Serlina Boyd on launching Britain’s first major Black children’s magazines: ‘So many stories have never been told’

Exclusive: The experienced publisher defied the doubters when she launched ‘Cocoa Girl’ and ‘Cocoa Boy’, which have attracted more than a million readers. Now she wants to launch the UK’s first Black journalism school. She talks to Nadine White about overcoming ‘sabotage’, tackling a deep-rooted problem and inspiring the younger generation

Serlina Boyd: ‘We did get some death threats’ (Simon Webb)

When Serlina Boyd first had the idea of publishing a magazine aimed at Black children in the UK, she sought the advice of a colleague in the industry who told her: “No one will be interested.”

Boyd, an acclaimed arts editor for more than 18 years, doubled down. She launched not one but two magazines, Cocoa Girl and Cocoa Boy, the first of their kind in Britain. Within four weeks of its launch in June 2020, Cocoa Girl was being read by more than 10,000 children.

Two years on, Pearson Education’s Bug Club library distributes the magazine to a readership of more than one million, and the 41-year-old Boyd is looking towards global expansion.

“You cannot allow someone to tell you ‘no’ when you want to realise your dreams,” says the bubbly mother-of-two, when I catch up with her on a call earlier this month. “Just go for it – step out and pursue whatever you want to do.”

We’re talking ahead of her highly anticipated key-note speech at the Labour Party’s ethnic minority leaders in business conference. Boyd and I have been in touch with one another since the beginning of 2022, and with each new conversation, the businesswoman would excitedly discuss milestones that the magazine has achieved – from winning a prize at the BSME Awards to landing a feature interview with actor Idris Elba.

Boyd holding July’s issues of ‘Cocoa Girl’ and ‘Cocoa Boy’ magazine (Boyd Visuals)

Boyd is well-placed to lead a publication, having been instrumental in launching Vera – Virgin Atlantic’s in-flight magazine – in 2010, and working on publications such as Marie Claire and Woman.

Now she and her eight-year-old daughter Faith have landed partnerships with leading UK brands such as BT and Puffin Books. And, when we talk, two global brands have just agreed to sponsor the new annual Cocoa Kids Festival.

The journey hasn’t always been easy though. Along the way, people have tried to “sabotage” her business, Boyd tells me.

With her publishing experience and childcare qualification, launching the magazines through her own Cocoa Publishing imprint gave Boyd the opportunity to combine her passion for children and media.

Yet all of this kicked off in the midst of Covid-19 lockdowns and after the death of George Floyd in the United States, which sparked global conversations around race and inequality.

Many upstanding Britons were horrified by a hateful minority of bigots that rallied against the Black-owned brand.

The Mail Online ran an article about Cocoa magazine in October 2020 which condemned the business as being “divisive”. It spawned frightful abuse and led to Boyd and her family’s relocation from the capital.

“We did get some death threats off the back of that article and had to close down the ‘contact us’ form on the website,” Boyd says. “We moved home in order to concentrate, and we’re really enjoying what we do.

Boyd’s daughter Faith is editor of the magazines (Cocoa Publishing)

“I didn’t expect the criticism though, for me, anyone’s entitled to have an opinion. We had to do this magazine. It is for everybody, but it is going to speak about Black children who don’t normally have a voice.

“I feel like whenever you’re doing something positive, you’re always going to get people who want to tear you down and what I did was remain silent. Whatever you do, you will find people who will have a problem, but you just need to, as my grandfather used to say, stand on the crooked and drive straight, just don’t worry about what’s going on around you. Keep it moving.”

Far from sowing discord, Boyd says that her business is all about actively bringing communities together, with thousands of people indicating their support for the Cocoa magazines. She’s proud to be tackling the deep-rooted problem of underrepresentation of Black people in the media.

Her amazing journey began when the Covid pandemic gripped the nation in 2020. Boyd and Faith wanted to read magazines as part of her home-schooling lessons during the quarantine. However, neither saw people who looked like Faith on the front covers or elsewhere.

Strolling through supermarkets, the pair noticed that publications that they picked up regularly lacked diversity.

This inspired the entrepreneur to make it her mission to create a magazine with her daughter that would be an inspiration for Faith and other Black girls.

Boyd started the magazine because she couldn’t find any for her daughter that featured children who looked like her (Cocoa Publishing)

Along with Faith as editor, Boyd created Cocoa Girl, aimed at Black girls aged seven to 14. This was quickly followed by Cocoa Boy in September 2020.

It started out as a family project with Boyd’s photographer husband stepping in to capture images.

The year before, the duo had self-published a book entitled Cocoa Girl featuring young, beautiful Black models including Faith, who had experienced bullying at school and was having low confidence about her skin colour and hair.

The magazine features inspirational and empowering content for these children, with topics ranging from affirmations and taking care of natural hair to facts and lessons about global Black culture and history.

To date, the magazines are available in independent shops and supermarkets across Britain such as selected Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and WHSmith branches. Boyd, Faith and a group of young writers decide what will be included in each issue; this is very much an operation that’s by children and for children, though there’s something in there for everyone.

“We have so many stories which have never been told,” Boyd added.

“Our Black inventors’ issue was so powerful and emotional at the same time – to think that there’s things that we take for granted which were made by Black people that you’ve never heard of. We are more than just here – Black people have contributed to society in so many ways that are never discussed.”

Boyd says people have contacted her to say the magazines have helped educate families (Cocoa Publishing)

Among future plans, Boyd is set to launch the UK’s first journalism school for Black children through the newly unveiled charity arm of her brand, Cocoa Dreams Society, which has just applied for its first round of funding.

Black journalists account for just 0.2 per cent of UK newsrooms, according to research, and lack of diversity continues to plague the industry. The initiative will be after-school based and begin virtually before transitioning into a physical building that’s currently being secured.

The inauguration of Cocoa Media and Journalism Academyis scheduled to take place at the second staging of her free community event, Cocoa Kids Festival, on Sunday 14 August at the exclusive Epsom Downs Racecourse.

“I see the academy and Cocoa Dreams Society, more broadly, as an opportunity for children to learn key skills that will expose them to different industries, whether it be journalism, publishing, animation, art,” Boyd explained.

“We’d love to connect with brands and look at collaborating on this.”