Dr. Linda J.M. Holloway is no stranger to attacking issues head-on. When she discovered that one out of three children were not able to read on their grade level, she knew she needed to do something. Even more so was the epidemic of young Black children being bullied about their hair. Many of these children were ridiculed so badly that they no longer wanted to go to school. There were administrators expelling children from school for the way they wore their hair. Thus, Dr. Holloway found it extremely disturbing that children were experiencing pain around their hair and became even more distraught when realizing that children’s literacy rate was low.
This inspired Dr. Holloway three years ago to launch a 1,000-free book giveaway campaign for children in underrepresented, marginalized, and oppressed communities. She started locally in the state where she resided. To date, she has been successful in distributing over 2,500 free books. She chose to give away her first book, I Love My Happy Hair, to raise awareness around hair bullying, to have an anti-air bullying campaign, and to fight against childhood literacy rates. Dr. Holloway wanted each child she encountered to have a free copy of her book because many of the children did not own an actual physical book.
This book is about a little girl named Little Miss Linda who does not like her hair. However, her mother teaches her to appreciate and celebrate her hair. Once Little Miss Linda learns to like her own hair, she goes on a mission to teach other children to celebrate and appreciate their hair and not tease others about their hair. She does this through a song she created called the Happy Hair Song and an Anti-Hair Bully pledge for children to sign.
You can also see the work she has done over the years on her YouTube channel: YouTube.com/channel/UCKdg4oNvmTeSccK7Jl8Xvsw
Dr. Holloway’s 1,000 free book giveaway campaign has been extremely successful in that she not only was able to distribute books on a local level, but her books have reached South Africa by helping school educators build a library for children so they no longer walk several miles just to access a library.
Dr. Holloway said she is super proud to have had the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of so many children. As she moves forward, she desires to continue using her books to educate, elevate, and empower students. She looks forward to the organization investing in all eight of her award-winning children’s books, which can be purchased on Amazon.
This story was first reported on Blacknews.com
RELATED CONTENT: Cynthia Erivo Explains How She Added Micro Braids So ‘Wicked’ Character Could Honor Black Women
