This weekend I attended my nephew’s birthday celebration, as he brought in his 5th year of life. Paw Patrol, Bubble Guppies & Santiago of the Seas were all top of the list as standout toys. Then it occurred to me, mix it up, perhaps things to engage more than just his sense of touch. I exited the tactile arena with a Paw Patrol truck and began my children’s book search as a birthday gift supplement. His dedication to his bedtime ritual of having 2 books read to him in a very psychoanalytic style inspired the choice of adding books as a birthday gift (the person reading to him sits in a rocking chair slightly behind the head of his bed and off to the side, mirroring an analytic session using the couch lol). I figured his folxs may be tired of the Berenstain Bears and old school fairy tales so I jazzed up the selection. I share all this to say, the only books I have read since June 2021 are the 5 pictured above plus an additional 3 books that didn’t make the cut. The variety was purposeful. “Marsha Goes to Haiti” meant to engage his imagination concerning the land of his ancestors. “Read to Your Bunny” meant to be a quick read especially on those evenings when he bargains to be read 3 books instead of 2. “Bel Peyi Mwen”, a coloring book as a daytime activity that his parents can read aloud while he colors through the pages highlighting positive aspects of Haiti. “I Want To Ride the Tap Tap”, another book towards encouraging pride and curiosity in his Haitian ethnicity. “I Am A Promise” by the ‘sub 11 Queen’ SFP aka #mommyrocket aka #pocketrocket, Olympic medalist and World Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. I selected that book towards encouraging curiosity and appreciation for other Caribbean countries and primarily because I’m a big fan of Shelly. Perhaps by the end of the month he will be too. Now I can jump into aspects of her children’s book, or any of the other 4 books that were selected, but on this beautiful full moon evening I’ll stick to highlighting my appreciation of Shelly; her book stood out against the rest.
The fandom is primarily connected to her philanthropy, civic engagement and humbleness, truly making her a champion in my book. Authoring a children’s book put the cherry on top of what has become 13 years of service. Of course she has a bunch of medals, a bunch of world titles, and has won a bunch of 100m and 200m races in a sport that proposes that a woman’s peak performance is at the age of 30. Really…. 30?! What a wild assumption! Let me bring you into the whirlpool of Shelly’s legacy:
She birthed her son via c-section then won the next World Championship in the 100m *video clip below
1st Caribbean woman to win a 100m Olympic gold medal (2008 Beijing)
Built and now operates a resource centre in her original poverty-stricken home community, across the street from the church that she grew up attending
Funds 6 new scholarships each school year for student-athletes in financial need, which they are able to retain until graduation from secondary school
Is the original idol of the current fastest woman in the world, fellow Jamaican track star Elaine Thomas-Herah (now her greatest competitor)
Organizes and funds a yearly “Six-a-Side” futbol tournament towards promoting peace and alternatives to violence in her original home community
Created job opportunities in her community pertaining to her entrepreneurial endeavors in both the hair and food industries with her businesses Shellys Shop, Chic Hair Ja, and Lady Shelly Beauty
Coordinates an annual Christmas Drive and Christmas Event to provide gifts to children in her original home community
Also, LOVE the fact that she expresses how she feels internally through the external expression of wigs and at times decorations on her crown such as sunflowers and hair bows. Do you know how hard it is to sprint in a wig in tropical heat?! Lol loved the book, would recommend as a gift to any child 10 and under.
Despite the violence, turmoil, corruption and poverty in her community she managed to not only rise to fame and fortune, but to then turn her platform into one of hope and inspiration to her fellow country members in both concrete and meta ways. I aspire towards similar civic engagement and philanthropic activities towards the advancement of Haiti, not by running 10.6 in a 100m race (3rd fastest time in history btw), but through other measures. Thank you Shelly for inspiring that hope. And a special shout out to Friends of Maissade for all of the medical assistance provided in Maissade Haiti during this global pandemic.
