By Makiah Shipp
Makiah’s Show and Tell is a story of an elementary school-aged Black girl who passionately
teaches others about the significance of Black natural hair in Black culture. She reminds those
around her of how important it is to be conscious of how they talk about and/or interact with her
hair to avoid being micro aggressive and inappropriate.
This picture book provides Black girls with a guide-book style story to reinforce their confidence
and encourage them to properly educate those around them. It also allows other agents in society
(family members, friends, teachers, etc.) to understand how their behaviors and racial biases
contribute to others’ potential adoption of harmful self-perceptions.
I, as a Black Woman, have grown up experiencing micro aggressions in my daily life. My kinky
hair, ebony skin, and abundant culture have always been the first of my identities to be targeted
in non-Black spaces. For this reason, I grew up with many insecurities about my identity. My
goal for this project is to break this cycle and empower young Black girls by enabling them to
create change within themselves and their communities.
Through this project, I have been able to host a book tour for elementary schools in
Metro-Detroit. BLI has supported me to print donated copies to these students. This work is
empowering for me and motivates me to continue encouraging young Black girls.
