NORFOLK, Va. — A new 24-hour library is opening up in Norfolk. You might miss it because it’s little, but it’s spreading a powerful message in the Park Place neighborhood.
Rosean Lindsey created “The No Bullying Little Library” that went up in the Park Place neighborhood Friday.
The small blue box sits at the corner of 35th Street and Newport Avenue, just steps away from growing minds at James Monroe Elementary School.
“I want to encourage the kids that are being bullied that they are not alone, it’s not their fault and there’s ways of going about it, there’s ways of expressing yourself,” says Lindsey.
The anti-bullying author and comic book creator is an advocate for helping victims and their bullies.
On the top shelf of the little library are books to help parents tackle the tough subject of bullying and on the bottom shelf are books for kids. The little library is encouraging kids to be their best, be bold and be positive while offering resources to parents.
“I did a poll where I had so many parents and adults tell me they were picked on when they were a child, and they gave me the names of what people used to call them.”
Cow, high yellow, nappy head, big lips — hurtful words that cut at kids’ self-esteem, especially Black boys and girls, are written on the outside of the library while kind words fill the pages inside.
Books written by local authors teach kids they are unstoppable, even if a bully tries to get in their way.
“[The No Bullying Library] just encourages both the victim and the bully to understand that we all can live in harmony and live in love with one another," Lindsey says.
