(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Just one day after our country has elected 100 women, we look to continue encouraging a new generation of women leaders. That's a major eventual goal for the creators of “Girls Who Colored Outside the Lines,” a new coloring book looking to inspire little girls of color. A Kickstarter to fund the project is ending soon, with only eight days left for supporters to make an impact. The campaign must raise $1,500 more by November 15, or the organizers will get nothing at all.
The book will feature portraits of awesome she-roes of color including Maya Angelou, Rita Moreno, Katherine Johnson, Mithali Raj, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Holly Woodlawn, Pura Belpré, Anna May Wong, Naoko Takeuchi, Malala Yousafzai, Kara Walker and Angela Davis, all drawn by artists of color.
The book is the latest project of Thinking In Full Color (TIFC), an award-winning organization that empowers women of color through education and the arts.
“As a little girl, it was really hard for me to find characters in cartoons, books and movies that I could really relate to,” says TIFC founder Summer Dawn Reyes. “I didn’t realize it as a child, but I know now that if I had more characters and role models who looked like me, I could’ve felt more empowered and emboldened earlier on.
“I think it’s really important for us to show little girls the power they can have as girls or as women. It’s important to show that if you work hard, you can accomplish your dreams no matter what others think of you or how society might try to hold you down. Lastly, we want to teach girls that they can make the world a better place.”
Reyes says most of the funds from their Kickstarter will go towards printing costs and paying the talented roster of artists contributing to “Girls Who Colored Outside the Lines.” The book’s pages will feature work by Nerissa Tutiven, Vanessa Velez, Emily Mun, Nala Wu, Hiyasmine Gaskins and more.
To learn more about “Girls Who Colored Outside the Lines” and help make it a reality, check out their Kickstarter page. Donors can receive cool rewards including adorable feminist enamel pins, stickers and a copy of the coloring book itself!
Thinking In Full Color is an organization that empowers women of color through education and the arts. They are best known for In Full Color, a theatrical show that features work by WOC writers all around the country. They also perform at colleges and community centers along the East Coast. Lastly, they create opportunities for WOC in multiple disciplines including theater, literature, education, visual art, music and dance.