Based on a viral video comes the story of one boy’s positive energy and how a sunny outlook can turn everything around.

It’s a new day and Ayaan has woken up on the wrong side of the bed, where nothing feels quite right. What if he doesn’t know the answer at school? What if he messes up? But as he sets out that morning, all it takes is a few reminders from his mom and some friends in the neighborhood to remind him that a new day is a good day because…
HE IS SMART,
HE IS BLESSED,
AND HE CAN DO ANYTHING!

About the Author

Alissa Holder is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She has always had a passion for working with children and works as a teacher at a childcare center in New York City. She is the mother of two children, Ayaan Diop and Alaïa.

Zulekha Holder-Young is a graduate of Spelman College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in economics. She has passed on her love of reading to her three children, Amari, Amir, and Aria. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, children, and their dog, Mochi.

Nneka Myers is an illustrator and character designer based in Toronto, Canada. Since graduating with a BAA in animation from Sheridan College, her vibrant illustrations and designs have been published in several children’s books and in animated preschool shows. For additional details, please click here.

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Teen wants to empower others to act

Last year during anti-bullying week, Chloe Ngakosso, 15, was walking down her school’s hallway when she heard an older student’s voice.

She heard that student call her the N-word and tell her she had fleas. 

“You learn to just drop your head and say nothing,” Chloe told CBC Kids News.

“And if you do say something, you’re told you’re taking it too far or it was just a joke. You shouldn’t have to live your life just waiting for the next racial slur to be thrown at you.”

But Chloe isn’t dropping her head any longer.

Last month, she started making T-shirts with her artwork in an effort to empower people to stand up to racism and discrimination.

Empowered to make change

Back when she was in Grade 4, Chloe remembers that some other students would call her by her last name, Ngakosso, except they’d replace the first few letters with the N-word.

Over the years, Chloe said she’s learned to be silent about these issues because, according to her, school punishments don’t seem productive and don’t do enough to teach kids about why racism is wrong.

But after the death of George Floyd earlier this year and when Black Lives Matter protests started sweeping across the country, Chloe felt empowered.

She went to her school board, Thames Valley District School Board in London, Ontario, to protest the ways schools deal with racism and a lack of education around diversity.

But she wanted to make sure it didn’t stop there.

“I wanted to make sure that fighting against discrimination and racism wasn’t just going to fizzle out,” she said.

“And so I thought that if I do something more permanent and creative, then maybe I could make it stay alive for longer.”

That creative pursuit started last month, when Chloe began making T-shirts with slogans that encourage others to call out racism.

Designing the shirts

Chloe first designed a logo, which is based on paintings she did earlier this year at the height of the BLM protests.

Next, Chloe thought of a name.

“I chose the name Afroqueens because I wanted a name that was empowering, sounded confident. I wanted a name that kind of just represented power.”

Then Chloe drew up that design as a logo using a tablet and pen stylus on her laptop.

She then got the logo printed on vinyl and began, with the help of her mom, ironing the design onto T-shirts.

She also included a call-to-action on the shirt, along with one of her favourite quotes: “If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”

What’s next? 

Chloe has three designs featuring three quotes and calls to action.

She’s working on even more designs and is building up stock to start selling in the Spring

“I hope anybody who wears this shirt really feels empowered in themselves,” she said. “To me, just by wearing one of these T-shirts, they’re making a difference.”

But for those who won’t get a shirt, Chloe says it’s still important to say something when racism happens.

“Speak up is my advice. Don’t be afraid to say something, don’t just lower your head and say you can’t do something, because you can do something about it.”

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One Toronto boy got to make the long-distance call of a lifetime this week when he spoke to an astronaut aboard the International Space Station.

Yaphet Yoseph, 8, was positively beaming Wednesday as he got to speak with astronaut Victor Glover, who is currently floating in orbit.

The call was organized by and included members of Glover’s alma mater, California Polytechnic State University, and the National Society of Black Engineers. When they found out about Yoseph’s keen interest in space travel, they wanted him to be a part of it.

“My dream is to go to outer space, and be the first African Canadian,” Yoseph said. 

And he doesn’t plan to go alone.

“He always tells me, ‘you’re going to come with me to space,'” said his mom, Hezbawit Lijam.

Yaphe Yoseph gets to talk to an astronaut

The eight year old, who wants to go to space himself one day, got to talk to astronaut Victor Glover Wednesday. 2:56

She said his interest in space started when he was in senior kindergarten, and has only grown since then. His attention was really ignited when he learned about fellow Canadian Chris Hadfield.

“I got one of his books, I started reading it, and it was so much fun, and that inspired me to be an astronaut,” Yoseph said.

His mom even got him his own NASA space suit. 

“Of course the space suit, they just come only with the American flag, like this one, but I added the Canadian flag for him, because he is representing Canada,” she said.

Hopes first space flight ‘at least’ goes to ISS

And he was wearing that suit with a smile when he asked Glover a question Wednesday.

“How does it feel to be on the first operational flight of the first spacecraft that uses a reusable liquid fuel abort system? And what advice would you give to children like me?” he asked.

“Yaphet, thank you for that question, thank you for your voice. It is so inspiring to hear young people’s voices up here,” Glover responded.

The astronaut then went on to tell Yoseph that the abort system is amazing and helps keep him safe, before passing on some wisdom to the young admirer — like never stopping in the face of challenges, and being a lifelong learner.

“Be good to the people around you, and they’ll pay that back to you,” Glover said.

It’s clear that even though Yoseph is only a kid, he has big plans.

“For my first space flight I’m hoping to at least go to the ISS,” he said. 

“For my second I’m hoping to go to the moon, and for my third I’m hoping to go to Mars.”

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