COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) – The NBC 4 Today book series is back for July with a deeply personal story written by a local family about racism as told through the eyes of their daughter, who experienced it firsthand.
“ Let’s Mix It Up ” is written by Emerson, Corie, and Anthony Locke.
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“This book is dedicated to anyone who has been made to feel different or less than,” Anthony Locke read from the book’s dedication page. “Don’t let anyone dim your light. Shine bright and strong, confident and bold.”
Those words describe Emerson Locke to a T, a beautiful young girl who in recent years has experienced racism from her peers, from seemingly innocent lack of awareness to intentionally targeting her.
“I went to elementary school here in central Ohio in the 80s, and 30 years later, almost 40 years later, for her to experience some of the same things that I experienced was jarring for me,” Anthony Locke.
“I didn’t know what it was at first,” Emerson Locke said. “You want to cry, you want to get mad.”