Tracy L. Gray is an emerging voice in children’s literature whose debut book, Mommy, Where Is My Daddy?, is already striking a powerful chord. Blending imagination with emotional truth, the story follows a young girl named SeQuoya Leigh as she seeks to understand her father’s absence — and finds strength in love, family, and community along the way.
A longtime educator and founder of the Sankofa Global Project, Gray has dedicated her life to centering Black children’s voices, stories, and creativity. Her new book — now available on Amazon and Kindle — is both a tender children’s story and a vital resource for families navigating difficult conversations.
The Michigan Chronicle recently interviewed Gray to talk about her inspiration, her daughter’s real-life journey, and the role of storytelling in healing and representation.
Michigan Chronicle: Your book explores a child’s journey to understand a parent’s absence—what inspired you to tell this story, and why now?
Tracy Gray: This story was inspired by my own experience as a mother navigating my daughter’s questions about her father’s absence. From the moment my daughter, SeQuoya Leigh, could speak in full sentences, she would ask me, “Mommy, where is my daddy?” The truth was, I didn’t know — her father and I had lost contact when I was seven months pregnant.
I began writing this book as part of my master’s thesis while pursuing a dual master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and General Education. Over the years, this story became more than just an academic project — it became a testament to the power of giving children honest, loving answers, even when we don’t have all the pieces ourselves.
I feel that now is the right time to share this book because so many families face similar questions in silence. I hope it helps other parents feel less alone and reminds children that they are deeply loved, even when parts of their lives may feel incomplete.
MC: How did your experience as an educator and founder of the Sankofa Global Project shape the way you approached writing this book?
TG: My experience as an educator and founder of the Sankofa Global Project deeply shaped the way I approached writing Mommy, Where Is My Daddy? As an educator, I’ve spent years listening to the unspoken questions children carry — their curiosity, confusion, and courage when they don’t have easy answers. I’ve learned that children deserve truth delivered with care.
Sankofa Global Project advocates for creating spaces where historically excluded communities can explore creativity and innovation, reclaim their narratives, and honor their curiosity. This book is an extension of that mission. It’s about embracing difficult conversations with love and honesty, showing families that we can hold space for our children’s questions, even when the answers are complex.
My work in education and community building consistently teaches me that storytelling is a powerful bridge for connection, healing, and transformation.
MC: The book blends imagination and emotional truth—how did you strike that balance between fantasy and reality to make it accessible and healing for children?
TG: Children magically dance between what’s real and what’s possible — and I want this book to dance right alongside them. I am walking a tightrope and striking the balance between fantasy and reality to provide a soft place to land when the truth feels too big.
I knew I couldn’t answer SeQuoya Leigh’s questions and tie them up in a shiny bow. I could wrap her questions in wonder. Imagination is like a cozy blanket — it keeps the heart warm while the truth settles in. So, I sprinkled little sparks of whimsy throughout the story to help children dream, ask, and feel safe, all at once.
A good story doesn’t require picking between dreams and truth — it’s about letting children carry both like treasures in their pockets.
MC: What role does community — and especially the Black family structure — play in SeQuoya’s journey, and why was that important for you to highlight?
TG: Community — and the strength of the Black family in all its beautiful, evolving forms — is at the very heart of SeQuoya Leigh’s journey. In my community, family is so much more than who lives under one roof; it’s the grandparents, the aunties, the cousins, the neighbors, and the chosen family who step in to love and nurture our children.
When SeQuoya would ask, “Mommy, where is my daddy?” I didn’t have all the answers, and she always had love all around her. My dad — her grandpa — would pick her up from school when I had meetings or late classes. Their little tradition was stopping for flavored sparkling water — just a small thing, but to them, it felt special every time. He would take her with him to the public access television station where he recorded his show. She would sit there watching her grandpa work.
Family is defined by those who show up, day after day, to wrap our children in love. By highlighting that in this book, I hope other families see that even when one piece is missing, our children are whole — because our community, our village, holds them close.
MC: You include a real-life epilogue about healing and reunion. How personal is this story for you, and what message do you hope readers — both children and adults — take from that?
TG: This story is woven directly from our real life. There’s a moment in the book — and it happened just like this in real life — when SeQuoya looked at me and said, “Mommy, I know you keep making these connections between nature and family and my daddy, but I want to know where is my daddy?” I had to pause and say the hardest truth: “You have a lot of questions I can’t answer right now, but maybe one day you’ll get to meet your dad and ask him yourself.”
She would draw pictures for him and pray for him at night, even though she had never met him. And then, in 2010, when Facebook was becoming a thing, I thought, “Let me look for this man.” And there he was. I reached out and reminded him of what I’d said years ago: “You’re not ready to be a parent, but one day you will be, and I’ll find you.” His very first question was, “What did we have?” When I told him, “It’s a girl,” he immediately wanted to meet her.
I told him, “I can’t introduce you if you’re not going to be committed to being in her life.” He promised he would be. So at 23, SeQuoya finally got to meet her father. I still remember telling her, “Remember, I told you I would find your dad? Well, I found him.” She fell right out of her chair — she couldn’t believe it. Over the next 13 years, they built a relationship. She visited him in North Carolina, he walked her down the aisle at her wedding, met his grandchildren, and stayed a part of her life until he passed away in 2023.
MC: Representation in children’s literature continues to be a challenge. How do you see your book contributing to more inclusive storytelling, particularly for young Black readers?
TG: Representation in children’s literature is still catching up to the beauty, complexity, and diversity of our real lives, especially for young Black readers. I wrote Mommy, Where Is My Daddy? Because I wanted children like my daughter, SeQuoya Leigh, to see themselves and their families reflected with honesty and love.
I want this book to say: Your stories and your questions deserve space on the page, and deserve to be told!
MC: Can you talk about how your work with S.T.E.A.M. education and global learning ties into your mission as a children’s author?
TG: My work in S.T.E.A.M. education and global learning is expanding what’s possible for young people, encouraging them to see that their ideas, cultures, and questions matter. I carry that ideology into every story I write.
In S.T.E.A.M., we teach children to wonder, experiment, and solve problems. Storytelling does the same — it gives everyone permission to use their imaginations, invest in research, ask brave questions, and see the connections between themselves and the wider world. Throughout my work as an educator, entrepreneur, author, and nonprofit founder, I’ve witnessed the power that children realize: their voices and stories belong everywhere — in classrooms, labs, makerspaces, and bookshelves.
MC: What advice do you have for parents or guardians who may need to have similar difficult conversations with their children about family and absence?
TG: My biggest advice to parents or guardians facing these tender, difficult questions is this: it’s okay not to have all the answers. Our children don’t expect perfection — they need our honesty, our love, and our presence.
I learned this with my daughter, SeQuoya Leigh, who would look at me with her big, searching eyes and ask, “Mommy, where is my daddy?” I didn’t know where he was then, and I had to sit with the discomfort of telling her the truth. But what mattered was that she knew she was never alone in her wondering.
Through faith, patience, and a bit of courage, we found him — and she got her answers, her reunion, and her healing in her own time. Not every story ends this way. There are many children who may never have the chance to know their mom or dad, and that is simply how life unfolds sometimes, not because they didn’t wish, hope, or pray hard enough, but because some questions don’t get answered in the ways we want.
So, I’d tell other parents: listen closely, answer gently, and don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” Remind your child they are loved by a whole village — grandparents, aunties, cousins, chosen family — who will show up when others can’t. Just like my father, who picked SeQuoya up from school when I had meetings, sipping flavored sparkling water together, and visiting his public access TV show — those small moments made her feel whole, even when a piece was missing.
Hold space for their questions and their imagination. Let them dream, wonder, and believe in possibility. Sometimes our stories circle back — and when they do, our children will know they were always loved enough to keep asking.
Gray’s book “Mommy, Where is My Daddy?” is available on Amazon and other platforms
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