When the pandemic hit the UK in March, Serlina Boyd (whose plans for a nursery business were lost in lockdown) went looking for a magazine that would captivate her six-year-old daughter, one that would help her feel good about her British-Jamaican heritage.
Now, Boyd (who has a background in publishing, design and events) and her daughter have launched Cocoa Girl, the country’s first magazines for black girls: “It was just a little project that I could do on the side whilst waiting for the nursery to go through after the lockdown. But now, obviously, I’m not doing childcare. I’m a full-time publisher. So that little project has turned into a proper job.” She’s now launched Cocoa Boy.
Cocoa Girl magazine targets black girls aged 7-11 years. The first issue of in June is said to have sold 11,000 copies, solely from online sales. Boyd describes Cocoa as “an educational tool that teaches children about black culture whilst profiling black role models. These magazines help to build a strong community for young black girls and boys who are often misrepresented by mainstream media.”
