Shonda Knight brings stories of empowerment to HES
Published 11:42 am Tuesday, September 22, 2026
THOMASVILLE — Harper Elementary School turned a Title I family night into an evening of literacy, empowerment and community Thursday as children’s author Shonda Knight shared her stories with students and distributed 100 free books.
After more than a decade with the school system and numerous Title I nights, Harper Elementary School Media Specialist Michele Sedam was looking for a way to get parents, students and families more engaged.
The event was the result of a partnership that began over the summer when Knight approached The Bookshelf in Downtown Thomasville about a potential partnership.
The Bookshelf then connected Knight with Harper Elementary, leading to the planning of an author night and book giveaway featuring the former award-winning television journalist and children’s author.
Knight, founder of Omni Books, shared her two children’s books, “My Omni Locks” and “My Omni Life,” with the crowd, allowing her daughter to read the book that inspired it all.
Knight admitted that becoming an author was never on her radar, but she was called to write “My Omni Locks” after an experience with her daughter.
“My daughter at the time was 9-years-old and was getting ready to go to the Father-Daughter Dance, and she wanted her hair straightened for the dance,” Knight recalled. “She wanted long, flowy hair. But the weather was hot, humid, and sticky.”
Because of the weather, Knight told her daughter she could not straighten her hair because the style would not last.
Seeing her daughter’s disappointment, Knight took the opportunity to explain what made her hair special.
“I took it as an opportunity to pour into her,” Knight said. “I said, ‘Let me tell you why your hair is such a gift.’”
Knight began sharing the many ways her daughter could style her hair, from curling it to braiding it.
“There are a lot of people who would love to have your hair,” she told her daughter.
As their conversation continued, Knight said her daughter’s disposition changed, and she realized there was something to love about her hair.
“That’s how “My Omni Locks” was born,” Knight said. “I saw what it did for her, and I immediately knew it needed to be a book and how it needed to look.”
Knight did not want the book to be one where readers simply turned the pages. Instead, she wanted the face on each page to be cut out so that the hairstyles would change as the reader turned the pages.
“I woke up in the middle of the night and wrote the whole thing,” she said. “I knew nothing about publishing books, but I just knew it was an assignment.”
After self-publishing “My Omni Locks,” Knight held a large book giveaway that received media coverage. Someone in Gainesville, Florida, saw the story and invited her to share her books there.
In Gainesville, the Kids Hope Alliance purchased 100 books and hosted Knight at a children’s salon. She was later invited to Jacksonville, where she continued visiting salons, meeting children and providing them with access to books.
After several stops, Knight received an email from McDonald’s, which wanted to partner with her on literacy initiatives. The partnership has since taken Knight across the United States to share both of her stories.
Her second book, “My Omni Life,” is geared toward young boys and reminds them that where they come from has no bearing on where they can go.
“You can be anything that you want to be,” Knight said.
Both books feature a unique design that allows readers to slide their photo into a face cutout, allowing children to envision themselves with different hairstyles or in various occupations.
The first 25 students who arrived at Thursday’s Title I event had their photos taken so they could insert them into their books, which were signed by Knight.
All students also received book bundles.
Girls received “My Omni Locks,” along with a comb and backpack charm, while boys received “My Omni Life” and a drawstring bag. Knight also offered a full gift shop, where girls could purchase bonnets and other items.
Sedam said Harper Elementary was grateful to have Knight speak to students about empowerment and representation.
She said the event also gave students an opportunity to see themselves represented in the books they were reading.
“We just wanted to stir excitement and encouragement,” Sedam said.
Sedam hopes Thursday’s event will be the beginning of a lasting partnership that allows other schools to experience Knight’s message of literacy, representation and empowerment.