Melanie Goolsby Created A Positive Children’s Book for Young Black Girls

Melanie Goolsby who serves as the Project Manager, Content Distribution for Netflix. Goolsby is the creator the children’s book “ABC’s For Girl’s Like Me,” which she created as an outlet for young black girls to have strong black female role models that look like them.

The inspiration behind the book came when Goolsby purchased a Hip Hop ABC’s book for her 1 year old daughter. Just moments after opening the book to read it to her daughter, she quickly realized the book was in appropriate for children. She immediately got online to research the authors and found they were a racist couple from Australia that participated in blackface and openly use the N word on social media with their friends.

Photo Courtesy of Melanie Goolsby

After being infuriated with what she discovered online, Goolsby vented to her husband realized she needed a book for her daughter. She quickly turned her anger into motivation and came up with the idea to create a children’s book not only for her daughter but for young black girls around the world. She wanted to make sure she isn’t include just American women nor did she want to highlight deceased women because she wanted to send the message that are many strong black women still alive that are excellent role models.

In the book Goolsby highlights women from all industries and also women that aren’t widely known for their amazing accomplishments. She includes the first black Attorney General, A Nascar female, first black women to head a University in the UK, Issa Rae, Tyra Banks and many more.

Growing up in Washington State Goolsby didn’t see a lot of women that looked like her. She would always get comments like “you’re pretty for a black girl,” and often felt insecure and like she isn’t meet the beauty as a black women. She wants to send the message to young black girls that you are beautiful, you are intelligent and you are enough. She also wants children to be inspired by the book and to know they can do great things and be recognized outside of entertainment.

Goolsby plans on making one for young black boys and well as hispanic children with options to purchase in Spanish.

The book will be released August 15th and is available now for pre-order on www.abcsforme.com