Linda J. M. Holloway, "Little Miss Linda Speaks Out About Diversity" (2021)

We live in a society that is extremely diverse, and we must find ways to treat each other with love and respect despite our differences. Little Miss Linda is a dark-skinned girl who has been treated cruelly because of the color of her skin. Her father is in the military, so she has had the privilege of living in various places around the world including Japan, Korea, Philippines, Alaska, and Germany. Often, she and her siblings would be the only African American children in their classes. Little Miss Linda was full of excitement when her father told the family he was retiring and moving to Mississippi. She thought that the mean words about her dark skin would stop. She imagined her family would be surrounded by people who were like her, but to her surprise, she continued to be teased and taunted about the complexion of her skin. Linda J. M. Holloway's Little Miss Linda Speaks Out About Diversity (2021) illustrates how Little Miss Linda was able to turn a negative situation into a positive one. She did this through teaching her class, school, and community the power of appreciating and celebrating people regardless of their skin color. The power and effectiveness of Little Miss Linda’s diversity story is made practical by the “Skittles Story.” Yes, if only Skittles could talk right? They do in this book! Through this elementary story all children can relate to the simple truth that people are more alike than they are different and diversity is to be celebrated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices