User:92ttenrab/sandbox

Marissa Jay "MJ" White-Quarles is an author and performer based in Orlando, Florida. She is most known for her children's book "I Love Your Skin" about two sisters Shania and Jamila learning to love the skin their are in.

Early Life/Schooling
Marissa Jay White-Quarles was born in Lima, Ohio and raised in Johnson City, Tennessee. Growing up Marissa Jay became interested in acting and writing at a young age, eventually leading her to become a performer at Universal Studios Orlando theme parks and writing her children's book "I Love Your Skin". White-Quarles also took part in many local pageants, most notably winning the Miss Tennessee IA in 2013. Prior to moving to Orlando for work, she attended King's University in Bristol, Tennessee and and cheered on the schools cheerleading team.

"I Love Your Skin"
Marissa Jay gained the inspiration for the book from lessons she desired to learn in her youth. The concept of the book is centered around colorism and educating non-POCs on the form of racism that can be found within communities of color. The book is to help work towards the acceptance of differences instead of ignoring them, she hopes to initatiate conversations about colorism in children's spaces. Being a darker-skinned Black woman, White-Quarles drew from her own life experiences growing up, as well as her experiences as an actress in Orlando. The book was self published after she made some Google searches and Youtube videos. Overall responses to the book are generally positive and many reviews mention that the book has been helpful in educating children about the topics of colorism, racism and self-acceptance.