After Penguin Books shared an excerpt of the forthcoming novel, Willow and co-author Jess Hendel were hit with backlash.
Her father is a recent bestseller and Willow Smith is hoping to follow in his footsteps. The singer has been a creative force since early on in her childhood, and with parents like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, it was expected. Aside from her musical career, Willow has partnered with Jess Hendel to co-author a fantasy novel titled Black Shield Maiden, and although the book is slated for arrival this October, an excerpt was recently released by its publisher, Penguin Books.
The story is reportedly about an African warrior who was kidnapped from her native land and forced into a community of Vikings. In the excerpt, Smith and Hendel’s description of the real-life Amazigh people did not bode over well with many readers.
The excerpt states: “The Amazigh are dangerous on their best day. They have little regard for anyone who doesn’t worship the Muslim god — and even their own tribes are always at war with one another.”
Soon, people began taking to social media to call out both writers for their depiction of the Amazigh. They faced accusations of Islamophobia and racism, as well as perpetuating Westernized stereotypes of African cultures. Neither Willow nor Hendel have answered the criticism publicly. Check out a few complaints below.
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