Every morning, Zion looked into the mirror and whispered, “I love the glow I’m in.”

But some days, it was hard. Not everyone saw Zion’s glow the way they did.

At school, kids whispered, stared, and laughed. They said Zion’s skin was “too dark” and that his hair was “too wild.”

Zion wondered, why don’t they see what I see?

Zion’s grandma always said, “Your skin is history. Royalty. Magic.”

She showed Zion a photo album with faded pictures of their ancestors.. Marching, dancing, graduating, inventing.

“Every curl, every freckle, every shade it’s a part of your story.”

Zion felt proud… but still confused.

At the school the next day, Zion wore his hair big and bold. A classmate pointed and said, “You look like a lion!”

Zion smiled, “Thank you.”

That surprised him. Zion had learned that lions don’t shrink. Lion’s shine.

Maybe their glow was something others didn’t understand… yet.

During art time, the teacher gave the class one color for “skin tone.”

Zion raised his hand and said, “We need more colors. We all come from different shades.”

Soon crayons like coca, caramel, honey, and others were passed around.

The room sparkled with difference

Later that week, the class read a book about famous Black scientists and artists.

Zion beamed. “They all look like me!”

Some classmates leaned closer, asked questions, and listened.

Zion felt something shift. The glow was spreading.

Zion started a “Glow Wall” at school.

Everyone could add a sticky note with one thing they loved about themselves.

It became a rainbow full of words: Kind. Strong. Confident. Creative. Black and Prod.

Zion’s note read, I shine because I’m me.