Carefree Black Girls: A Celebration of Black Women in Popular Culture

Written by Zeba Blay

Narrated by Zeba Blay

One of Kirkus Review's Best Books About Being Black in America

"Powerful... Calling for Black women (in and out of the public eye) to be treated with empathy, Blay’s pivotal work will engage all readers, especially fans of Mikki Kendall’s Hood Feminism." —Kirkus (Starred)

This program is read by the author.

An empowering and celebratory portrait of Black women - from Josephine Baker to Aunt Viv to Cardi B.

In 2013, film and culture critic Zeba Blay was one of the first people to coin the viral term #carefreeblackgirls on Twitter. As she says, it was “a way to carve out a space of celebration and freedom for Black women online.”

In this collection of essays, Carefree Black Girls, Blay expands on this initial idea by delving into the work and lasting achievements of influential Black women in American culture - writers, artists, actresses, dancers, hip-hop stars - whose contributions often come in the face of bigotry, misogyny, and stereotypes. Blay celebrates the strength and fortitude of these Black women, while also examining the many stereotypes and rigid identities that have clung to them. In writing that is both luminous and sharp, expansive and intimate, Blay seeks a path forward to a culture and society in which Black women and their art are appreciated and celebrated.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Griffin

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Oct 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781250821379

Zeba Blay

ZEBA BLAY is a film and culture critic who has contributed to publications including The New York Times, The Village Voice, ESSENCE, Shadow and Act, Film Quarterly, and Indiewire. Formerly Senior Culture Writer at HuffPost, Blay has spent her nearly decade-long career writing about pop culture at the intersection of race, gender, and identity. Born in Accra, Ghana, she is based in the New York City area.

Reviews for Carefree Black Girls

[Andrea Author · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a heavier read than I expected, based on the title and description. While the book does celebrate Black women in pop culture, the framework of patriarchy and white supremacy looms large (which is fair). Be sure to read the content warnings in the front of the book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.