Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You

Wilson, A'Ja

From Olympic gold medalist and two-time professional basketball MVP A’ja Wilson comes an inspirational collection on what it means to grow up as a Black girl in America.

This one is for all the girls with an apostrophe in their names.

This is for all the girls who are labeled “too loud” and “too emotional.”

This is for all the girls who are constantly asked, “Oh, what did you do with your hair? That’s new.”

This is for my Black girls.

Despite gold medals, WNBA championships, and a list of accolades, A’ja Wilson knows how it feels to be swept under the rug—to not be heard, to not feel seen, to not be taken seriously. As a fourth grader going to a primarily white school in South Carolina, A’ja was told she’d have to stay outside for a classmate’s birthday party. “Huh?” she asked. Because the birthday girl’s father didn’t like Black people.

Wilson tells stories like this, about how even when life tried to hold her down, it didn’t stop her. She shares her contribution to “The Talk,” and how to keep fighting, all while igniting strength, passion, and joy. Dear Black Girls is a necessary and meaningful exploration of what it means to be a Black woman in America today—and a rallying cry to lift up women and girls everywhere.