Member Reviews
Although I wasn't the target audience for this one, it was a fascinating read and one that I will happily recommend as I think it is such a useful book for younger black girls
Thank you to fourth estate for my earc copy of this book! Firstly I think this would be a great audiobook so if you love to listen to your books I think this could be good!
I listened to ๐๐ข๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ from Slay in Your Lane as an audiobook, and was also approved to read an electronic copy of the book on Netgalley. Thank you to 4th Estate for approving my request to read this fantastic collection of essays from 20 black, British, women writers, collated by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinenรฉ.
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๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฟ๐น ๐ถ๐๐ป'๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐บ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ; ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐๐ป'๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐บ. ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐โ๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐น๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ.
Elizabeth Uviebinenรฉ.
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Loud Black Girls is, quite simply, a book everyone should read and listen to. And it should be read/heard with open-mindedness and empathy, not defensiveness.
It should be no surprise to anyone in the 21st Century to hear stories of how the society we live in is a racist one. However, it may be a surprise to learn all the nuanced ways that racism is exploited for capital gain, and hopefully it may change the way you think, and certainly should change the way you behave online.
And by that, I don't mean being conscious about what you say in an effort to not be racist - that's a given. We all need to take a step back from the world of social media at times, and consider how we are being emotionally manipulated, before we blindly share the latest outrage post or negative news article.
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๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐, ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฏ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด โ๐ฏ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ผ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒโ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ด๐ถ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ. ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐น๐, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ-๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ป, ๐๐ป๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ง๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ. ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐.
Jendella Benson
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Loud Black Girls does, understandably, include views that are rooted in frustration, especially in a post-Brexit Britain and a post-Trump world.
It covers some very specific modern instances of where racism has been perpetuated, including how the press and a significant portion of the British public have treated Meghan Markle, and the outrageous response to Halle Bailey being cast as Ariel for an upcoming live action movie of The Little Mermaid; If you have an issue with a black women being cast as a fictional creature like a mermaid, you really need to stop and consider why you hold that view.
But the collection does also focus on black joy and hope, and on recognising the legacy of each of the amazing women who have contributed to this anthology.
I especially loved hearing the stories about family, and love, and Princess Peace's grandfather, in particular, seemed like a wonderful man.
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๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฒ, ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ, ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐
๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ, โ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐โ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ, ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ปโ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐. ๐ฆ๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ.โ
Princess Peace
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There is no doubt that family can evoke complex feelings, and that how we are treated as children does have lasting effects on us as an adult.
It's wonderful to hear stories of all women, and how they are raising their children to be independent and strong, but especially amazing to hear stories of brave young girls, and their mothers who are breaking cycles of oppression that can be rooted in both gender and race - especially when these stories also highlight the wonderful male role models that support this change, like Candice Braithwaite, and her Grandad and Husband.
In sharing her story about her daughter, and about how her daughter shows her family respect without agenda, Braithwaite's pride and love resonates off the page, and hearing about her daughter's innocence and kindness really moved me.
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๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐๐ฝ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐๐, ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ. ๐ง๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐น๐ ๐ต๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฝ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐น๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ปโ๐ ๐ด๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ.
Candice Braithwaite
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When it comes to workplaces, we all inherently know that black people, and especially black women, are underrepresented.
We regularly hear the rhetoric 'the first black/BAME woman to'... as though we are meant to see this as only a positive thing, when there should be more than one black woman doing everything as the norm. Currently these things are noteworthy, but they shouldn't be, and as Toni-Blaze Ibekwe says: ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ โ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผโ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐.
I do think a lot of workplaces still need to completely change their own structures and challenge their own racist practices, whether they are inadvertently racist or not. I'm sick of the false narrative around D&I 'forums' or 'committees' that do nothing other than make the employer look falsely progressive. I really hope in time this will change.
I have also witnessed awful hiring practices myself throughout my career, where candidates from overseas are viewed as somehow 'lesser than' simply because their degree is from a University that isn't in the UK or the US. This clearly should not be the norm.
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๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐. ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐, ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฑ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐. ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฎ๐
๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ.
Elisabeth Fapuro
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There are so many topics and themes covered throughout Loud Black Girls, but I feel one of the most important is one that I would hope everyone in the UK is now familiar with, given the raging debate that continues to spiral on social media: that of the police, and gang violence.
I often hear privileged white people, usually of my parents age (who, let's face it, have benefitted from the systems of oppression that our generation have not), talk about how if you just behave and don't commit a crime, then nothing bad will happen to you. Which is such a false and dangerous narrative on so many levels.
Aside from the inherent racism that is prevalent in our policing and justice system (though justice feels like SUCH a misnomer), we know that women aren't protected as they should be, no matter how they act or what they wear; we know LGBTQIA+ people aren't protected as they should be, and never have been, and; we know people with mental health issues are not protected as they should be, and are instead often treated as criminals themselves. Why then should we expect that this system would serve black people?
We act as though these groups of people are 'minorities', but they aren't really.
And to take a step back even further, noone commits crime in a vaccuum. Noone suddenly wakes up and decides to commit an act of violence, or to steal; these things are usually done out of desperation, or what feels like necessity to survive.
People like Akala have been talking about the UK's class system for a long time, and how it drives frustration, anger, and desperation. If people were given the support they deserved to live a decent life, crime of all kinds would reduce.
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๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ, ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐.
๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ท๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ... ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ.
Temi Mwale
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Loud Black Girls is such an important book, and I recommend it to everyone. Not just from the point of view of trying to understand what life is like for other people, but to understand on a basic level of empathy.
I think empathy is something that is sorely lacking these days, and only be making the effort to hear about other peoples' experiences do we improve that.
So please listen/read with an open heart, and if any if the content of this book (or others like it) makes you feel defensive, try pausing for a moment and challenging yourself to understand why that may be.
I would definitely read/listen to more from every one of the women who contributed to this collection, and I would read/listen to more from Slay in Your Lane.
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๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ผ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ.
Yomi Adegoke
During lock down I read Slay in Your Lane by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinenรฉ. Feminism is an interest of mine and so I was eager to read it. In my own ignorance I only really ever thought about what feminism meant for me. Sounds strange to say but it was almost as though I saw feminism as a one size fits all thing. How wrong I was. Having read Slay in Your Lane my eyes were opened to how feminism effects everyone - especially those who are (incorrectly) seen as ethnic minorities - feel the impact of feminism and the patriarchy differently. Since then I have tried to read wider on the subject, to learn more and to be able to be more inclusive with my feminism beliefs.
For that reason, Loud Black Girls was a fantastic read. Take away my reason for reading it and it was still brilliant. The voices of the women within the book are diverse, feisty, strong and forthright. The arguments they put forward are powerful. The stories they share are engaging. Furthermore, they are voices that I have mainly never come across and deserve further attention.
And for that reason Loud Black Girls is so very important.
Loud Black Girls - 20 Black Women Writers Ask: What's Next? By Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinenรฉ is available now.
For more information regarding Yomi Adegoke (@yomiadegoke) please visit her Twitter page.
For more information regarding Elizabeth Uviebinenรฉ (@lizuvie) please visit her Twitter page.
For more information regarding 4th Estate (@4thEstateBooks) please visit www.4thestate.co.uk.
This was quite a special book. I was drawn to the title of the book because I thought Iโd learn something new. I donโt know much about the experiences of Black women in the UK. Did I learn something new? I certainly did. What I didnโt expect was to relate to these women so much. I am a black woman, living in Africa where racial discrimination is not too common. Turns out I was wrong. We are all surrounded by prejudices but we donโt always see it.
This is a collection of 20 essays by 20 different authors. All covered different topics and were quite thought provoking. Some that stood out to me include one on the role of women especially in African societies. This is something that I have experienced and witnessed all my life. Growing up, I established myself as the โworst cookโ so as to get out of the role of cooking and serving my brothers as I was the only girl in the family. I didnโt like doing it and didnโt understand why they could play and watch TV while I cooked. They stopped asking me to prep meals for them after I made boiled cabbages for lunch. We still laugh about it. Luckily, that mindset didnโt last long at my home. At work, I have seen men waiting to be served by women just because. I donโt want that for my daughter. Let her do what she wants. If she wants to serve others, fine! I donโt want her to have to do it because she is a girl though. This essay really did make me pause and think about this cultural practise.
There was an essay about the representation of Black women in films that broke my heart. It made me critically analyse even the โstrong female leadsโ and yeah, alot of this representation is problematic even if โwrappedโ in a positive light. I honestly canโt think of many black, female leads cast in roles that are drama free, without some baggage that they have to deal with to illustrate their โstrengthโ and devoid of the angry black woman stereotype among others. Sad situation.
There are many other essays that have found their way into my conversations. Two that come to mind are about being mixed-race and black transgender women. It will take more than a blog post to illustrate the awesomeness that is this book.
Thought-provoking, masterfully written and quite memorable, I highly recommend this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
I know I'm not really the intended audience for this book, as a white woman, but I'm so glad I read it as I learned so much. Every contributor was eloquent and passionate, and the editors did such a good job of drawing all the essays together. I'll definitely be buying it for my library so every loud black girl (or anyone else who wants to read it!) can benefit.
I got a lot from this book, although I feel like the introductions could have been a bit more fleshed out and some of the essays put in a different order. Still an incredible read.
This was a warm, funny and energising read - very much in the vein of Slay In Your Lane, but perfect for younger readers.
Loud Black Girls
Collections of essays like this are my favourite kind of non-fiction books and this really did live up to my high expectations.
Exploring black female experiences in modern day Britain, every single one of these essays was insightful, passionate and touching.
I love how this covers such a wide array of topics because it emphasises how there is no one true black female experience but these wonderful black women do face similar struggles and prejudices every day.
This is essential reading for all, and as a white woman I learned so much but still canโt even begin to truly understand these experiences, but we just have to keep educating ourselves.
The experience of black women in the UK is something that I as a white young adult can ever relate too, but it doesn't mean I can't read and learn more about it. This anthology of 20 short essays from various black women in different industries shares experiences beyond which I would know about. This includes media, journalism, music, and so on. Each perspective is different and unique and provides a peek into how being a black, empowered woman has impacted each of these authors. This book was intersectional and included refugees and returnees, trans women, LGBTQ+ women, and it is not solely told from the point of views of cis straight black women which I enjoyed as well. I just don't think I enjoy non-fiction books in any capacity as I found myself kind of zoning in and out while reading this book, and it wasn't because I didn't enjoy the content but as I said, something I've come to realise about myself is that non-fiction doesn't hold my attention as well as fiction.
'Loud Black Girls' is an anthology which delves into a range of topics that surround the experiences of Black women. The book includes 20 essays, written by women from a range of backgrounds and careers which examine, topics such as motherhood, LGBTQIA+ experiences, finding a voice and finance. These are but a few of the topics explored but create an image of the type of topics explored within the anthology.
Every essay provided interesting insights into the experiences of Black women, and did so in a way that was hugely engaging throughout. Some stand out essays for me came from, Elisabeth Fapuro, Kuba Shand-Baptiste and Pheobe Parke. These were just a few stand out pieces in a range of amazing choices.
Overall, this was a really powerful read, and one that has provided me new insights that I hope to explore in more detail in the future. I would highly recommend reading this, and I can't wait to explore other works by these amazing writers.
This is a collection of essays by 20 black women, all writing about what it means to be black, female, and remain authentic in a society that often stereotypes black women instead of allowing them to express their personality and identity and celebrate who they are.
The women in this anthology are all lucid and articulate and remain tenacious in spite of the negativity they often encounter. Most importantly, they recognise the importance of handing the baton on to the next generation and empowering them to use their voices in a positive way.
I didn't realise how marginalised and negative some views of black women are and so this was definitely an eye-opener and a refreshing insight into the lives of black women and the challenges they face, not just in their daily lives and workplaces but in terms of redefining the wider perception of what it means to be black and visible and how society needs to readjust.
And that is the point. Society needs to adjust to black women and not the other way around, to accept and respect them as their authentic selves. This thought-provoking book goes a long way to redressing the balance and I heartily recommend it.
I was sent an advance review copy of this book by 4th Estate, in return for an honest appraisal.
I loved this book. A wide variety of interesting topics and viewpoints that shed light experience of various WOC. Really made me think in new ways and see different perspectives.
Stunning and thought provoking, this collection gives insight into a different experience. As a white woman it is extremely important to read these views and understand the experience of Black women in Britain, in order to be a strong ally when needed. It is an inspiring anthology and I cannot wait to read more work from these phenomenal women.
First of all, thank you to NetGalley and 4th Estate publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
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Oftentimes people, particularly and primarily white people are under this illusion that not only does racism not exist (it fucking does) but that black women in particular donโt have it hard. This book sheds light on how important it is to not be ignorant towards the silencing of black women in particular. Iโm so grateful I got to read such an empowering book and hope that all black women (and children) feel empowered by the black voices who are rightfully claiming back their space to speak up and loudly!!
This book is so eye opening, even to things about racism you might already be aware of, thereโs always deeper layers to it and this book is so important In expanding your education on poignant topics such as this and drive you to not only be an ally but an loyal activist , particularly if youโre a white person.
I found this so deeply moving and needed. I want black women to shout louder, itโs utterly devastating how much erasure comes into play towards black womenโs voices and their identities as a whole.The vulnerability and resilience shown by these wonderful women is inspiring and deeply touching, I feel grateful I got to read such beautiful and haunting words. This is just a small look into their lives, these women are strong, fierce and tenacious and Iโm completely in awe of them.
Iโm so grateful I got to read such an eye-opening, poignant book full of wonderful, empowering women. I canโt recommend this enough, and I truly hope that this helps younger generations of black girls to encourage them to be themselves but also make them feel seen and heard, in a world where white supremacists encourage the erasure of black voices, particularly those from black women and girls.
I did not enjoy this as much as Iโd hoped, despite essays by some friends and people that I respect, there were some that for want of a better were a little dull and dense - not unlike reading an overly academic essay.
I do however think these sort of books are great for offering important perspectives, which is why I would definitely recommend it to be purchased by my library.
A brilliantly written collection celebrating black women's lives. All the essays deal with diverse topics that inspire and provide hope for the future.
This was an incredibly essay anthology about life as a black woman in the UK.
I've learned so much reading this collection, and it gave me a glimpse into these lives, and definitely opened my eyes to a reality different from mine.
It was really educational and thought-provoking.
โBeing a loud black girl isnโt about the volume of your voice; and using your voice doesnโt always mean speaking the loudest or dominating the room. Most of the time itโs simply existing as your authentic self in a world that is constantly trying to tell you to minimise who you are.โ
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I had the pleasure of reading this pre-release and I must say, itโs a MUST! From feminist motherhood and finding financial freedom to debunking learned myths about Black (African, in particular) culture, race, self and so much more. This is a necessary and timely read from women whose perspectives are so often shafted in mainstream media.
โWe are becoming known. We are being heard. Now is our time.โ ๐
When we talk about DECOLONIZING YOUR BOOKSHELVES, we mean this book right here. An anthology of essays comprising the trials and tribulations of second, third and even fourth-generational Black British women, "Loud Black Girls" showcases the perspectives of 20 individuals who are speaking out against a fundamentally broken system. I highly recommend this collection to anyone who wants to understand, and eventually act upon, the systemic discrimination that continues to permeate society today. From discussing the experiences of Black teenage girls in prejudice school systems, to the never-ending struggle to be accepted by peers and neighbors, to the potentially harmful notion of "Black Excellence", to the challenging of stereotypes over what it means to be Black in Britain, "Loud Black Girls" is educational in a way that only #ownvoices can be. Honest, nuanced, and enlightening.
The women in this book are loud - but not because of an harmful typecast - but because both their opinions and reason drown out the generations of racism that they have had to endure. Even if the reader, as in this case myself, is not Black, it is impossible to ignore the stories shared and fights endured by the writers of these essays.
Thank you Yomi Adegoke, 4th Estate, and NetGalley for this #gifted ebook in return for an honest review.