Unapologetically You

Emmy Award-winning journalist Jemele Hill has made a career of speaking the truth, standing up for what’s right, and being unapologetic and unbothered. Now she brings her life story and inspirations to young readers in an inspiring picture book illustrated by New York Times​ bestselling artist Jessica Gibson.  

Jemele Hill first became unapologetic when playing sports with the boys on the athletic fields of Detroit. Inspired by her mother and grandmother, she went on to be an award-winning journalist at the highest levels of her profession — and often the only woman or person of color in the room. She faced down her bosses, team owners, and even the President, and through it all remained proudly herself. Now she shares the story of her growing up, alongside the stories of the unconventional women who inspire her, including a wide range of thinkers, creators, and performers: 

• Ida B. Wells-Barnett
• Shirley Chisholm
• Zora Neale Hurston
• Ruth E. Carter
• Mary J. Blige
• Ketanji Brown Jackson
• Amy Sherald
• Coco Gauff

Being unapologetic is a form of persistence for Black women, who are often asked to be less, to be smaller, to make way for someone else. Young readers will see themselves on the pages of this beautifully illustrated book and come back to these inspiring stories again and again to help them stand tall and be UNAPOLOGETICALLY YOU.