Although I wasn't the target audience for this one, it was a fascinating read and one that I will happily recommend as I think it is such a useful book for younger black girls

Thank you to fourth estate for my earc copy of this book! Firstly I think this would be a great audiobook so if you love to listen to your books I think this could be good!

I listened to 𝗟𝗢𝗨𝗗 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦 from Slay in Your Lane as an audiobook, and was also approved to read an electronic copy of the book on Netgalley. Thank you to 4th Estate for approving my request to read this fantastic collection of essays from 20 black, British, women writers, collated by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené.
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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.
Elizabeth Uviebinené.
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Loud Black Girls is, quite simply, a book everyone should read and listen to. And it should be read/heard with open-mindedness and empathy, not defensiveness.
It should be no surprise to anyone in the 21st Century to hear stories of how the society we live in is a racist one. However, it may be a surprise to learn all the nuanced ways that racism is exploited for capital gain, and hopefully it may change the way you think, and certainly should change the way you behave online.
And by that, I don't mean being conscious about what you say in an effort to not be racist - that's a given. We all need to take a step back from the world of social media at times, and consider how we are being emotionally manipulated, before we blindly share the latest outrage post or negative news article.
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𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 ‘𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲’ 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗸. 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻, 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀.
Jendella Benson
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Loud Black Girls does, understandably, include views that are rooted in frustration, especially in a post-Brexit Britain and a post-Trump world.
It covers some very specific modern instances of where racism has been perpetuated, including how the press and a significant portion of the British public have treated Meghan Markle, and the outrageous response to Halle Bailey being cast as Ariel for an upcoming live action movie of The Little Mermaid; If you have an issue with a black women being cast as a fictional creature like a mermaid, you really need to stop and consider why you hold that view.
But the collection does also focus on black joy and hope, and on recognising the legacy of each of the amazing women who have contributed to this anthology.
I especially loved hearing the stories about family, and love, and Princess Peace's grandfather, in particular, seemed like a wonderful man.
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𝗛𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲, 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗯𝗮, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲, ‘𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗿, 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗦𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝗴𝗼𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰.’
Princess Peace
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There is no doubt that family can evoke complex feelings, and that how we are treated as children does have lasting effects on us as an adult.
It's wonderful to hear stories of all women, and how they are raising their children to be independent and strong, but especially amazing to hear stories of brave young girls, and their mothers who are breaking cycles of oppression that can be rooted in both gender and race - especially when these stories also highlight the wonderful male role models that support this change, like Candice Braithwaite, and her Grandad and Husband.
In sharing her story about her daughter, and about how her daughter shows her family respect without agenda, Braithwaite's pride and love resonates off the page, and hearing about her daughter's innocence and kindness really moved me.
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𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗰𝘆, 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱. 𝗧𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.
Candice Braithwaite
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When it comes to workplaces, we all inherently know that black people, and especially black women, are underrepresented.
We regularly hear the rhetoric 'the first black/BAME woman to'... as though we are meant to see this as only a positive thing, when there should be more than one black woman doing everything as the norm. Currently these things are noteworthy, but they shouldn't be, and as Toni-Blaze Ibekwe says: 𝗔𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲 ‘𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼’ 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁.
I do think a lot of workplaces still need to completely change their own structures and challenge their own racist practices, whether they are inadvertently racist or not. I'm sick of the false narrative around D&I 'forums' or 'committees' that do nothing other than make the employer look falsely progressive. I really hope in time this will change.
I have also witnessed awful hiring practices myself throughout my career, where candidates from overseas are viewed as somehow 'lesser than' simply because their degree is from a University that isn't in the UK or the US. This clearly should not be the norm.
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𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱, 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗔 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿.
Elisabeth Fapuro
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There are so many topics and themes covered throughout Loud Black Girls, but I feel one of the most important is one that I would hope everyone in the UK is now familiar with, given the raging debate that continues to spiral on social media: that of the police, and gang violence.
I often hear privileged white people, usually of my parents age (who, let's face it, have benefitted from the systems of oppression that our generation have not), talk about how if you just behave and don't commit a crime, then nothing bad will happen to you. Which is such a false and dangerous narrative on so many levels.
Aside from the inherent racism that is prevalent in our policing and justice system (though justice feels like SUCH a misnomer), we know that women aren't protected as they should be, no matter how they act or what they wear; we know LGBTQIA+ people aren't protected as they should be, and never have been, and; we know people with mental health issues are not protected as they should be, and are instead often treated as criminals themselves. Why then should we expect that this system would serve black people?
We act as though these groups of people are 'minorities', but they aren't really.
And to take a step back even further, noone commits crime in a vaccuum. Noone suddenly wakes up and decides to commit an act of violence, or to steal; these things are usually done out of desperation, or what feels like necessity to survive.
People like Akala have been talking about the UK's class system for a long time, and how it drives frustration, anger, and desperation. If people were given the support they deserved to live a decent life, crime of all kinds would reduce.
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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀.
𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 ... 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲.
Temi Mwale
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Loud Black Girls is such an important book, and I recommend it to everyone. Not just from the point of view of trying to understand what life is like for other people, but to understand on a basic level of empathy.
I think empathy is something that is sorely lacking these days, and only be making the effort to hear about other peoples' experiences do we improve that.
So please listen/read with an open heart, and if any if the content of this book (or others like it) makes you feel defensive, try pausing for a moment and challenging yourself to understand why that may be.
I would definitely read/listen to more from every one of the women who contributed to this collection, and I would read/listen to more from Slay in Your Lane.
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𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.
Yomi Adegoke

During lock down I read Slay in Your Lane by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené. Feminism is an interest of mine and so I was eager to read it. In my own ignorance I only really ever thought about what feminism meant for me. Sounds strange to say but it was almost as though I saw feminism as a one size fits all thing. How wrong I was. Having read Slay in Your Lane my eyes were opened to how feminism effects everyone - especially those who are (incorrectly) seen as ethnic minorities - feel the impact of feminism and the patriarchy differently. Since then I have tried to read wider on the subject, to learn more and to be able to be more inclusive with my feminism beliefs.

For that reason, Loud Black Girls was a fantastic read. Take away my reason for reading it and it was still brilliant. The voices of the women within the book are diverse, feisty, strong and forthright. The arguments they put forward are powerful. The stories they share are engaging. Furthermore, they are voices that I have mainly never come across and deserve further attention.

And for that reason Loud Black Girls is so very important.

Loud Black Girls - 20 Black Women Writers Ask: What's Next? By Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené is available now.

For more information regarding Yomi Adegoke (@yomiadegoke) please visit her Twitter page.

For more information regarding Elizabeth Uviebinené (@lizuvie) please visit her Twitter page.

For more information regarding 4th Estate (@4thEstateBooks) please visit www.4thestate.co.uk.

This was quite a special book. I was drawn to the title of the book because I thought I’d learn something new. I don’t know much about the experiences of Black women in the UK. Did I learn something new? I certainly did. What I didn’t expect was to relate to these women so much. I am a black woman, living in Africa where racial discrimination is not too common. Turns out I was wrong. We are all surrounded by prejudices but we don’t always see it.

This is a collection of 20 essays by 20 different authors. All covered different topics and were quite thought provoking. Some that stood out to me include one on the role of women especially in African societies. This is something that I have experienced and witnessed all my life. Growing up, I established myself as the ‘worst cook’ so as to get out of the role of cooking and serving my brothers as I was the only girl in the family. I didn’t like doing it and didn’t understand why they could play and watch TV while I cooked. They stopped asking me to prep meals for them after I made boiled cabbages for lunch. We still laugh about it. Luckily, that mindset didn’t last long at my home. At work, I have seen men waiting to be served by women just because. I don’t want that for my daughter. Let her do what she wants. If she wants to serve others, fine! I don’t want her to have to do it because she is a girl though. This essay really did make me pause and think about this cultural practise.

There was an essay about the representation of Black women in films that broke my heart. It made me critically analyse even the ‘strong female leads’ and yeah, alot of this representation is problematic even if ‘wrapped’ in a positive light. I honestly can’t think of many black, female leads cast in roles that are drama free, without some baggage that they have to deal with to illustrate their ‘strength’ and devoid of the angry black woman stereotype among others. Sad situation.

There are many other essays that have found their way into my conversations. Two that come to mind are about being mixed-race and black transgender women. It will take more than a blog post to illustrate the awesomeness that is this book.

Thought-provoking, masterfully written and quite memorable, I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I know I'm not really the intended audience for this book, as a white woman, but I'm so glad I read it as I learned so much. Every contributor was eloquent and passionate, and the editors did such a good job of drawing all the essays together. I'll definitely be buying it for my library so every loud black girl (or anyone else who wants to read it!) can benefit.

I got a lot from this book, although I feel like the introductions could have been a bit more fleshed out and some of the essays put in a different order. Still an incredible read.

This was a warm, funny and energising read - very much in the vein of Slay In Your Lane, but perfect for younger readers.

Beautiful anthology of different accounts of a variety of black women. Provides a real insight into life as a Black woman in Britain and makes you take in the differences and disparities. Provides a background into family history and personal experiences of these fabulous women. Britain has a long way to go in terms of racial equality but books like this help lead the way for white people to change for the better.

Loud Black Girls

Collections of essays like this are my favourite kind of non-fiction books and this really did live up to my high expectations.

Exploring black female experiences in modern day Britain, every single one of these essays was insightful, passionate and touching.

I love how this covers such a wide array of topics because it emphasises how there is no one true black female experience but these wonderful black women do face similar struggles and prejudices every day.

This is essential reading for all, and as a white woman I learned so much but still can’t even begin to truly understand these experiences, but we just have to keep educating ourselves.

The experience of black women in the UK is something that I as a white young adult can ever relate too, but it doesn't mean I can't read and learn more about it. This anthology of 20 short essays from various black women in different industries shares experiences beyond which I would know about. This includes media, journalism, music, and so on. Each perspective is different and unique and provides a peek into how being a black, empowered woman has impacted each of these authors. This book was intersectional and included refugees and returnees, trans women, LGBTQ+ women, and it is not solely told from the point of views of cis straight black women which I enjoyed as well. I just don't think I enjoy non-fiction books in any capacity as I found myself kind of zoning in and out while reading this book, and it wasn't because I didn't enjoy the content but as I said, something I've come to realise about myself is that non-fiction doesn't hold my attention as well as fiction.

'Loud Black Girls' is an anthology which delves into a range of topics that surround the experiences of Black women. The book includes 20 essays, written by women from a range of backgrounds and careers which examine, topics such as motherhood, LGBTQIA+ experiences, finding a voice and finance. These are but a few of the topics explored but create an image of the type of topics explored within the anthology.

Every essay provided interesting insights into the experiences of Black women, and did so in a way that was hugely engaging throughout. Some stand out essays for me came from, Elisabeth Fapuro, Kuba Shand-Baptiste and Pheobe Parke. These were just a few stand out pieces in a range of amazing choices.

Overall, this was a really powerful read, and one that has provided me new insights that I hope to explore in more detail in the future. I would highly recommend reading this, and I can't wait to explore other works by these amazing writers.

This is a collection of essays by 20 black women, all writing about what it means to be black, female, and remain authentic in a society that often stereotypes black women instead of allowing them to express their personality and identity and celebrate who they are.

The women in this anthology are all lucid and articulate and remain tenacious in spite of the negativity they often encounter. Most importantly, they recognise the importance of handing the baton on to the next generation and empowering them to use their voices in a positive way.

I didn't realise how marginalised and negative some views of black women are and so this was definitely an eye-opener and a refreshing insight into the lives of black women and the challenges they face, not just in their daily lives and workplaces but in terms of redefining the wider perception of what it means to be black and visible and how society needs to readjust.

And that is the point. Society needs to adjust to black women and not the other way around, to accept and respect them as their authentic selves. This thought-provoking book goes a long way to redressing the balance and I heartily recommend it.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by 4th Estate, in return for an honest appraisal.

I loved this book. A wide variety of interesting topics and viewpoints that shed light experience of various WOC. Really made me think in new ways and see different perspectives.

Stunning and thought provoking, this collection gives insight into a different experience. As a white woman it is extremely important to read these views and understand the experience of Black women in Britain, in order to be a strong ally when needed. It is an inspiring anthology and I cannot wait to read more work from these phenomenal women.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and 4th Estate publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
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Oftentimes people, particularly and primarily white people are under this illusion that not only does racism not exist (it fucking does) but that black women in particular don’t have it hard. This book sheds light on how important it is to not be ignorant towards the silencing of black women in particular. I’m so grateful I got to read such an empowering book and hope that all black women (and children) feel empowered by the black voices who are rightfully claiming back their space to speak up and loudly!!

This book is so eye opening, even to things about racism you might already be aware of, there’s always deeper layers to it and this book is so important In expanding your education on poignant topics such as this and drive you to not only be an ally but an loyal activist , particularly if you’re a white person.



I found this so deeply moving and needed. I want black women to shout louder, it’s utterly devastating how much erasure comes into play towards black women’s voices and their identities as a whole.The vulnerability and resilience shown by these wonderful women is inspiring and deeply touching, I feel grateful I got to read such beautiful and haunting words. This is just a small look into their lives, these women are strong, fierce and tenacious and I’m completely in awe of them.

I’m so grateful I got to read such an eye-opening, poignant book full of wonderful, empowering women. I can’t recommend this enough, and I truly hope that this helps younger generations of black girls to encourage them to be themselves but also make them feel seen and heard, in a world where white supremacists encourage the erasure of black voices, particularly those from black women and girls.

I did not enjoy this as much as I’d hoped, despite essays by some friends and people that I respect, there were some that for want of a better were a little dull and dense - not unlike reading an overly academic essay.

I do however think these sort of books are great for offering important perspectives, which is why I would definitely recommend it to be purchased by my library.

A brilliantly written collection celebrating black women's lives. All the essays deal with diverse topics that inspire and provide hope for the future.

This was an incredibly essay anthology about life as a black woman in the UK.
I've learned so much reading this collection, and it gave me a glimpse into these lives, and definitely opened my eyes to a reality different from mine.
It was really educational and thought-provoking.

“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.”
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I had the pleasure of reading this pre-release and I must say, it’s a MUST! From feminist motherhood and finding financial freedom to debunking learned myths about Black (African, in particular) culture, race, self and so much more. This is a necessary and timely read from women whose perspectives are so often shafted in mainstream media.

“We are becoming known. We are being heard. Now is our time.” 👑