Hinds Champions Mental Wellness and Inclusivity Across Borders
By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — From the mining town of Linden to the winter landscapes of Edmonton, Canada, Guyanese-born author and advocate Kezia Liane Hinds is utilizing the literary arts to dismantle racial stereotypes and confront the silent burden of negative self-talk.
The former National Communications Network (NCN) television anchor has emerged as a distinct voice in contemporary Caribbean-Canadian literature, releasing two deeply reflective books: 111 Positive Thoughts: Give Yourself Grace and the illustrative children’s story, The Ladybug and Spider.
From the NCN Newsroom to Canadian Media Communications
Hinds’ journey is rooted in a lifelong commitment to narrative and communication. Born in Linden in the early 1980s, she navigated two of Guyana’s most historic secondary institutions, attending Mackenzie High School before moving on to President’s College.
Her early professional career made her a familiar face across local households, working as a front-line news reporter and anchor at NCN in Georgetown. However, migrating to Canada demanded immense professional resilience and a complete career pivot. Hinds returned to academia in North America, successfully earning a Diploma in Media Communications and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from Humber College before transitioning into public service with the Canadian federal government.
A Tool for Teen Mental Wellness Born from Personal Grief
Her first literary offering, 111 Positive Thoughts: Give Yourself Grace, was published following a deep spiritual journey toward healing and self-acceptance.https://a.co/d/0g2njy7e
Hinds explained that she deliberately chose the number “111” for its spiritual connection to new beginnings, hoping the book would serve as a tool to help readers restructure their inner dialogue.
“I originally wrote it for adults like myself who struggle with negative self-talk,” Hinds shared in an interview. “But surprisingly, it has resonated deeply with teenagers. The language is simple and direct, which is exactly why younger readers connect with it. They face immense pressure today, and one positive thought has the power to suppress a wave of negative ones.”
The Metaphor of the Insect Kingdom: Confronting Bias
Hinds’s secondary work, The Ladybug and Spider, transitions these complex themes of human bias into an accessible children’s story. The book follows an unconventional friendship between two very different insects, urging children to judge others by their internal kindness rather than external appearances.https://a.co/d/0g2njy7e
The concept was born out of a raw conversation with her eldest son, who was experiencing bullying as a minority child in Canadian schools.
“My son told me, ‘Mom, people are terrified of spiders, but they aren’t actually that dangerous,’” Hinds recalled. “We compared how gently society treats a ladybug, but when we see a spider, our immediate instinct is to hit it. That is exactly how Black people are sometimes perceived in North America—strong, but deeply feared. The white population is often treated more calmly, like the ladybug.”
Hinds noted that as she developed the manuscript, she realized human beings often embody both identities depending on their socioeconomic status. “Sometimes we are treated kindly because of our professional position, but other times, even people within our own circles treat us like the lesser one, like the spider.”
Building Bridges for Future Generations
Despite maintaining a demanding full-time public-sector career, Hinds views her writing as an essential creative outlet and a lasting moral legacy for the next generation. Her works have been formally integrated into school reading programs across both Canada and Guyana, encouraging teachers to address the root causes of playground prejudice.
Through simple storytelling, Hinds continues to craft tools that help children choose understanding over fear, demonstrating that words possess the unique power to heal, unite, and build bridges across a fractured world.
