Blue Ivy Carter Narrates Hair Love Book

Photo: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images.

Since launching a Kickstarter campaign in 2017 to bring his vision for Hair Love to life, Matthew A. Cherry has taken his children's book to incredible new heights. In 2019, Cherry and Sony Pictures Animation partnered to turn the book — which is about a Black father, Stephen, learning to style his daughter Zuri's hair — into a short film. In February, Hair Love won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.

Now, the critically-acclaimed story is available in an audiobook version, and the narrator is Blue Ivy Carter herself. Cherry announced that Beyoncé and Jay-Z's eight-year-old daughter would be the voice of his book on Instagram. "Our Hair Love audiobook is live. Narrated by Blue Ivy Carter. Link in bio and available everywhere audiobooks are sold." He shared a clip of Blue Ivy introducing the book, and we'd be lying if we said we didn't listen to it nearly 20 times.

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

Fans immediately took to social media to share their excitement for Blue Ivy and point out the more profound significance of her narrating a book about natural hair. Blue Ivy, who is only eight years old, was subjected to cruel cyberbullying and mocked about her natural hair for years, a painful experience all too familiar for many young Black girls and women. The partnership is huge for Blue Ivy and sends a broader message about the importance of empowering Black girls and women to recognize their beauty and power — despite what society says.

Blue Ivy at such a young age, faced so many attacks and comments about her hair from adults who should have known better.
Even television stations like BET joined in publicly on the mockery.

To have her narrate a story on “Hair Love” is just so fitting and perfect. ❤️ https://t.co/iPuSKhXakx
— ✨Doreen✨ (@DoreenGLM) November 9, 2020

Matthew Cherry booking Blue Ivy to narrate Hair Love. iconic. & not only because she’s Beyonce’s child but also, too many people dragged that baby for her natural hair. get that check Blue. 😭
— 𝐌. (@askaboutmaya) November 9, 2020

blue ivy being mocked for her hair since she was a baby and then choosing to narrate an audiobook based on an oscar winning short film about hair love!! she's really making graceful power moves at 9 years old https://t.co/9y0EPIFOec
— nahsˣ (@nahscontrols) November 9, 2020

Blue Ivy Carter reading a book called “Hair Love” after being bullied online for her natural hair is really just touching my heart
— 🎄𝑑𝑎𝑒✨ (@bey_dae) November 9, 2020

It also marks another part of Hair Love's epic legacy, which goes far beyond the written word. Cherry has used his platform to advocate for The Crown Act, legislation that would legally prohibit discrimination based on a Black person's hairstyle or texture nationwide. The United States House of Representatives just passed The CROWN Act, which now goes to the Senate for approval.

With Blue Ivy aboard the Hair Love train, there's no better time to download the audiobook and continue championing The Crown Act to protect more young Black women and men from discrimination and bullying based on their natural hair.

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT