An important and timely anthology of black British writing, edited and curated by the authors of the highly acclaimed, ground-breaking Slay In Your Lane. Slay in Your Lane Presents: Loud Black Girls features essays from the diverse voices of over twenty established and emerging black British writers, including Essays from: Yemisi Adegoke, Paula Akpan, Sheila Atim, Siana Bangura, Jendella Benson, Candice Brathwaite, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, to name a few. In Loud Black Girls, the authors of Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible, Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené, ask black British female writers to focus on what happens next? – what does the future hold in the uncertain post-Brexit world of Donald Trump and the rise of the far-right, where there is also more opportunity for black woman to thrive than there has ever been before?

Despite young black women reading more than any other ethnic group in the UK, they are still largely invisible as published authors. Loud Black Girls seeks to change that by giving black women a voice and a platform. Readers can expect frank, funny and fearless contributions about what matters to black women today, from a range of prominent voices. This is an all-powerful and richly compelling collection of essays from some of the most prominent black women in the world today. Fierce, inspirational and accessible, this is an absolute must-read for those who wish to know and understand exactly what black girls are up against in our modern world. Only through raising awareness will we ever see real, meaningful change. Unreservedly recommended. Many thanks to Fourth Estate for an ARC.

Loud Black Girls is a collection of essays by 20 Black British female voices who discuss what it means to be a loud Black girl in the times we are living in. When you read the word loud, don’t read it as a term to describe literal volume but read it as a term to describe how these women are striving to be their most authentic selves in a world that has already decided who they are and will be.

What I enjoyed about this book was that each woman brought something different to the table. While one talked about raising a child to be an independent thinker, another talked about the impact of blackexcellence. While one discussed my favourite (not) question, ‘Where are you from?’ and figuring out your identity, another discussed what it means to be first generation in a country different to where your parents grew up.

There were so many things that I could relate to in this book; being British, being first generation, learning and being part of one culture at home whilst learning and trying to fit into another culture at school. I enjoyed reading about the similarities in growing up and being that I have had to these women (slight fan girling as my husband is from the same area as one of the writers) but I also enjoyed learning about aspects of their lives that I didn’t know about.

This is a great place to start to transition from the ‘saying’ to the ‘doing’ regarding allyship. Because a collection of 20 voices means 20 diverse perspectives of what it means to be a Black British Woman.

This is an excellent, thought-provoking and very relevant (long over-due) book written by and about black women in Britain today – some first (second, third …) generation British, others immigrants from Africa, some direct descendants of the Windrush generation. The chapters are all very well written and imminently readable – I found it difficult to put down, and was rather upset when it came to an end.
The voices of the writers are loud – but not strident. Their loudness has been necessary to ensure that they are finally heard. Each one of them deserves a much higher profile than they have had up until now – in the mainstream media as well as in the black community.
“In a world that is often too quick to teach black women how to slowly slip silence in-between the plump space of our lips, to speak in more hushed tones – we are defiant, bolder and unapologetic with a promise to be greater than our foremothers who came before us.”
Although I do not agree with absolutely everything that the authors say, there are so many good points, and my eyes have been opened to many problems that black women have to face. Because I (as a white woman) do not see many of the daily prejudices and niggles that black women have to face, I had come to almost believe, that this was a problem in USA but not so big here in Britain, and especially not in London. This book set me straight. The overwhelming impression that I gained, was that it must be sooo exhausting being black and female, constantly having to moderate one’s behaviour, language, appearance. Being the best is never good enough for ‘normal’ society. But, then who decides what is good and the best – sadly not the people being (mis)judged:
These women are about setting their own standards, revelling in their culture (Black British, African-British, African …), their appearance, history and lives:
“Who and what are we divergent from? What is the standard and why? Why define us by what we are not instead of what and who we are?”
Other important points (a few among many)
1) Black people do not all think the same way:
“Whilst within the black community we realise and appreciate the heterogeneity of our existence, wider society isn’t as allowing of the diversity of our thought to be broadcast. These ‘exceptions’ are then called upon to define a singular black opinion on any given issue affecting the black community.”
2) Black British history IS British history, and should be taught as such – not just an add-on one month a year:
“Add to this mass immigration and a seismic demographic shift and it’s not surprising that so many people have simply given up on black British history entirely, with its American style accusatory polemic, which – while cathartic for the writer – does not advance the clarity or accuracy of the discussion. Which is a pity, because we have an opportunity here to escape from the bitter emotional circularity and reclaim our own specific narrative, with all of its stories, its horrors and triumphs, and frame it anew as part of the mainstream of this island’s history and its peoples, and not something separate or ‘apart’.”
“Although we may need Black History Month right now, I hope we won’t always need it, because Black History will be embedded in the very fabric of curricula in our primary and secondary schools, as well as universities and workplaces. This is vital for Black people, but also other people – especially white people. Ignorance of one’s history damages the oppressor as well as the oppressed.”
3) There is a lot of violence in the black community, but the way it is reported can add to the problems:
“I was familiar with this binary reporting from all the articles I had previously read, written in the aftermath of many children’s murders. They are either ‘angels’, and comments are solicited from their family, friends, teachers – anyone who can attest to the gravity of their loss; or they are ‘gang members’ and in these cases, when the loss means nothing more than statistics, it is the police and politicians who are invited to comment. Their lives become less meaningful, despite the fact that the descriptions of them are often unfounded. … The ‘gang’ label dehumanises young people, removing any right to victimhood they may have had and treating them simply as perpetrators.
Instead of asking ourselves, ‘How can we reduce violence?’ perhaps we should ask, ‘How can we build peace?’.”
4) Unacknowledged privilege is not just a white-on-black problem, it can be found in many places:
“As minorities in our home countries, we are constantly asking people to check their privilege, as we should and as they should. As a black woman existing in the world, I never thought I’d be in a position where I have to check mine, but as a returnee living in Nigeria, I realise I do.”
If we could all accept that the world is a place of infinite variety, we would have a much healthier, happier existence. We are not all the same – nor should be. And no race, colour, gender, strata in society should feel themselves superior:
“It is not racist to speak of Black people. It is racist to deny that you see colour. It is racist for difference to be a problem.”
I highly recommend this book -to everyone.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

A collection of essays by British black women , including Candice Brathwaite, Fiona Rutherford and Eunice Olumide,along with many others. As a white woman I am not the target audience for this as it’s a book for young black women, that’s not to say I or white women shouldn’t be reading this, it definitely should be read as part of our ongoing anti racism journey, just more that it’s written for Loud Black Girls and they will benefit from this most. This covers the positivity they have to share, their stories and the not so positive in the discrimination they faced, how much harder they had to work to succeed and ‘fit in’ and while their is frustration, discrimination this is filled with so much more hope. An essential read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Loud Black Girls is an anthology of essays by 20 young Black British women, edited by the authors of the critically-acclaimed Slay In Your Lane. It covers a wide range of topics, from food to film, childrearing to the criminalisation of young black people, and all sorts in between.

The contributors reflect on their experiences of becoming ‘loud black girls’ - that is, embracing and putting forward their authentic selves - the achievements of black women over the past decade, and the things that still need to change. The overall message is that having taken so many leaps forward in recent years, things can only get better for the next generation of black women.

On one level, this is a self-help book for young black women, so it’s not really ‘for’ me - and given the volume of advice books that assume whiteness as the default, it’s good to see more and more books coming out that black readers can relate to. Loud Black Girls offered me an opportunity to gain insight into what it’s like to be the only black woman in the room, and the prejudices, labels and assumptions that arise. The writers described experiences that hadn’t crossed my mind before, which made me more aware of my privilege and angry on their behalf.

A key message of Loud Black Girls is hope. The authors have achieved success in a range of exciting careers, opening the door for the next generation. They talk about the work and achievements of other black women who have broken through society’s barriers in ways that seemed impossible just a few years ago, and the increased visibility of anti-racist movements.

I was especially interested in, and moved by, their stories of coming to embrace their blackness, having been led to believe while they were growing up, for example, that black hair and African food were inferior and they should shun them in order to fit in more with the white people around them.

But it’s not all so positive. The contributors also talk about how they’ve had to work so much harder than white people to win the same places at the table - and then, when they get there, their presence is questioned and they feel guilty, wondering whether they’ve colluded with the racist system and should have broken the table instead.

Internet trolls are a bigger issue for black women than any other group, black women are especially impacted by COVID-19 and austerity, and black people are criminalised and treated unfairly by the justice system from a young age. The message is clear: equality and diversity initiatives don’t go far enough; we need to be anti-racist in order to make a truly fair society, and tackle the institutional racism that exists in schools, the police, workplaces and many, many other systems and settings.

Loud Black Girls is interesting and thought-provoking, and offers hope for the future.

A powerful collection of essays by black females from various professions, including Abiola Oni, Candice Brathwaite, Eunice Olumide, Fiona Rutherford among others.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I have taken a lot away from the discussions on politics, parenting, migration and financial literacy.

As a black British woman, this anthology of essays from black women really spoke to me. The essays address what the future might hold for black women in a post-Trump, post-Brexit era. There is frustration expressed in this collection, yes, but there is also a huge amount of hope and optimism in what could have been a depressing read. Seeing the voices of black women uplifted in this way, in a book that exists purely to celebrate black womanhood, made me feel proud of my black sisters and of myself.
If you are a black woman who has ever been dismissed or overlooked because of the colour of your skin then this book is for you; reading these essays will validate and uplift you in a world which often makes us feel that we are either too much or not enough. My favourite quote from the book encapsulates its empowering message, Toni-Blaze Ibekwe writes, "As we (black women) excel in every industry possible, the phrase 'the first black woman to' will become redundant and I cannot wait."

"Being a loud black girl isn't about the volume of your voice; and using your voice doesn't always mean speaking the loudest or dominating the room. Most of the time it's simply existing as your authentic self in a world that is constantly trying to tell you to minimise who you are."

Following the success of Slay In Your Lane and the accompanying journal, this is an anthology of 20 essays by black British women looking to the future. Reading it as a white woman, I could relate to some of the challenges discussed (protected by my white privilege from all of them). It gave me insights into how black women feel and what they want from the future. It's a powerful and vital piece of work that made me joyous, sad, angry, ashamed and determined to continue to be, and teach my children to be, a better ally to black women. I urge you to read this.

Below are the contributing authors and a brief summary of their essay:

⭐Abiola Oni - a recent immigrant, part of the second wave of black migration to Britain.
⭐Candice Brathwaite - experiences as a black mother, challenging that children should be 'seen and not heard'.
⭐Charlie Brinkhurst Cuff - being a shy black girl.
⭐Elizabeth Fapuro - explores Black women's relationship with Black excellence and the absence of the Black middle.
⭐Eunice Olumide - representations of black women in film, television and music: the mammy, the ho, the heroine, and the angry black woman.
⭐Fiona Rutherford - the importance of financial literacy.
⭐Jendella Benson - owning narratives by recording and documenting black lives.
⭐Kuba Shand-Baptiste - the politics of race and Caribbean food.
⭐Kuchenga - black love as a transsexual woman.
⭐Nao - what post-Brexit Britain may look like for black women.
⭐Paula Akpan - the allure of 'secure your bag politics'.
⭐Phoebe Parke - mixed race identity and the importance of language and labels.
⭐Selina Thompson - on turning thirty.
⭐Sheila Atim - links between global uncertainty and it within black lives.
⭐Siana Bangura - Black Feminist 10-Point programme for transformation.
⭐Sophia Thakur - writes to her daughter about belonging.
⭐Temi Mwale - failure to address the needs of young black people is negligence and leads to violence.
⭐Toni-Blaze Ibekwe - Black women's deconstruction of stereotypes.
⭐Yemisi Adegoke - Diaspora and the motherland.

I may not be the target audience for this book but that didn't stop me from absolutely adoring this book.

Short essays from brilliant British Black women cover a range of topics including motherhood, the problems with the labels of BAME and POC, and "returnees" to Nigeria.

Every essay was 5 star - a rarity for any anthology - and the editors have clearly put a lot of consideration into the flow of this book as there is a feeling of thematic continuity from essay to essay.

The important thing about educating yourself is understanding you will never reach the end. I’m so glad I’ve read <i>Loud Black Girls</i> as it’s presented me with lots of new perspectives, lots of different points I ignorantly hadn’t considered before, and has allowed me an understanding of how our racist world has been shaped to be that way.

There are twenty essays here detailing how black women have been minimised, ignored, and stereotyped in our society. From places like the workplace, the media, and even in the home, we hear about misrepresentation, motherhood, online abuse, and how black women of history have been erased.

Reading this as a white woman will make you realise just how much you never realised before. You’ll feel mindless, guilty, privileged that none of this has ever, or will ever, happen to you. But I think we should feel like that.

This is such an important and powerful collection of opinions and facts, one which can and should be read by everyone, whether the aim is to learn, or to feel part of a community and see your feelings and culture articulated perfectly.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book and I am so glad the I requested it. Loud Black Girls is a collection of essays from the differing perspectives of Journalists to Performers, Poets to Editors, Models to Writers, and many professions in between. The curators of this anthology provide a snippet on each contributor proceeding each essay providing space to separate yourself from the previous vice before diving into the next, which I appreciated. Each essay touched on a different aspect of racial concerns that expanded my perspective through highlighting issues and concerns while still each having it's own unique mix of powerful and hopeful tones. I found it refreshing to read thought-provoking pieces on these topics coming from a more British-centric view and ultimately left the book feeling excited for "What happens next?"

I love Yomi and really enjoyed reading Slay in you Lane. As a white woman I feel like this is essential reading. So good and so important.

Thank you 4th Estate, Netgalley and the authors of this collection for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book definitely opened my eyes and broadened my horizon on so many topics while also giving black women from all over the UK to come together and create this collection. Each author and section had something to share and offered a glimpse into many different livelihoods of experiences that I personally have not endured but each one was educational and informative.

It brings together all sorts of topics from politics to pop culture and activism. I was really captivated about the essays on Black intelligence and pop culture but there are so many other essays about motherhood, social media and more that also really stood out and were very interesting to read about.

This collection is incredibly powerful and a must-read.

Thank you 4th Estate, Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené, and Netgalley for my DRC in exchange for my impartial review.

I love reading anthologies by women on a variety of subjects, because I love reading women, period. This anthology brought together different black women from all over Britain, talking about different aspects of life as a black woman in the UK.

I really enjoyed this one, as it gave me different glimpses and peeks into a life I've never experienced myself. A lot of the authors in this anthology wrote amazing essays, and I enjoyed ever single one.

One of my favorite essays was Abiola Oni's, where she wrote about reinventing in order to find herself in Britain, and the harsh parallels between worlds. Eunice Olumide's essay about the lack of representation of black women in traditional media is another one I thoroughly enjoyed.

This is a book I'll definitely keep going back to, because it's just that good.

I picked this book up to get me out of my reading slump = and it definitely did the trick! This dynamic, thought-provoking and powerful essay collection examines what it's like to be a Black British woman, examining it through the lens of politics, society, activism, pop culture and more. It brings together 20 black british women, some writing about their experiences and others writing almost academic essays about the world, asking you to think and reconsider the way that you view certain topics. I thought this collection was brilliant - I've only actually read one book by some of the author's on this list, but I will certainly be adding more to my TBR ASAP.

This book is about 20 different black woman writing 20 short essays

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend this book

With thanks to Netgalley & Fourth Estate for the ARC in exchange for this review

A book of essays from the voices of young black women.Essays share their experiences Their lives their points of view.This is an important book a book that is revealing eye opening.Perfrct for discussions should be read by young and old#netgalley#4thestate

Thanks to @4thestatebooks and @netgalley for letting me read Loud Black Girls, an anthology of writing by black British women, edited by the authors of Slay in Your Lane, Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené. Obviously, as a white person, this is not a book *for* me but it is a book that I really benefited from reading and I would recommend it to anyone! As is always the case with anthologies, I enjoyed some essays more than others, and there were a few where I didn't get on with the writing eg I was a bit disappointed in Candice Braithwaite's prose after her book has been raved about! But Loud Black Girls covers a whole spectrum of topics, including the concept of 'Black Excellence', immigration to Britain, motherhood, representation in media and youth violence. The collection at times did feel a little too London-centric, but that's my only criticism of a book that encompasses a wide variety of voices and experiences. My favourite essays were by were Eunice Olumide, Jendella Benson, Nao, Paula Akpan and Selina Thompson, with extra special shoutouts going to Charlie Brinkhurst Cuff (whose essay about being shy really spoke to me, and resonated with me about the privilege of being able to overcome and deal with my shyness at my own pace) and Yemisi Adegoke, who wrote a fascinating piece about moving to Nigeria as a 'returnee'. This isn't a topic I've read much about and it was so interesting, I would love to read more about it!

There are some truly brilliant essays in this book, with Siana Bangura's and Temi Mwale's ranking among my favourites. However, I have to admit some of the themes weren't of much interest to me (like branding, fashion, or budgeting). The essays with a deeper social and/or political analysis at their core were more to my liking. Still, the variety of the voices in this collection is to be applauded, and I do feel like Loud Black Girls gave me more of an understanding of what it must feel like to be a Black British girl today.

I firmly believe it is a remarkable moment when you come across a book you know will change your life.

In this anthology of black British writing, Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené, the authors of Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible, ask the next generation of established and emerging black British women – authors, journalists, actors, activists and artists – to explore what it means to them to exist in these turbulent times.

What they write are twenty incredibly powerful essays; every single one emphasizing why women need to make themselves heard.

Here’s a hard hitting excerpt from Candace Braithwaite’s essay ‘To Be Seen and Heard, That’s Where Power Is...’:
“When I speak to people about our society, I often use a pyramid to help illustrate my point. At the top of the pyramid are white men. Just below them comes white women, and after that it’s men and women of any other race except black. The final slab of the pyramid belongs to black men. And black women? We don’t even get gifted a space on the pyramid. We are the pillars, entrenched by the soil, holding the pyramid aloft but never given the chance to be seen, let alone heard.”

It is also of note that multiple authors draw a parallel between Black and Asian women and how government policies disproportionately affect these minorities more than any other group. A lot of the observations and analyses will resonate with Asian readers as well.

If there is one sentence that captures the essence of what this book is about and why it needs to change, it is this quote at the beginning of the book, credited to writtenbyhanna (Twitter): "Black women will always be too loud for a world that never intended on listening to them."

A highly recommended read.

This ARC courtesy of Netgalley and 4th Estate Books, an imprint of Harpercollins UK.