BOOK CORNER
By Marissa Wells
Contributing Writer
“Raisins Make the Milk Sweeter: For Colored Girls to Find Their Roots and Wings,” by Andrean Jacobs and Natalie Torres-Haddad, is an empowering new book for women that reminds them of their ability to change the world.
The new book was inspired by the authors’ desire to share their lived experiences as women of color.
“Being constantly knocked down and discouraged but having to keep getting up and continuing on, we wanted to inspire and encourage,” said Jacobs and Haddad-Torres. “We also wanted to promote our collaboration and show that representation matters with [women of color] in higher education as we earned our masters’ making us less than 10% of [women] with such degrees.”
Topics highlighted included education, leadership, feminism, female trailblazers and more.
“We highlight things that we’ve gone through and the challenges in this world being girls of color and how to overcome them,” Jacobs said.
It was important for Jacobs and Torres-Haddad to create a book that other women could identify with.
“It was a book we would’ve loved having when we were going to school, especially higher education and as authors,” Torres-Haddad said.
The authors share stories of their own childhood, their experiences in higher education and spotlights of incredible women they’ve know personally, as well as celebrities.
“It serves as testimony for others,” said the authors. “We want other [women of color] to know that they are not alone in these challenges.”
“Raisins Make the Milk Sweeter” is intended for all women.
“We hope readers will gain an uplifted vibration and sense of sisterhood with other [women of color] and will be inspired,” said the authors. “If all women knew the challenges [women of color] experience then change can occur with the support for each other.”
In addition to being authors, Jacobs is a supervisor for the city of Long Beach. She works at a facility with kids, teens and adults with special needs. She also speaks with teen groups about mental illnesses in particular, depression and anxiety.
Torres-Haddad is a financial and mental health advocate who also teaches financial literacy. Both authors are based in Long Beach.
To learn more about the authors, their work, and upcoming book signings, visit Andreanjacobs.com, financiallysavvyin20minutes.com, or Instagram @raisinsmtms.
“Raisins Make the Milk Sweeter: For Colored Girls to Find Their Roots and Wings” is available for $9.99 via Amazon and other book-selling platforms.
