About

MEET MARSHA

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Children’s diversity author and storyteller, Marsha Campbell was born in Mandeville, Jamaica, and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. While her background is in Insurance Technology, she has always had a love for storytelling through books, poems, and photography. Throughout her life, Marsha kept a notepad filled with creative writing centered around characters of color.

In 2019, she gave birth to her first child, a beautiful daughter named Aria. Becoming a mother enflamed her passion for writing, but also manifested a new calling---education. Now, utilizing her gift of storytelling along with her calling for diversity education, Marsha is committed to crafting beautiful stories centered on self-affirmation and purpose.

You're Here for a Purpose: Positive Self-Talk for Black Children is Marsha’s first picture book, which she is self-publishing. Her goal with this book is to provide a language to black children to increase self-esteem, self-worth, and self-image; all of which lead to self-love. She believes children who master positive self-talk are more healthy, confident, motivated, and productive.

In addition to working on several new picture books. Marsha has also created diversity affirming clothing and merchandise. Marsha enjoys volunteering in the community with her beloved sorority sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She lives in New York with her hubby and daughter.

A little girl born in paradise had big dreams of exploring the world. Dreams of visiting foreign lands to learn about her ancestors, explore new cultures, and learn new languages. Dreams of being transported to new realms, embarking on new adventures, and immersing in the unknown. Dreams of finding answers to both simple and complex questions. Dreams of challenging her understanding of humanity.

Dreams of understanding basic human emotions. Dreams of connecting with nature and exploring the divinity within. Dreams of evolving into an independent and cultured woman. All of these dreams against a backdrop of ancient castles, beautiful beaches, magical artwork, and nature at its finest.

- Marsha Campbell

Photographer Statement

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH MARSHA

When did you know you wanted to write?

For as long as I can remember I have loved reading stories. When I read, I can feel the characters, and I lose myself in the characters. Eventually, reading turned into creating my own characters and stories. Sometimes those stories were poems, sometimes they were songs, sometimes they were shorts. Now I am lucky because I get to share my stories with the world.
What was your favorite book as a child?

One of my favorite books as a child was Jack and the Beanstalk. The theme was classic -- good vs. evil. However, there was another important lesson, which is to take advantage of the opportunities that life provides to overcome adversity. In the beginning of the story, Jack and Mother were poor, and out of desperation his mom instructed him to sell the family cow – their last source of sustenance. In the end, Jack used his wit to defeat the giant, secure wealth for his family with the golden hen, and became the village hero!
You are a new mother, do you read to your baby girl?"

YES! I started reading and singing songs to Aria when she was still in my tummy. I read to her now, and I will continue to read to her until she can read to herself. Then we can read together. So far we only read picture books and board books, but eventually we will graduate to reading longer works. As a child I loved reading and going to the library with my Mom. So, I want Aria to have that same love too!
Top 3 places you have visited? Top 3 places you would love to visit?

South Africa, Costa Rica, Amsterdam. I have been to 6 out of 7 continents, so it was very hard to pick my top 3! Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria. While South Africa, is one of my favorite places, it is still the only country in Africa that I have visited. Many say South Africa is not the REAL Africa. So my goal is to visit the “real” Africa. Also, my hubby is Nigerian, making my daughter half Nigerian, so that is why Nigeria has to be at the top of my list
What was your inspiration for You’re Here for a Purpose: Positive Self-Talk for Black Children?

Shortly after my daughter was born, I found myself constantly whispering affirmations to her. As I rocked her to sleep, as I gave her a bath, as I got her dressed. Positive affirmations were always on my lips. Even at that tender age, I wanted her to know that she was wanted, she was special, she was important, and she was loved. So, I started writing down the affirmations I would recite to her. Then the idea came to me to write a book about affirmations, but that idea ballooned into writing a book about purpose, and then weaving in the positive affirmations.
What is your inspiration for your upcoming books?

I was inspired by time travel! The children in these books will time travel to meet famous blacks in history.
Which of your books (current or soon to come) is your favorite?

I LOVE You’re Here for Purpose because it inspires black children to be positive, confident, and embrace their uniqueness. It is also very much about believing in yourself and never giving up. I also love that it has multiple settings. In one setting, it shows children protesting for justice, and in another setting it shows a boy watching his grandfather painting by the river. You’re Here for Purpose will always be my favorite because it was the first book that I manifested from an idea into reality, and that means a lot to me. My two upcoming books are also near and dear to my heart because they incorporate black history across the diaspora, but in a fun and playful way. So, to answer your question, all of my books are my favorite!
What are you working on right now?

I am currently working on 2 new picture books that I plan to publish very soon. Both are self-affirming books, one book for boys and another book for girls. In these books, the main character will travel intime to meet famous black people in history
Any advice for children out there?

I will quote You’re Here for a Purpose for this: “God whispered your name, long before you came. The world, without you, would not be the same.” You are uniquely and wonderfully made, so set God size goals that are bigger than your own imagination and never stop striving for them, no matter how hard it seems. Believe in yourself, and never give up!