Successful Black Parenting, the first national magazine for Black parents, was established in 1993 as a print publication by founders Janice Robinson-Celeste, MBA, formerly Janice Robinson-Lopez, and Marta Sanchez, Ph.D., and they brought it back in 2017 in an online format.
Janice, an early childhood specialist, and Marta, a caseworker worked together at the Child Guidance Center, a division of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where they assisted substance abusing parents and their children. Offering information published in mainstream parenting magazines, their parents said to them, “We don’t parent like this.”
In addition, the lack of minority faces in parenting magazines was another issue and that’s when they decided to start Successful Black Parenting magazine. They funded the publication with loans and credit cards. The magazine won many prestigious awards and was well received by the community, medical personnel, those working with urban families and well-established advertisers. They soon realized they had just enough seed money to fail, only about $30k, and needed much more but didn’t have the connections to make it happen. They closed the magazine in 1998.
“Realizing that if we had the resources available today, back in 1995, we would have still been in business,” said Janice Robinson-Celeste. “Marta and I lamented over the loss of the magazine every single time we spoke to one another even 18 years after it closed. It was our biggest regret.” That’s when they decided to bite the bullet and relaunch the magazine digitally. “This is what makes me happy, producing this publication,” said Janice. “Hopefully the community will support it again and let everyone know that we’re back!”
Black children and Black families are unique. We deserve a publication that speaks to our culture and our magic.
OUR STORY
Our Story
"This is what makes me happy, producing this publication," said Janice Robinson-Celeste, one of the Founders and Publisher of Successful Black Parenting magazine.
Janice Robinson-Celeste, MBA
Founder & Publisher
Janice Robinson-Celeste is a businesswoman, author, school teacher, entrepreneur, mother and is one of the original founders and journalists at Successful Black Parenting magazine.
She is a contributing writer for the Huffington Post, is a published author of two parenting books, Pride & Joy by Simon & Schuster and Making A Supermodel: A Parents’ Guide and the author of several children's books, including BIG Kid. Janice has a degree in Early Childhood Education and a master’s degree in business.
Janice Robinson-Celeste, MBA
Founder & Publisher
Formerly, the School Age Child Care (SACC) Coordinator for the Philadelphia area with the non-profit organization, Parents Union for Public Schools, she developed SACC programs throughout the city. She headed a $2m YMCA where she served as the Executive Branch Director in charge of operations for a new facility, including the NAEYC accredited child care program and summer camp.
In addition, Janice held the title of Early Childhood Specialist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Child Guidance Center where she worked with parents who struggled with substance abuse challenges to guide them with the healthy development of their young children. Janice was also a preschool teacher, has taught children through high school and in higher education at Hofstra University in New York.
Janice is the author of
SEVERAL parenting AND CHILDREN'S books.
Meet the
founder
The mission of successful black parenting is to help families to thrive and not just survive in order to raise children to be successful citizens while creating a social impact to the african american community.
PRESS KIT
Backers are listed here and in our first print edition of Successful Black Parenting magazine. *Name will be listed in the inaugural issue of Successful Black Parenting magazine in 2020. **Issue will be named after this backer. ***Backers name in every issue.
JANICE CELESTE*
MARTA SANCHEZ*
David holmes & Family
MICHAEL CELESTE*
NIGEL WALKER
ERIC B. SATTERTHWAITE
NATASHA MONIQUE COLEMAN
ANGELA BERRELLI HOWELL
VERNELL ROBINSON
JACKIE BRAUN
SHANYA SMITH
DANIEL HODGSON
CEATA LASH***
TOBY ATKINSON
CYNTHIA JACKSON
STAN STONE
HG SANCHEZ*
JANET LACAVA
KIM PEAKE
DIANE TABUAS-ESPIRITU
JOHNNY STONE*
LISA STONE
SUSAN BAKER
HEATHER RHOADES
SARAH SISTRUNK
LOIS CHENG***
KRISTIAN LOREN
BARBARA LUNA
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