Stupid Black Girl: Essays from an American African

by Aisha Redux, Brianna McCarthy (Illustrator)

Overview

One of the Best Books for Young Adults of 2020, as chosen by Kirkus Reviews

A provocative collection of narrative essays with a unique point of view.
In this book a first generation American New Yorker uses her bold voice to share life experiences through the lens of race, culture, and spirituality. Exploring topics ranging from night terrors, to schizophrenia, to gentrification, to the author’s personal September 11th story. Illustrated with stunning artwork created in response to the essays, this book is a unique collection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781951491000
Publisher:	Street Noise Books
Publication date:	06/30/2020
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	16 - 17 Years

About the Author

Aisha Redux was raised in New York City by parents who emigrated from West Africa. She is now living in the South Bronx. This is her debut title.

Table of Contents

Introduction v

Origin Story vii

Spirituality

Finding My God 3

A Nightmare on Hoe Avenue 9

Yage 15

Djibril's Story 27

Enemies 37

Victor 43

Tower Terrors 49

Sexuality

Floating Black Adonis 55

Come Get This Yoni 59

Sex Narrative 69

Bach Up Fast Forward 77

Amina's Story 85

My Black Experience

LightWORKER 93

Les Cousins 97

All This Talking Shit 105

Blood and Soil 117

Brown 123

MisogyNIGHT 131

360° Womanhood 139

Burnt Out 145

Editorial Reviews

"Redux's ethereal ability to share her perspective and empower others creates a space in which everyone will benefit from reading her work"—Starred Review, School Library Journal

"Redux’s use of frank, sometimes-biting, but consistently thoughtful language, coupled with her openness about her own life stories and lessons learned, shows that she is anything but stupid. McCarthy’s illustrations—her visual responses to Redux’s words—add another layer for consideration to this thought-provoking work. An important and eye-opening contribution to conversations about global identity politics." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2020-05-16
An American African woman’s essays about her spirituality, sexuality, traumas, and journey to healing herself.

Redux is a first-generation American whose Muslim parents emigrated from West Africa and who has thus had to navigate multiple worlds growing up. She shares stories of herself as a child who experienced a celebration of black women’s beauty through the plentiful artwork in her house—thanks to her father’s being an antique art dealer—while later experiencing racism and colorism in a world insistent on telling her she was inferior. She uses her personal experiences and those of others close to her to highlight how these attitudes impacted her perspectives on spirituality, sexuality, womanhood, and blackness. She has sought to find the ways in which her multiple worlds overlapped and complemented each other for her own necessary healing from various traumas. She shares her revelations here to benefit all who may be interested in engaging. The sure-to-be controversial title—the inspiration for which is described in the first essay—may be what initially draws readers in. But Redux’s use of frank, sometimes-biting, but consistently thoughtful language, coupled with her openness about her own life stories and lessons learned, shows that she is anything but stupid. McCarthy’s illustrations—her visual responses to Redux’s words—add another layer for consideration to this thought-provoking work.

An important and eye-opening contribution to conversations about global identity politics. (Nonfiction. 14-adult)

Kirkus Reviews