20 Years Later, ‘The Skin I’m In’ Is Still A Relevant Read

While I cannot recall exactly what age, I know I was in my middle school years when I first read The Skin I’m In. I remember being dissatisfied with the required books for my English class and found a copy of Sharon G. Flake’s book in my library. My memory is fuzzy on all the events that happen in the book, but I do mostly remember this was a tale about a black girl who was too Black, too poor, and seemingly too unlovable for the world she existed in. I do always remember this book helped put a word to an issue that I was learning about but fully didn’t connect all the dots about: colorism. I was especially protective over this book, because it was a Black woman writing about a Black girl and those were the stories I wanted to read about. The Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent winner has now been reissued with a striking new cover and a foreword by New York Times best-selling author Jason Reynolds and is now available for more readers to enjoy, which makes me happy as more Black girls are able to read this one. “No Almond Joy-colored girls like me. No gum smacking, wisecracking girls from my side of town.” Maleeka Madison knows her lot in life. She anticipates that the kids will sing that awful jingle they came up with that bashes her for her dark, Black skin. She knows her mom works so hard but doesn’t make enough money to where she can wear less home-made and hand-me-down clothing that adds to the teasing. She knows that her quiet disposition and studious …