The Unboxing of a Black Girl, Angela Shante
The Unboxing of a Black Girl, Angela Shante
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The Unboxing of a Black Girl

Author: Angela Shanté

Narrator: Angela Shanté

Unabridged: 1 hr 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 05/28/2024


Synopsis

A LOVE LETTER TO BLACK GIRLS

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.

Reviews

Fairly enjoyed all the poems! It actually felt rather familiar. As if this work spoke into my childhood! Beautifully and Warmly Relatable!......more

Goodreads review by Bethany

I loved the prose of this one. I wanted more!......more

The Unboxing of a Black Girl is a collection of vignettes and poetry is a beautiful reminder of the complexity of life and the abundant will of the human spirit to dance in the rain. It is a love letter to Black girls and a statement on the ways adultification of Black children limits their ability......more

Goodreads review by Mysia

This book makes me want to write more. I found myself fully engulfed in her story, relating to her truth, feeling seen holistically. I found myself reimagining the things I love. school, music, The Wiz... the way I love shows the world tells meI shouldn't love no more. I thought more about how poetry h......more