'I was like, Mom can we publish it?': Niagara girl, 10, writes book to empower Black children

By the time she was eight years old, Normani Hamilton had already written and published her first book — My Beautiful Hair.

Normani is now 10 and lives in Niagara Falls with her parents and siblings, and enjoys gymnastics, dancing, singing, acting and journalling. She says she wrote the book to encourage children to realize that they are all unique and special in their own way.

The book also seeks to empower children with natural hair to embrace its beauty.

"I want them to learn that they are beautiful in every way," Normani told CBC Hamilton.

"They don't need to push [themselves], they don't need to look in the mirror and say, 'Oh, my hair is funny, I don't like how I look.' They don't need to do that. They're beautiful just the way they are."

I was really happy when it was finally finished... I went through it to make sure I didn't miss anything. And I was like, 'Mom, can we publish it?' She said, 'Yes, yes, yes you can.'- Normani Hamilton, 10

Normani, who had questioned her parents about her own hair, said she wanted to inspire other children.

"So … I went to my mom and I told her I wanted to write a book because I really wanted to inspire girls that they're beautiful … their hair is beautiful, and I just want to inspire them."

Normani said it took her one year to complete the book and she especially enjoyed working with her mother.

"It was really fun to see how my mom draws the pictures — because she is actually the illustrator — [so] it was really fun to see, like, my mom's artistic side for once."

"I was really happy when it was finally finished. I read over it, I went through it to make sure I didn't miss anything. And I was like, 'Mom, can we publish it?' She said 'Yes, yes, yes you can.'"

'A difficult conversation to have'

Normani's mom, Rodale Dwyer, said she was not surprised when Normani told her she wanted to write a book. She pointed out that Normani had been asking questions about her hair from an even younger age.

"I was not at all shocked, because when she was four years old, she came to us and she said she wanted to find out why her hair was how it was, why it took so long to get her hair done, why her hair wasn't straight, why it wasn't curly," Dwyer said.

"She had different questions. So, it was a difficult conversation to have where we wanted to, you know, sit down with her and have the conversation in a way where we would have been able to break it down for a four-year-old. 

"When she got to eight and she said she wanted to do a book, I was happy that she wanted to do that. She wanted to highlight her uniqueness because she now appreciated her uniqueness, and she wanted other kids to know that they were beautiful just the way they are. So, we supported her 100 per cent and we just kind of jumped on board," Dwyer added.

Dwyer says while she didn't have to teach Normani to love her her hair, she had to "explain why because of our culture our texture was the way it was, or why our texture changed at certain times [such as] when it got wet, or how it doesn't stay straight for a long time due to moisture and stuff like that."

"I kind of had to explain the dynamic with her hair shifting its texture at some points," she said.

'I'm super proud of her'

To have a book written and published at eight was "such a phenomenal briefing on [Normani's] part," Dwyer said. 

"Having to sit through interviews, having to have her book in libraries and other schools, it's just really a brave thing and I'm super proud of her."

According to Dwyer, there has been "tremendous feedback" on Normani's book.

She said there are schools in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area doing highlights of Normani as part of their Black History Month activities throughout February. 

"It's been phenomenal. Her school is also highlighting her and her book. Her principal, teacher, students, it's just been such a great response from the community, the Black community, churches. It's just really been phenomenal," Dwyer said.

'A very positive role model for students'

Amanda Cybula, principal at Normani's school —  Father Hennepin Catholic Elementary School — describes Normani as "a wonderful student … [who is] very engaged with the student body [and] a very positive role model for students within her classroom."

She says Normani "comes to school with a bright smile on her face, is always willing to help out in any way, is very polite, very kind and very inclusive with everyone."

Cybula was "very excited" when she learned Normani had published "such a wonderful book."

As part of Black History month, Father Hennepin Catholic Elementary School will have a Book Buddy Day on Feb. 23 during which Normani's book will be featured.

On Book Buddy Day, older students partner up with younger classes to read books.

"For Normani, we have her parents coming in to talk about Black history and their role as Black people living in our school community with the Grade 4 class," Cybula said. 

"Normani will have an opportunity to share her story with her peers and to read her book to her class too as well."

Cybula said Father Hennepin Catholic Elementary School is purchasing copies of My Beautiful Hair "so that students are able to read her book too as well."

"I just want to highlight how proud we are of Normani and her story for inspiring others. And I'm so thrilled when parents are so supportive and such strong advocates for our children, and this is a great example of that."

2nd book in the works

In addition to writing, Normani says she enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering and taking part in community care initiatives.

She volunteers three times a year with Delivering Hope, a local outreach program founded by her mother. Delivering Hope partners with Socks for Change, the City of Niagara Falls, Start Me Up Niagara and other businesses to provide winter care packages to those in need every year.

She also donates water during the summer months to Niagara Region YWCA and Niagara soup kitchen so that vulnerable members of the community stay hydrated, she said.

Normani says already knows what she wants to be when she's older: "An author. I'd like to write more books when I grow up," she said.

That's on the horizon — a second book is already in the works.

"Yes, there's another book," she said, adding that My Beautiful Skin is scheduled to be published later in 2023.

Even as she works on her second book, Normani is still being congratulated on the publication of My Beautiful Hair.

"My friends are actually really, really, really proud of me. And when they saw my book, they said, 'Wow, Normani, you're like the youngest, youngest author I've ever seen in my entire life,' and they are so proud of me."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.