Second-grade teacher, Stephanie Fleary, breathes life into the statement, ‘a teacher’s job is never done.’ During black history month one of Fleary’s students, a 7 year old, informed her that she was not happy with her darker skin tone.
“Everyone in her family was lighter than her and she despised her dark skin. As a woman with a darker skin tone, I knew that colorism was an issue that needed to be discussed, even at this early age. I knew I had to find a way to teach my students to love and believe in themselves, no matter what shade of brown they are. I wanted to create something that would last beyond this classroom discussion. And voila, Chocolatey Brown was born,†said Fleary.
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Fleary, a first-generation Grenadian-American, has worked in education for over ten years.
“I’ve always had a passion for writing, but never imagined that I would become a self-published author. When I became a mother in 2007, my life’s purpose began to take form and my vision became clearer. I realized I was created to be a mother, an educator, and service provider for others. I accomplished two of the three so I was intrigued to discover how God would use me to serve others. In 2013, I published my first book, Dear Black Man, and started my personal development training company, Empowered Stilettos. Through my work with my son, students, and clients, I have found my purpose and aspire everyday to fulfill my destiny.â€
Since most children will be home from school for summer break, the timing couldn’t be better to add Chocolatey Brown to a child’s reading list. BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Fleary for tips on teaching children to embrace their brown skin.
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Black Enterprise.com: What are the top three things you want children to take away from Chocolatey Brown?
Fleary: From reading Chocolatey Brown, I want children to learn that believing in themselves will drastically change the life they live and the way they are treated. They need to know that the energy they project out into the universe is the energy they will receive back into their lives. Secondly, I want them to know that just as chocolate is sweet and tasty and comes in different shades, so do black and brown people, and this makes us all equally unique, special, and beautiful. Lastly, although they may not be fairly represented in the media, they matter and they have an immense amount of value to offer the world.
As a teacher and author of Chocolatey Brown, can you give our readers 3-5 tips on what they can do daily to empower their children?
Success is a daily habit. Here are some tips I would give readers:
1. Wake up smiling and believing that you matter. Create daily affirmations that you recite, beginning with ‘I am,’ to call these positive statements into existence.
2. Remember that readers are leaders. Reading regularly is the key to endless doors of knowledge, fun, and opportunity.
3. Always be grateful. Even if you feel like you don’t have enough, be thankful for all you have because someone in the world is suffering much more than you are.
4. Begin setting goals. Writing a plan of where you want to be will help you stay on track to accomplish it.
How can our readers keep up to date with your “Reading Pop-ups?â€
I am very excited to spread the word of self-confidence and love around the world with Chocolatey Brown. Throughout the summer, we have some fun and interactive “Reading Pop-Ups†planned in New York. Visit chocolateybrown.com to learn more about our events, or to have us speak at your organization. Follow @chocolatey_brown on Twitter and Instagram and join the #IAmChocolateyBrown movement.