We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shontaye Glover Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shontaye, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My journey to becoming an author began while working in a public school, where I worked as a speech and language therapist. I recognized that the books in our library (and in my therapy room) did not represent the rich diversity of our world. The lack of diversity in children’s books was disheartening, but Instead of being a bystander, I decided to do something about it. I decided to create the same content I wanted for my own children.

My commitment to language development, literacy, and increasing diversity in children’s books led to my own picture books – “Liam’s First Cut” and “The Season of Yes!” Everything from the words on the pages to the artwork is intentional about children seeing themselves and embracing their full identity. I also train teachers, therapists, and educators on building diverse libraries and starting meaningful conversations.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

In 2016, I created a social media post sharing tips for parents and caregivers on their role in helping their children’s language grow. The response to that post led me to realize there was a significant gap between what we, the experts know, and what caregivers need to know. That was the genesis of Having Our Say.

I wanted to create a virtual space where parents and caregivers would be educated and empowered to support and advocate for their children. Over the years Having Our Say evolved into so much more. In addition to starting a private speech therapy practice, I also became intentional with using my social media presence to share book recommendations and provide tips on the importance of creating diverse and inclusive libraries in our homes, schools, and organizations. What started as a very private initiative in my school soon became a public mission- because everyone should BE SEEN & HEARD.

To date, I have led trainings and courses for thousands across the US & Canada on the importance of building diverse libraries and why representation matters. This mission led to writing my first book, Liam’s First Cut to normalize what it looks like to Black and autistic. Liam and his family use a variety of support from his school and love from his community to help him manage his expectations ahead of the big day.

My most recent release, The Season of Yes! gives representation to summers spent in urban communities. It is a joyful ode to my favorite time of year, summer, and the memories of doing the things we love with the people we love the most.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

My publisher and I began working on my first book in 2019, with the intention to release it in April 2020. When the pandemic struck all of our plans were interrupted. As a first time author I was already anxious about the completion of my project, but the global pandemic brought a new set of challenges and unchartered waters. We faced printing delays, shipping delays, and gathering restrictions. Like the rest of the world, I was forced to pivot and plan for a virtual book launch. I used the time to learn more about marketing and leveraged the opportunity to get on more virtual “stages” for speaking engagements. Speaking virtually introduced me to broader audiences across the US and beyond. Although I did not have the benefit of hosting the in person launch and signing events that were planned, I was able to leverage my virtual presence to generate over 1000 preorders before the book was released.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Consistency. I am intentional about my mission and purpose. People have come to trust me as an expert in language development and literacy. Whether it is on social media, during speak engagements, or through my books I consistently demonstrate my dedication to increasing diversity in children’s literature and ensuring that all children, especially Black and brown children, feel seen and heard.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tayejones.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/havingoursay
• Facebook: facebook.com/havingoursay
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shontayejglover/
• Other: www.havingoursay.org