THE UK’s first magazine aimed at Black girls is to honour Diane Abbott with a prestigious cover.

Cocoa Girl magazine launched in June 2020, and is the brainchild of media entrepreneur Serlina Boyd and her daughter Faith.

The proud mother-of-two said it was imperative to celebrate Britain’s first Black female MP in the next issue of her magazine and tell her significant history-making story to the next generation.

Boyd also stressed the importance of honouring Abbott right now, especially in light of Frank Hester’s alleged comments.

Speaking to The Voice, she said: “We are going to feature Diane in this issue. For me, if people go low we need to go high.”

Boyd said she felt compelled to pay tribute to the MP in her publication, which is available to order online and distributed in 500 schools across the UK.

She said: “She’s done incredible things for Hackney, but we just don’t know because all you see is her painted in a negative light.”

Boyd, who has extensive experience in the publishing sector, said the magazine also wanted to ensure the image used of Abbott was uplifting – so she worked very closely with her illustrator to make sure it was perfect.

She said: “I started searching for illustrations of Diane Abbott and they are all awful and the way they depict her, is just awful.

“I wanted the image to be beautiful and shows her in a positive light. Let her be in purple, not red, so it’s regal and celebratory.”

Rise

The new issue of the multi award-winning children’s magazine is called ‘The Rise Issue’.

For Boyd, she said the title was intentional and a way to pay homage to the unbreakable spirit of Black women and of course Abbott.

She added: “She is 70, and this will be such a celebratory issue, of not only her, but there are so many strong, resilient, Black women that have gone through so much, and we can share their stories in this rise issue.

“It’s a beautiful issue, which will help both young and old realise that whatever the situation may be, you can rise from it.”

Media representation

“This is not political, this is about humanity.”

Serlina Boyd (Founder and Publisher of Cocoa Girl & Cocoa Boy magazines)

Boyd is no stranger to Abbott’s story and says the unprecedented amount of racist abuse she receives on social media is a disgrace.

She said: “The media are constantly coming for her.”

Responding to Hester’s alleged comments, Boyd said his words are an attack on all Black women and it should not be tolerated.

The publisher and magazine founder has posted pictures on social media with Abbott, along with the caption ‘I stand with her’.

But she told The Voice that because of the post she lost a major business opportunity.

She added: “There was a massive brand I was working with and I lost that brand because I posted that picture. They have ghosted me.”

Boyd said some people had told her to take the post in support of Abbott down. But she replied she has a duty as a Black woman to show solidarity with Abbott who has been subjected to repulsive racism and misogyny

“This is not political, this is about humanity,” she said.

Celebrating community

The magazine also has a publication for boys called Cocoa Boy.

In the past, that magazine created a cover celebrating the young Black England footballers who were racially abused after the country’s defeat in the final of Euro 2020.

At the time, England players Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka, who were just aged between 19 and 26, were subjected to vile racist abuse online.

The founder used the moment to defiantly celebrate the young Black players.

She said: “We did a cover, which had all four boys in the English football kit and we had their capes as their flags where they are from, and that was powerful, that went viral.”

With a major distribution deal in the US expected later this year, things are continuring to go from strength-to-strength for Britain’s first Black children’s magazine.

But its founder said as the company expands, her mission remains the same and her magazines will continue to be a place where Black children and people are not only represented, but celebrated and uplifted when they need it most.

The Rise Issue of Cocoa Girl magazine, which features Diane Abbott on the cover, is available from 30 April. Order from: www.cocoagirl.com.