“I Am Very Angry At You!” Little Girl Takes On Newspaper With This Amazing Letter

We’ll just go ahead and say it: children can be so inspirational sometimes. Don’t believe us? Check out this amazing letter that one little girl wrote to a German newspaper.

Nine-year-old Ishema Kane is not okay with the use of racist language in children’s book. Nor is she okay with papers who defend the use of such terms. In fact, it annoys her so much, that she decided to voice her opinion via a handwritten letter to one such paper.

The debate began last month when Kristina Schröder, the German Family Minister, said that she cut words like “negro king” from a Pippi Longstocking story while reading it to her daughter. Shortly after this, a German newspaper published an article that defended the use of such terms.

Ishema’s mother bought the newspaper and, when questioned by her daughter, she explained what the article said.

“Ishema reacted very emotionally. She immediately began to cry,” said Ishema’s mother.

The next morning, the little girl decided to pen the following letter to the newspaper in question:

Here is the english translation:

“Dear Editors,

You’re in luck that I’m at least writing this letter to you in my best handwriting because I am very angry at you. Why should it not be prohibited to write ‘Neger’ [Negro] in children’s books? One has to be able to put oneself in somebody else’s shoes. Because my father is Senegalese, and he is a very dark shade of brown; I am cafe-au-lait brown.

Just imagine if you were Afro-German and lived in Germany. You’re a newspaper reader and unsuspectingly buy the ZEIT of January 17th 2013. Suddenly, you note the article “The Little Witch Hunt.” This is when you read that the word ‘Neger’ is supposed to be deleted from children’s books, and that this would allegedly spoil the children’s books.

I find it totally shit that this word would remain in children’s books if it were up to you. You cannot imagine how I feel when i have to read or hear that word. It is simply very, very terrible. My father is not a ‘Neger’  [lightning bolt sign] nor am I. This is also true for all other Africans. Right. That was my opinion. This word should be deleted from children’s books.

Yours,

Ishema Kane, 9 ½ years old

P.S.: You’re welcome to send me a response.

[more lightning bolt signs]”

Ishema’s letter has now been shared several thousand times on Facebook, has been picked up by various blogs across the internet and has appeared on news websites across the world.

You go Ishema! The world needs more children like you.