Imagine living your dream and accomplishing something you have been working hard on gets rejected for an absurd reason. Many people likely have stories that sound similar to this, but none may be able to relate as much as this father who had his book rejected based on a huge racial stereotype.

Arnold Henry is a father and a children’s book author and he has shared a story regarding one of his books, “Daddy’s Mini-Me.” The book is a great testament to his own experiences as a father in raising his two children. He has two sons, a 5-year-old and an 8-month-old and it is a sweet story that featured a black father on the front.

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Arnold shared a rejection letter that he had received from his publishing agent on his Instagram page, and while it is not uncommon for authors to get their books rejected, the reasoning speaks volumes to the current climate of the world right now. The letter starts off with some kind words, how the book is wonderful – both the writing and the illustrations. Then the “however” came in. It stated that stories on African-American “fathers” is such a tough sell.

“This is just a harsh reality and I wanted to inform you rather than to discourage you. I have determined your project would not be a good fit for my strengths, and that I have declined the opportunity to consider it further” was what the rest of the letter stated. This was devastating to Arnold, but he didn’t let it stop him or hold him down.

He was able to gain some help from Kickstarter and was able to self-publish his book. As of the date it was published, he has already sold 6,000 copies of his book. The book can be purchased on Amazon. He stated in the caption that this was the harsh reality for a lot of black authors out there.

It is an experience that shows the unfair treatment of black people based on a racial stereotype. The disappointment you can feel when you finally finish your book, only to have it rejected because of the color of your main character’s skin.

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