126: When You Don’t See Yourself Represented in Mainstream Media - Ainara Alleyne

Ainara Alleyne is the youngest guest to date on the Fill Your Cup podcast, and she is going to blow your mind. As a 12 year old black girl, Ainara didn’t see herself represented enough in the books she read or the shows she watched, and decided to do something about it. She launched her Instagram account called @ainarasbookshelf to spread the word about books written by or featuring people of colour and it’s grown like wildfire.

Not only does she run this account, but Ainara is also the youngest Junior Librarian for the Hamilton Public Library; she has recorded audiobooks for some of her favourite authors; and is working on a book herself. She’s inspiring, she’s spunky as heck, and she’s got a lot to teach us about diversity, representation, and using your voice.

Tune into episode #126:

In this episode, Ainara and I chat about:

Why and how she started Ainara’s Bookshelf
Why representation for people of colour is so important in books and mainstream media
How she felt growing up as a young black girl without seeing herself reflected in books or shows
How we can all do a better job of promoting diversity and representation in our communities
Why having a role model, and being a role model, is important work
Her passion for Cosplay and theatre
Her dream for all young black girls--and what she thinks the future looks like for them