Skip to main content
Home
Explore
Notifs
Profile

Black-owned · Built for the global diaspora · Curated pins from Black and melanated creators across hair, style, beauty, home, and art.

Formerly Melaninterest.com

m
melanin
AboutHelpTermsPrivacyCommunity GuidelinesCreators

© 2026 Melanin. All rights reserved.

Mmelanin
HomeExploreCreatorsNewsCreate
Ctrl+K
Log inSign up
Mmelanin
HomeExploreCreatorsNewsCreate
Ctrl+K
Log inSign up
Tonie Robinson Unpacks Grief in New Anthology 'Good Grief' — Melanin News | Melanin
Mmelanin
HomeExploreCreatorsNewsCreate
Ctrl+K
Log inSign up
All news
Tonie Robinson Unpacks Grief in New Anthology 'Good Grief'Culture

Tonie Robinson Unpacks Grief in New Anthology 'Good Grief'

3w ago

Tonie Robinson, a prominent entrepreneur and community leader from Chicago's South Side, has unveiled a deeply personal project, shifting from her decade-long career of building purpose-driven businesses to a public act of healing. Her new anthology, *Good Grief: The Beauty Beneath The Broken*, brings together eight dynamic women, including Robinson herself, to share their intimate experiences with loss and the transformative power of healing.

This powerful collection, which became available around June 20, 2026, can be found on iamtonie.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. The book is more than just a collection of stories; it is described as a resource many women did not realize they needed, offering solace and understanding for various forms of grief. To further celebrate its release, a live book experience is scheduled for June 28, 2026, in Chicago's South Loop, featuring Robinson and all seven contributing authors in a discussion moderated by a clinical psychologist.

Perils of the Wild
Perils of the Wild Source

Robinson's professional journey has long been rooted in service to her community. For over ten years, she has dedicated her efforts to developing and leading businesses designed to strengthen families on Chicago's South Side. Her ventures include Inspire Tees and Accessories, a faith-based apparel and accessories line, and her ownership of Children's First Learning Academy. This brick-and-mortar childcare center in Lynwood, Illinois, employs 25 individuals and serves more than 130 children, continuing a legacy of care established by her mother, Margaret Gibson, who also owns five daycare centers. Prior to *Good Grief*, Robinson authored her first book, *Faith Hope Love*, an inspirational guidebook of affirmations.

*Good Grief* delves into the often-overlooked aspects of loss, expanding the conventional definition of grief to include what is termed "disenfranchised grief." This encompasses experiences such as betrayal, divorce, the dissolution of friendships, and the profound grief associated with losing a former version of oneself. Robinson explained her motivation for creating the anthology, stating, "I created this anthology as someone who has walked through a variety of seasons of grief. I wanted to remind women that they are not alone. I wanted to empower women to understand that their experiences matter."

She further elaborated on the selection of contributors, noting, "If I am honest with you, these seven women are my friends. I had an inside peek into their stories, but if I am even more honest, the details of their journeys with grief, some of them I was totally unaware of. They really came with it. There were some powerful testimonies of how healing can happen. I believe that every woman will find herself on the pages of this book." These women, described as professionals, entrepreneurs, and career women, navigated diverse forms of grief, offering a broad spectrum of relatable experiences.

The Beatles Anthology (book)
The Beatles Anthology (book) Source

Robinson shared her personal philosophy on grief, asserting, "Grief is hard and painful, but it is not always pointless. Most of the time it does not feel good when you are in the process, but it can bring about something good." Reflecting on her own path, she added, "I realized that God was able to heal me and transform me and I was able to find beautiful places as a result of that. I will never be the same, and most people are not the same after grief. But I believe that God has the ability to allow you to see the beautiful parts of your grieving process once you really learn from it." She offered crucial advice for navigating loss, emphasizing acceptance as the initial, vital step: "The first step is acceptance. Accepting whatever it was that caused the grief to occur in the very first place is crucial. Something my therapist and friends told me often is that you have to sit in it. Sitting in the pain rather than putting coping mechanisms on top of it or trying to avoid it is one of the most important things you can do. Because the grief is going to meet you at the end of that avoidance anyway."

The book's significance lies in its effort to provide a platform for shared experiences of loss and healing, offering validation and a sense of community to women who often feel isolated in their grief. This project aligns seamlessly with Robinson's long-standing commitment to empowering individuals and strengthening communities, now through the deeply personal and universally resonant journey of grief. The upcoming live event in Chicago's South Loop is designed as an "elevated experience" to further inspire women navigating their own struggles, ensuring the conversation around healing continues to grow.