Kwagala Ndawula, Grade 9
UWCEA Moshi
Gal-dem, a collective of authors rather than a single author, wrote "I will not be erased." Olivia Little, who experienced her own challenges as a child of color growing up abroad, founded Gal-dem in 2015. Gal-dem was founded as a forum and voice for women of color. It promotes all inspiring writers, regardless of their popularity. Gal-dem expresses thoughts that, controversial or not, are very relevant and touch on issues like identity, family, love, power, and the growth of people of color as a whole.
The book "I will not be erased" contains a number of short stories. “Find Your Superpower: You're the One and Only You" by Cadance Lee Camacho is one of my favorites. She writes about body image and self-comparison, growing up in a predominantly white community, and how that had an impact on how she saw herself, whether it was her hair, which she relaxed and heat damaged so she could even remotely resemble the other girls, or putting on makeup to cover up the parts of her she thought were ugly, which I think is something many people can relate to.
Cadance wrote about how she associated her "ugliness" with her ethnicity and considered all the things she was unable to have because she was black. She thought her hair was too curly, her body too hairy, her eyes too basic and her skin too dark. I relate to this story so much not because I’m going through the same thing, but because girls these days hold up unreachable beauty standards and end up thinking too low of themselves to the point of harming themselves. This book, in my opinion, helps us see that we are not alone and that others have had similar feelings. It also demonstrates that there are ways to be at ease in your own skin and to fully appreciate yourself as you were made to be.
Regardless of ethnicity, religion, or background, I would suggest this book to any girl since it addresses subjects that many people are reluctant to discuss and serves as a superb resource for women of all ages. When it comes to making decisions, choosing friends, or developing a positive self-image, this book has been a great resource for me. It conveys all of that, and if it can benefit me, I believe it will also benefit a great number of people.
Citations: https://gal-dem.com/
Image Courtesy: https://www.readaraptor.co.uk/i-will-not-be-erased-by-gal-dem/
The book "I will not be erased" contains a number of short stories. “Find Your Superpower: You're the One and Only You" by Cadance Lee Camacho is one of my favorites. She writes about body image and self-comparison, growing up in a predominantly white community, and how that had an impact on how she saw herself, whether it was her hair, which she relaxed and heat damaged so she could even remotely resemble the other girls, or putting on makeup to cover up the parts of her she thought were ugly, which I think is something many people can relate to.
Cadance wrote about how she associated her "ugliness" with her ethnicity and considered all the things she was unable to have because she was black. She thought her hair was too curly, her body too hairy, her eyes too basic and her skin too dark. I relate to this story so much not because I’m going through the same thing, but because girls these days hold up unreachable beauty standards and end up thinking too low of themselves to the point of harming themselves. This book, in my opinion, helps us see that we are not alone and that others have had similar feelings. It also demonstrates that there are ways to be at ease in your own skin and to fully appreciate yourself as you were made to be.
Regardless of ethnicity, religion, or background, I would suggest this book to any girl since it addresses subjects that many people are reluctant to discuss and serves as a superb resource for women of all ages. When it comes to making decisions, choosing friends, or developing a positive self-image, this book has been a great resource for me. It conveys all of that, and if it can benefit me, I believe it will also benefit a great number of people.
Citations: https://gal-dem.com/
Image Courtesy: https://www.readaraptor.co.uk/i-will-not-be-erased-by-gal-dem/
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