Toronto-based author Debra Williams brings her grandmother's revolutionary love for her son to life in 'Church Hat'
- Curtis Hannam
Debra Williams, author of Church Hat
There is a photograph Debra Williams holds close to her heart. In it, her mother and maternal grandmother wear large, wide-brimmed church hats. Every time she looks at it, she smiles. It also serves as the inspiration for Williams’ first children’s book, Church Hat.
As a boy growing up in Jamaica, Williams’ uncle loved playing dress-up in his mother’s fancy church hats. When she found him posing in her clothes, her gentle, affirming response became the seed of a story about self-expression, curiosity and the quiet power of being seen and accepted.
Debra Williams is a Toronto-based, Jamaican Canadian author, an empowerment coach and the Director of Experience and Inclusion at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. In addition to her professional accomplishments and public leadership, Williams’ personal experiences have also shaped her path as a writer. Just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams lost both her mother and grandmother. As the weight of those losses settled in, writing became a tool to help her cope and heal.
“'Church Hat' is inspired by my uncle’s upbringing and his relationship with my grandmother. Traditional Caribbean households are often characterized by strictness and silence around identity. Our household was different,” shares Williams. “My grandmother showed us that belonging doesn't require you to hide or shrink yourself. In her home, you’re safe to be who you are. My mother also embodied this behaviour. This book is my tribute to both of them.”
The front cover of Church Hat
By centring Black queer joy within the familiarity of church and family, Church Hat offers a narrative that’s still rare in children’s books: a story in which a 2SLGBTQI+ child in a religious household feels safe to be their authentic self, not met with conflict but with celebration and comfort.
Church Hat has been adapted into an animated film, with Emmy-winning actress and activist Sheryl Lee Ralph voicing the young boy’s mother. Ralph, who is known for her roles in Abbott Elementary and Dreamgirls, is of Jamaican heritage. Williams knew she would have the gravitas to be the voice representing a character inspired by both her mother and grandmother. On a whim, Williams reached out to Ralph’s agent and was delighted to hear that she was open to the role. The film is being submitted to several festivals for the 2026 season.
"'Church Hat' shows children they can be curious and questioning without judgment or trauma. That safety, that freedom to explore who you are — every child deserves that. I wanted to create a book and a short film where a child doesn't have to shrink themselves to fit in. Instead, they know they’ll always be loved," says Williams.
Debra Williams holding up a copy of her book, Church Hat
This Black History Month, Church Hat arrives as a kind and powerful reminder that joy and acceptance are revolutionary acts. In a month often oversaturated by narratives of struggle, Church Hat offers a counterpoint: a story about a mother who simply let her child be — and a boy who found himself through a hat.
Williams hopes Church Hat will inspire families to create the same safe spaces her grandmother did for her family.
"We all have the power to be that person for a child — the one who says, 'I see you, and you're perfect as you are.'”
Interested in reading this heartwarming story for yourself? Click here to purchase a copy of Church Hat.
Debra Williams will be attending BlackLit Durham on April 15, 2026. Visit blacklitdurham.com for more details.
About the author
Debra Williams
Debra Williams is a performance strategist, leadership mentor, empowerment coach and the Director of Experience and Inclusion at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. She is also a published author who writes uplifting content that reflects and represents the diversity of multicultural Black communities. After working in social development and public health leadership roles she continues to evolve professionally in her current role that promotes wellness, inclusion, equity and accessibility in support of reducing stigma around addiction and mental health and providing care with dignity in Canada.
Project team:
Dayo Kefentse – Managing Director
Curtis Hannam – Project Coordinator
Sabrina Ramroop – Communications Specialist
