This book was hit and miss for me. I went in unfamiliar with the author and expecting a carefree exploration of black girls and women in pop culture. What I got was chapter after chapter of dour laments on the woeful existence of black women. From the introduction, where Ms. Blay speaks of her suicidal thoughts and agoraphobia in a Covid landscape to a later chapter where she goes on and on about internet trolls, it was just full on Debbie Downer vibes.

As a black woman, I long to see and read truly carefree creative expressions of who I am. I want to laugh. I want to smile. I want to radiate joy and tackle the heavier things from time to time. One bit of pop culture that seems to be getting that mix right is the Black Lady Sketch show on HBO. The satire has depth, but humor isn't sacrificed to make some woke point.

I hope as the book is edited that the bits and pieces of Ms. Blay's humor can shine through more. We are coming out of such a dark period in this nation. Is it too much to hope that a book aimed at black women can be positive?

Culture critic, Zeba Blay was the first person to tweet #carefreeblackgirl back in 2013. Carefree Black Girls is a book of her essays about Black women’s impact on pop culture and “what it means to be a Black woman and truly be ‘carefree.’” She describes this book as “an offering” and not “a history, an explainer, a guide, or a map to Blackness”. It is a is a celebration of Black women and our full and complex humanity.

Blay looks at how Black women, from Josephine Baker to Breonna Taylor, have been represented in pop culture; how affirming it feels to see yourself represented in media; and how representation alone will not liberate us. Like Blay, “I'm reaching out for a world where we value not just the representations of Black women but Black women themselves.”

Essay topics include bodies and weight, sexuality, girlhood and mental health. CW: Suicide, transphobia, disordered eating.

This is a book I can see myself returning to, to see if and how we have progressed as a society.

I’m thankful to Zeba Blay, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an uncorrected digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was beyond beautiful guys! I've never quite read anything like this before!
This book will for sure open your eyes to a whole new world!
CBG is an exploration and celebration of black women’s identity and impact on pop culture, as well as the enduring stereotypes they face, from a film and culture critic!
I loved this book!