Author: Janice Robinson-Celeste
Publisher: Successful Black Parenting Magazine

Successful Black Parenting Magazine is exclusively revealing the cover of Unapologetically You, a new picture book from Emmy Award-winning journalist Jemele Hill with a message for every Black girl who has ever been told she was too loud, too ambitious, too opinionated, or simply too much.

Written by Hill and illustrated by New York Times bestselling artist Jessica Gibson, the book transforms Hill’s childhood experiences, family influences, and personal heroes into an affirming story for young readers. According to the official publisher page for Unapologetically You, the picture book will be released by Workman Kids on January 12, 2027.

If you have ever watched your child lower their voice, hide a gift, or hesitate because standing out felt uncomfortable, the heart of this book may feel familiar. Hill does not tell children that confidence means never making mistakes. Instead, she shows them how to remain grounded in who they are when criticism, doubt, and pressure begin to close in.

Jemele Hill Turns Her Childhood Into a Lesson About Knowing Your Worth

The book begins by helping children understand what it really means to be unapologetic. It is not presented as an excuse to avoid responsibility or disregard other people. Hill connects the word to standing up for what is right, protecting your joy, trusting your inner voice, and continuing forward even when you feel alone.

Hill takes readers back to her Detroit childhood, when she loved playing sports but was often the only girl competing with neighborhood boys. Some questioned her ability simply because she was a girl. She responded by continuing to play, run, jump, and recognize her own talent instead of allowing someone else’s discomfort to define her.

Just as importantly, Hill acknowledges that strong children still need support. Her mother, grandmother, teachers, coaches, and friends encouraged her to defend herself, pursue excellence, and keep believing in what she could become. That may be one of the book’s most valuable reminders for you: confidence can begin inside a child, but caring adults help protect it.

The Black Women Who Helped Her Stand Tall

Unapologetically You introduces children to Black women whose lives represent different forms of power. Ida B. Wells-Barnett embodies fearlessness. Shirley Chisholm demonstrates the power of being outspoken. Zora Neale Hurston shows young readers that being unconventional can be a gift, while award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter represents imagination.

The book also highlights Mary J. Blige through resilience, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson through excellence, artist Amy Sherald through vision, and tennis champion Coco Gauff through purpose. The official Workman Kids description of Jemele Hill’s picture book identifies these women as thinkers, creators, performers, and leaders who helped shape Hill’s journey.

Some of the most personal pages are devoted to Hill’s grandmother, Naomi Crittenden, and her mother, Denise Dennard. Her grandmother represents defiance and a lifelong desire to learn. Her mother represents bravery, sacrifice, and the courage to pursue new goals later in life.

By placing her mother and grandmother beside household names, Hill reminds a child that their first example of greatness may already be sitting at the kitchen table. The person who teaches you courage does not need to be famous. Sometimes, she is the woman who raised you, encouraged you, corrected you, and kept believing in you before the rest of the world learned your name.

Why This Matters for Black Parents Right Now

Black children can receive confusing messages about who they are allowed to be. You may encourage your child to speak confidently, while the outside world rewards them for remaining quiet. You may tell them to dream boldly, while someone else tries to make those dreams feel unrealistic. You may celebrate their personality at home, only to watch them begin editing themselves elsewhere.

This book gives you a gentle way to talk about those contradictions. Its message is not that children should ignore correction or believe they are always right. The message is that growth should never require them to apologize for their gifts, their identity, their joy, or their desire to take up meaningful space in the world.

Gibson’s colorful illustrations help make the historical and contemporary figures approachable for young readers without losing the emotional importance of their stories. The scenes move between Hill’s childhood, her journalism career, her family, and the women who influenced her, creating a visual invitation for children to imagine where their own gifts may lead.

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Which Power Is Your Daughter?

Answer 5 quick questions to find out which trailblazing woman matches her spirit.

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A Conversation to Continue After the Last Page

When you read Unapologetically You with your child, ask which woman’s story stayed with them. Then ask which power they already see in themselves. Are they imaginative, purposeful, resilient, outspoken, brave, or quietly determined?

You can also share the story of someone in your own family who refused to give up when life became difficult. Ask your child which family member represents bravery, imagination, excellence, resilience, or purpose. That discussion can help them recognize that Black history is not only something found in textbooks. It is also carried through the lives, choices, sacrifices, and victories of the people they know.

The conversation can help your child understand that confidence is not something people are simply born with. It grows through practice, encouragement, honest reflection, and the repeated experience of being loved without having to perform a smaller version of yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will Unapologetically You be released?

The book is scheduled for release on January 12, 2027, according to its official Hachette Book Group preorder page.

Who wrote and illustrated the book?

Unapologetically You was written by Emmy Award-winning journalist Jemele Hill and illustrated by New York Times bestselling artist Jessica Gibson.

What is the book about?

The picture book combines Hill’s personal story with the stories of Black women who inspired her. It encourages young readers to stand tall, trust their gifts, and remain true to themselves when other people question whether they belong.

Which Black women appear in the book?

The book highlights Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Shirley Chisholm, Zora Neale Hurston, Ruth E. Carter, Mary J. Blige, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Amy Sherald, and Coco Gauff. Hill also honors her mother and grandmother as two of the women who helped shape her courage and sense of self.

In Summary

Every child deserves to know that belonging should not require disappearing. Through the women who shaped her life and the family members who helped protect her confidence, Jemele Hill offers young readers examples showing that courage can look outspoken, imaginative, disciplined, joyful, unconventional, or quietly determined.

For you, Unapologetically You offers more than an inspiring story. It opens the door to a conversation your child may carry for years: You can listen, learn, grow, and admit when you are wrong without apologizing for your talent, your dreams, your voice, or who you are becoming.

Preorder Unapologetically You, written by Jemele Hill and illustrated by Jessica Gibson, before its January 12, 2027 release from Workman Kids.