JINGER Duggar has been accused of writing a “racist” children’s book after critics noticed “tone-deaf” details about the storyline.
The Counting On alum, 28, released the book You Can Shine So Bright! with her husband Jeremy Vuolo, 34, this week.
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Announcing its launch, Jinger wrote on Instagram: “We wrote ‘You Can Shine So Bright!’ because we want young kids, like our two little girls Felicity and Evy Jo, to know that they have been created by God with a special purpose!
“He wants them to know his love and to share it with the world. We hope this little book engages your kids with the stories and illustrations and encourages them to want to know Jesus and the love he gives!!!”
The 32-page picture book follows a group of children “as they model love, joy, patience, peace, and more in everyday, relatable scenarios”.
Critics took issue with the fact that one of the book’s characters, a person of color, was portrayed as a thief.
They also slammed the “tone-deaf” treatment of the character who is in a wheelchair.
One wrote in the comments of Jinger’s post: “Why did the little black girl have all the negative emotions attached to her ?? Not a good look.”
Another added: “Deeply disappointed that you choose to use the one person of color to be the thief not the perfect white girl.
“Given the social dynamics at play in 2022. I felt this was so tone-deaf to the real issues POC deal with on a regular basis.”
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A third posted: “‘Try to obey’ and the black little girl stealing a balloon??”
“It’s extremely tone deaf to the culture in which POC are portrayed, needing the white kid to save the POC,” another user commented.
Yet another critic raged: “In addition to the racial undertones, the ‘God loves you, too’ to the little boy in the wheelchair….seriously?
“Y’all need to re-think this book…it is tone-deaf at the least! Sorry, thumbs down on this one.”
The U.S. Sun has contacted Jinger and Jeremy’s representative for comment and has not heard back.
RACISM ACCUSATIONS
This is not the first time Jinger – who shares Felicity, four, and Evy-Jo, one, with Jeremy – has been accused of racism.
Back in 2018, the TLC alum out her then two-month-old daughter in a head wrap that some critics deemed racially insenstive.
“This is racism,” one user wrote, while another claimed the accessory was a “microaggression.”
The TLC star has previously been open about her extreme dieting, as well as her battle with an eating disorder.
BODY IMAGE ISSUES
The star once told Us Weekly about her body issues and said: “For me, the wrestling was with my weight and my body image, even though I was very in shape and I didn’t need to lose weight.
“I felt like I needed to; as a 14-year-old girl, I was really wrestling with that.
“I think in this culture around us, there is so much talk about what true beauty is and what we’re defined by — if it’s by how we look, how we were raised or how popular we are, whatever those things may be.”
The Arkansas native also told the outlet that her husband, Jeremy, and mom, Michelle Duggar, know about her struggles
She explained at the time: “I talked to Jeremy. He knows about that, of course, from day one and my mom, but I think just those [issues] that I had, I wanted others to be able to see that they’re not alone and that there are answers for that.
“And you don’t have to feel like you have to measure up to a certain standard of beauty or personality or whatever it may be, but [it’s about] just accepting who you were made to be.”
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