the book published will be launched on September 23rd. In order for this wonderful book to reach the masses, these students need our help. So often we recognize how we are affected by bigotry, but let us never forget how it affects the babies and what we can do to change that.
Check out the video below to learn more about This Land is My Land.