Elijah Lawal just published his first book, but he’s been writing since he was 10 years old. Back when he was a kid, he wrote a story about a boy who ran away from home—and eventually became the president of Panama. His new book, published in the U.K. earlier this year, has very little to do with his imaginative works of little-kid fiction, but it came from a similar refusal to accept things the way they are.
Elijah, who works in communications in Google’s London office, just wrote “The Clapback: Your Guide to Calling Out Racist Stereotypes.” He says it’s his attempt to debunk harmful stereotypes aimed at the Black community, and to give people the tools to respond when they are faced with such myths.
Each chapter introduces a stereotype, explains its origins and shows why it’s harmful. “If there’s a stereotype that Black people can’t swim, and if I believe that false stereotype, then it means I’m very unlikely to go swimming,” he explains. “It means I’m very unlikely to take my kids swimming. That feeling is passed on to them, and they’re very unlikely to take their kids swimming. Then before you know it there’s not enough Black representation in Olympic swimming.”
Elijah certainly wasn’t drawn to writing for the glamour factor. “Writing a book is hard, lonely and often boring,” he acknowledges in his writing. He worked on the book every weekend for three full years, because he felt compelled to help others. “I just felt that I’ve been blessed with this knowledge, and so I’ve got to try and share it with other people,” he says. “I thought the best way to do it was with a book.”
