Book helps children struggling with bullying learn to love their red hair

Growing up, Christy Stokes was often called "carrot top" and "ginger." She says that in elementary school, she was bullied for having red hair.

Ms. Stokes recalls, "Kids called me 'carrot top,' 'ginger.' They seemed to just label me and target me because of it." She also mentioned, "I remember having to bribe kids in my class to come to my birthday party. It was a terrible experience, and my parents didn't know I didn't have friends."

In high school, Ms. Stokes still felt uncomfortable with her red hair. She remembers a boy she liked telling her that he would never date a redhead. "At that point, I was like, 'Oh, okay.' I didn't realize it was such a significant feature of mine," she said. "I also felt inferior because of it, but I quickly learned to accept it."

Today, Ms. Stokes is a photographer. Through her "Red Gene Project," she has published over a dozen photography books. After years of photography exhibitions, she has now published a children's book. The idea came from a mother who reached out for help because her five-year-old daughter was being bullied at school for having red hair and was begging to dye it.

Ms. Stokes said, "I heard so many stories like that, which inspired me to write this book. The book is designed to encourage and empower young redheads to accept themselves from a young age and truly embrace this unique feature." The book, titled "Do You Know How Amazing Red Hair Is?", was published in 2024 and is aimed at children aged 6 to 10. It is filled with knowledge about the uniqueness of red hair, including the MC1R gene that causes it, and facts such as redheads having less hair and needing more anesthesia during medical procedures.

In the Middle Ages, redheads, especially women, were considered witches. Red hair was also seen as a symbol of the devil or Satan. In ancient Rome, owning a red-haired slave was considered a symbol of wealth. It was also once believed that red-haired children were born from intercourse during menstruation.

Brianne Hastie, a social psychologist at Murdoch University, says there are several reasons why people bully redheads. The first is social learning behavior, where people imitate the actions of others. The second is social identity theory, where one group believes they have a higher social status than another group. Dr. Hastie says that historically, there have been many prejudices and stereotypes against redheads.

She suggests that one way to combat bullying is to view differences as a positive, rather than a problem. "In the Middle Ages, there were stories about redheads being touched by the devil," Dr. Hastie said. "But we can do things like celebrate different hair colors and realize that having red hair may actually be lucky. In Chinese culture, red is considered a very positive symbol. It largely depends on the cultural perception of the color, which can vary greatly in different contexts."

Meanwhile, Ms. Stokes says she hopes to continue inspiring the next generation of redheads through her photography and books. She says she has helped over 2,000 people from around the world embrace their red hair. "This is the book I wish I had when I was a kid, because I might have seen things differently," Ms. Stokes said. "Now I love my red hair, it's a big part of who I am. If I can help one person accept themselves and love their red hair, then my work is done."