Celebrating Girls Who Matter With Author, and Former NYPR Diversity Officer Brenda Williams

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It

Episode: Celebrating Girls Who Matter With Author, and Former NYPR Diversity Officer Brenda Williams
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Brenda Williams
Date: February 2, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of All Of It with Alison Stewart features Brenda Williams, former NYPR Chief Diversity Officer and debut author of the children’s book Worthy and Wonderful: A Celebration of Girls who Matter. As part of Black History Month coverage, Stewart and Williams explore themes of affirmation, inspiration, representation, and the importance of seeing oneself reflected in culture and literature. Williams draws on her personal experiences and those of her four granddaughters to create a book that seeks to empower young girls and nurture their sense of worth.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Inspiration and Origins of the Book

• Brenda Williams shares that her four granddaughters—Kayla (22), Demi (9), and twins Dolly and Dior (5)—inspired her to write a children’s book dedicated to girls.

• The idea for the book emerged about two years before publication, rooted in Williams’s reflection on her own childhood and the needs of young girls for affirmation and belonging.

  Quote:

  “As a little girl, I was that little girl, the one who needed reminders that she mattered, that her voice belonged in every room and that her dreams were valid.”
  — Brenda Williams [02:40]

The Granddaughters and Unique Inspiration

• Williams describes each granddaughter’s unique personality and stage of life:

  • Kayla (22): Empowered, beginning her adult life in Raleigh, NC.

  • Demi (9): Inquisitive, bright, athletic.

  • Dolly & Dior (5): Curious twins.

    Quote:

    “Everything is curiosity for them. So there are different stages, you know.”
    — Brenda Williams [01:57]

Book’s Purpose & Message

• The intention behind Worthy and Wonderful is to pour love, affirmation, and possibility into girls early.

• Williams emphasizes wanting girls to know their worth comes from who they are, not merely achievements.

  Quote:

  “I wanted to create something that pours love, affirmation, and possibility into girls early so they know growing up their worth and to make sure that they always know their worth comes from who they are and not what they achieve.”
  — Brenda Williams [02:40]

A Reading from Worthy and Wonderful

• Williams reads from page 24, highlighting the book’s affirming language and positive self-talk.

  Memorable Passage:

  “[...] Black girl magic was everywhere. Kindness was cool. Dreaming big was powerful. And each little girl knew and could say, I am worthy. I am wonderful. I matter. ... You can feel worthy and wonderful, too. Start by saying kind words to yourself every day. Your words have power. Your words have life. Your heart has light. Now it’s your turn. Try saying these aloud: I am enough just as I am. I am beautiful, inside out. I am strong, smart and brave.”
  — Brenda Williams (reading) [03:24–04:34]

Interactivity & Engagement

• The book includes a do-it-yourself section where readers write their own affirmations and encouraging words.

• Williams invites children to identify what makes them proud, happy, and reminds them they matter, making the book both an activity and keepsake.

  Quote:

  “It’s an affirmation chant that I share with them, and then I say, do your own. So this book is an activity book, a book that they can keep. It’s a keepsake.”
  — Brenda Williams [04:49]

Illustration & Representation

• The illustrations are by Kai Samuels Jackson, an emerging artist Williams chose due to longstanding family connections and a desire to showcase real artistry over AI.

• Williams and Kai collaborated closely to capture the diversity and uniqueness of each granddaughter.

• Authentic representation was crucial—different skin tones, hair types, and even bedtime bonnets feature prominently.

  Notable Moment:

  Stewart: “My favorite part, when the girls are going to bed, they’re wearing bonnets.”
  — Alison Stewart [06:32]
  Williams: “Yeah... Absolutely.”

• Williams discussed the reaction of young readers seeing themselves in the book. She shared a touching story of a girl who recognized herself in the illustrations.

  Quote:

  “I posted a video of a young girl who had my book, and she says, ‘Oh my God, the little girl looks like me. She has hair like me.’ That’s important.”
  — Brenda Williams [06:42]

Why Representation Matters

• Williams explains that representation is vital because it encourages, inspires, and assures children they are not alone and that people like them can and do succeed.

  Quote:

  “It’s very important to start young and go all the way through your life seeing this representation. It encourages you, it inspires you. It keeps you going, knowing you’re not alone.”
  — Brenda Williams [06:42–07:22]

Reflections on Diversity (Work & Life)

• Williams addresses the current climate where workplace diversity initiatives are under threat and affirms her commitment to DEI efforts.

• She emphasizes that the ongoing conversation and work around representation and equity must continue, especially given systemic challenges.

  Quote:

  “Diversity does matter. Representation... matters, equity matters. And before I retired, this was all happening. And we are not giving up on this. This is important, so we won’t stop talking about it... Charge on is my message.”
  — Brenda Williams [07:50]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:09] — Episode opening & guest introduction
• [01:02] — Williams recounts the inspiration for writing the book
• [01:57] — Describing each granddaughter’s influence
• [02:40] — Purpose of the book: affirmation for girls
• [03:24] — Williams reads a passage from Worthy and Wonderful
• [04:49] — DIY affirmation section & activity pages
• [05:31] — Collaborating with illustrator Kai Samuels Jackson
• [06:32] — Bedford bonnets and representation in illustrations
• [06:42] — Why representation matters in children’s books
• [07:22] — Williams on the importance of diversity in the workplace
• [08:35] — Closing thanks and final reflections

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Memorable Quotes

• “I wanted to create something that pours love, affirmation, and possibility into girls early...” — Brenda Williams [02:40]
• “Your words have power. Your words have life. Your heart has light. Now it’s your turn.” — Brenda Williams (reading from her book) [04:21]
• “Representation. Very important.” — Brenda Williams [07:15]
• “Charge on is my message.” — Brenda Williams [08:29]

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Tone & Style

The conversation is warm, reflective, and celebratory, blending personal stories with broader cultural insights. Both Stewart and Williams champion the importance of affirmation, community, and visibility while highlighting Williams’s deep commitment to diversity and empowerment.

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In summary:
This episode is an uplifting celebration of Black girls, intergenerational inspiration, and the fundamental necessity of representation in children’s literature and beyond. Brenda Williams’s Worthy and Wonderful is a loving testament to her granddaughters and an invitation for all girls to see, affirm, and cherish their own worth.

Transcript

[A]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. As we talk about books by black authors. To kick off our Black History Month coverage, we turn next to a debut author and a former colleague. For almost 30 years, Brenda Williams was a very familiar face in the New York Public Radio hallways. Brenda was our chief diversity officer. She moved on to her next chapter and that next chapter includes a new children's book. The book is called Worthy and Wonderful, A Celebration of Girls who Matter. It features four young girls inspired by Brenda's real life granddaughters. The book is out today and Brenda Williams is my guest right now. Brenda, it is so good to speak with you again.

[B]

Alison, it is so great to speak with you as well. I am grateful that you are having me. Thank you.

[A]

What do you remember about when you had the idea for this book?

[B]

You know, I've. Well, my granddaughter was really the inspiration and it took me back to when I was a young girl as well. So I remember about, about a year and a half, almost two years ago, I had the idea for a book, didn't know exactly what it would be. But then that inspiration from my granddaughters took me to exactly what I knew I wanted to write. And that was a children's book inspired and dedicated to them.

[A]

How did they react when they learned grandma's writing a book about us?

[B]

You know, it's so funny because I did not tell them until they came to a small book signing that I did locally. And when I tell you, they were thrilled. My 22 year old granddaughter kept saying, tell me, tell me, tell me. I did not. It was a surprise and they loved the surprise. They were excited.

[A]

How did you, how did they each uniquely inspire some part of the book?

[B]

Each granddaughter of mine have their own personalities, are in different stages of life. My 22 year old lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. She's starting her life out. She's empowered to do so many great things. My 9 year old granddaughter is just inquisitive, smart, bright, talented, athletic. Then I have my twin granddaughters who are 5, Dolly and Dior. So it's Kayla, 22, Demi, 9, Dolly and Dior, the twins. And everything is curiosity for them. So there are different stages, you know.

[A]

So this book is a celebration of girls. Why was this a sentiment that you wanted to focus on for your first book?

[B]

You know, I was inspired because as a little girl, I was that little girl, the one who needed reminders that she mattered, that her voice belonged in every room and that her dreams were valid. So it's what I want them to carry and know. So I wanted to create something that pours love, affirmation, and possibility into girls early so they know growing up their worth and to make sure that they always know their worth comes from who they are and not what they achieve.

[C]

My guest is Brenda Williams, author of the new children's book Worthy and Wonderful, A Celebration of Girls who Matter. Would you read a little bit of your book for us?

[B]

Sure. So I'm going to go to page 24 in the book, and in this page it says, in the world of Kayla, Demi, Dala and Dior, black girl magic was everywhere. Kindness was cool. Dreaming big was powerful. And each little girl knew and could say, I am worthy. I am wonderful. I matter. Then it goes on to say, as the girls drifted off to sleep, they felt safe, happy and loved. They knew tomorrow would bring a new adventure. They belonged to each other, to themselves, and to a world waiting to hear their happy voices. And finally, it says, you can feel worthy and wonderful, too. Start by saying kind words to yourself every day. Your words have power. Your words have life. Your heart has light. Now it's your turn. Try saying these aloud. I am enough just as I am. I am beautiful. Inside out. I am strong, smart and brave.

[C]

That was Brenda Williams reading from her book Worthy and Wonderful, A Celebration of Girls who Matter. It's interesting because at the end of the book, there's sort of a do it yourself section. You can get the girls involved. What do they. What do you ask them to do?

[B]

I ask them to write their own words of encouragement, find their own way. Right. Based on practice. So it's an affirmation chant that I share with them, and then I say, do your own. So this book is a activity book, a book that they can keep. It's a keepsake. It's one where they can be actively involved. So there's two activity pages, and I asked them to write three kind words about themselves. What makes them smile, what makes them proud, and what reminds. What reminds them that they matter.

[C]

The illustrations in the book are beautiful. Who's the illustrator? And what did you tell her about how you wanted the book to look?

[B]

Absolutely, the illustrator. And I want to shout her out. Kai Samuels Jackson. I've known Kai's parents for years. I work side by side with her father, Maxi Jackson. You may remember him as well. Well, yeah. And her mother and I work together, too. She's my holistic therapist. So when I learned their daughter was an illustrator, I knew I wanted to collaborate with an emerging artist. And Kai captured My vision beautifully. It was really important to me to have a real illustrator and not AI.

[A]

She.

[B]

When I. She got each girl right. We worked a little more on my older granddaughter, but we got her right. And I've heard such beautiful sentiments from people. Like, they represent me. They look like me, their hair, their color. So it's just been amazing that Kai was able to capture exactly what I needed for these illustrations.

[C]

Yeah, it's a really important part of books, especially children's books, seeing yourself. Your characters, they're all different hues. And my favorite part, when the girls are going to bed, they're wearing bonnets.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Which you don't get to see that often.

[B]

Absolutely.

[C]

What is representation? Why does it matter in a children's book?

[B]

You know, to feel seen? It's very important. And again, I've heard from people that gotten this book, that reacted to this book. I see myself. I posted a video of a young girl who had my book, and she says, oh, my God, the little girl looks like me. She has hair like me. That's important. It's important to start young and go all the way through your life seeing this representation. It encourages you, it inspires you. It keeps you going, knowing you're not alone. There are people like you, look like you, talk like you, and are like you, and they still. And they are succeeding. So it's very important. Representation. Very important.

[A]

My guest is Brenda Williams, author of the new children's book Worthy and A Celebration of Girls who Matter. Before her career as an author, Brenda was a longtime executive here at WNYC and our chief diversity officer. And I have to ask you, since you left New York Public Radio, it is around the time that diversity initiatives at work in everyday life were under threat from the federal government. What would you say to someone who doesn't believe that diversity matters in the workplace?

[B]

Diversity does matter. Representation. We just talked about matter, equity matters. And before I retired, this was all happening. And we are not giving up on this. This is important, so we won't stop talking about it. We call it what you want. This work needs to continue to happen. And that's been the conversation. We had conversations where we convened with other DEI leaders and people in adjacent roles. And we know that a lot of what's happening now with unemployment, with black women in particular, it's not accidental, it's systemic. So charge on is my message.

[A]

Brenda Williams is the author of the new children's book Worthy and Wonderful. A Celebration of Girls who Matter. Thank you so much for being with us, Brenda.

[B]

Thank you.

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