Student’s reaction to Kwanzaa book shows why representation is ‘incredibly important’: ‘That looks like me’

A teacher is showing the importance of representation in media on TikTok

Ms. Cadime is a 28-year-old elementary school teacher in Boston. When she was teaching a lesson on different holiday traditions, one of her students made an important connection.

@ms.cadime

And that’s why it is so important to make sure you have mentor texts that are representative of all! #teacher #teacheroftiktok #teacherlife #teachertok #kindergarten #celebration #holiday #kwanzaa

♬ Stories 2 – Danilo Stankovic

Ms. Cadime was just wrapping up a section on Hanukkah when a student interrupted because she noticed something. 

“I think that looks like me,” the little girl could be heard saying off-camera

Ms. Cadime grabbed the storybook the child was referring to called My First Kwanzaa. It featured an illustration of a little Black girl with braids. 

“Oh my goodness, you think that this character looks just like you?” Ms. Cadime asked

“Yeah,” the student replied. “That looks like me.” 

The video racked up 4 million views on TikTok

“Okay, but why did I tear up? This is beautiful and wholesome,” a person commented

“‘I think that looks like me’ nearly made me cry as a Black woman, that’s so important for little Black kids,” someone said

“Thank you for teaching them about all the different celebrations,” a TikToker replied.

“Amazing I wish my parents let me learn about other religions and holidays when I was a kid,” a user wrote

“Representation is so incredibly important! There’s room for everyone,” another added

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