I received a free copy of The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Love Your Body — The Skin That You’re In… It’s a pretty simple concept right? It’s difficult for a lot of us, but even more so for children of color who look different than their parents. My daughter will be 8 years old in just six weeks but struggles constantly because “friends” from school make remarks about her color and try to tell her that I’m not her “real mom”. As a parent, it makes me angry to think that she is always going to have deal with the “mean kids” but it also gives me the determination to teach her the importance of self-acceptance and self-love. Kids these days have the constant pressure to look perfect – and they are judged daily by their peers. Social media takes this judgement to the next level… Apps like Tik Tok, YouTube and Snapchat can give even the most confident child doubts about their beauty and abilities. The comments can be brutal…
I want my daughter to know and understand that her color does not make her different from the other girls. She can believe and achieve anything she sets her mind to. However, she should celebrate the things that make her different such as her kind heart, empathy for others, and her love of animals. We need to build our girls up from the very beginning, starting with elementary school and going all the way through the college years. Church, programs like Girl Scounts and Girls on the Run are great for teaching girls about self-love and acceptance. We should equip them with insight from talented and motivated role models such as Virgie Tovar. Tovar, the author of The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color, does a great job of showing how history, systemic oppression, and as well as share tidbits about her past that have made her the woman she is today. People who see the importance in spreading these lessons of self-love and acceptance to all girls. The book has a way of spreading the message in a way that is clear enough for girls of all ages to understand. I’ve read a lot of books on positivity and self-love, but this book is truly resounding for girls of color.
What are others saying about this book?
“Every body exists the exact way it’s meant to exist. While this shouldn’t be a radical concept, it absolutely is. This is the book I wish I’d read when I was 14. Reading it now feels like a healing for my teenage self. The wisdom in this book is absolutely necessary for the critical paradigm shift needed to liberate young women from the toxicity of our current cultural norms. Tovar is a wealth of vibrant stories and radical insight. Armed with her tiny cactus and gigantic umbrella, she joyously jiggles a pathway to freedom and self-acceptance, illuminating the first steps for each of us to make our own individual journeys.”
—Reagan Jackson, program director for Young Women Empowered, award-winning journalist, and producer and cohost of the Deep End Podcast
“Tovar has a gift for breaking down the most complex and deep-seated cultural issues into motivating and powerful calls for action.” – Matt McGorry, actor on Orange Is the New Black and How to Get Away with Murder
“Virgie is the bad-ass bestie we all prayed for in middle school. This book is a delicious call-to-arms for the next generation of girl rebels.” – Dr. Laurie Santos, The Happiness Lab
Do you want to win a copy of The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color ($10.50-$17.00 ARV)?
Simply enter before May 11, 2020. Notification: Winners will be randomly selected and notified by CLEVER by May 12.
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