The unboxing of a Black girl

Author/Creator:

Shanté, Angela, author

Publication/Creation:

Salem, MA : Page Street Publishing Company, 2024

Format:

Book

More Details

Additional/Related Title Information

Full Title:

The unboxing of a Black girl / Angela Shanté

Related/Included Titles:

The boxes we see.
Black girls learn duality early, too early --
conflicts inside, conflicts outside --
some boxes are chosen for us --
being aware of boxes and escaping them are two different things --
The ones we don't.
When do Black girls lose their childhood? --
Where is her safe space? --
Where can she be free? --
Where does she get to just be? --
boxes inside, boxes outside --
hypocrisy inside, hypocrisy outside --
Everybody wanna be Black until it's time to be Black --
And the ones we shed.
be gentle on yourself --
be gently with yourself --
What if we could just be free? --
What if we could just be?

Subjects/Genre

Genre:

Autobiographical poetry
Essays
Poetry
Historical poetry

Subjects:

Shanté, Angela--Juvenile poetry
Shanté, Angela--Juvenile literature
Girls, Black--Juvenile poetry
African American girls--Juvenile poetry
African American girls--Poetry
Autobiography

Description/Summary

Table of Contents:

The boxes we see. Black girls learn duality early, too early -- conflicts inside, conflicts outside -- some boxes are chosen for us -- being aware of boxes and escaping them are two different things -- The ones we don't. When do Black girls lose their childhood? -- Where is her safe space? -- Where can she be free? -- Where does she get to just be? -- boxes inside, boxes outside -- hypocrisy inside, hypocrisy outside -- Everybody wanna be Black until it's time to be Black -- And the ones we shed. be gentle on yourself -- be gently with yourself -- What if we could just be free? -- What if we could just be?

Bibliography:

Includes bibliographical references.

Summary:

"Set in New York City in the '90s, Angela Shanté's poems and stories paint a mosaic of childhood that is shaped by the past and reverberates into the present. As Shanté navigates the city through memory, this timeless book illuminates the places where Black girls are nurtured or boxed in, through stories and poems about expectations, exploitation, love, loss, and self-realization. Her poems center on pivotal moments of Black childhood, using footnotes that encourage you to listen to songs, watch movies, and even learn how to play Spades to further contextualize and celebrate Black culture in every aspect of life. But even with Black joy, life ain't no crystal stair. Between fond memories, Shanté also explores the dark corners of childhood by showing us the ways adultification, misogynoir, and sexual assault can impact girlhood. Every piece in this memoir invites you to unpack the past--to find and transcend the expectations and boxes the world puts Black girls in"--

Language:

English

Physical Type/Description:

148 pages ; 22 cm

General Note:

Includes readers guide.

Additional Identifiers

Catalog ID (MMSID):

9938068515202486

ISBN:

9798890039538

OCLC Number:

1432336126

Barcode:

010003600874