Feminist AF

October 15, 2021
Grades 9-12 From the cofounding members of Crunk Feminist Collective comes a take-no--prisoners, hip hop-infused manual that's intended strictly for Black teenage girls. And it's great. The three authors, self-professed kick-ass Black feminists, offer advice, encouragement, and wisdom, couched within the parameters of surviving and thriving in a culture of white-supremacist patriarchy. The text, written in a conversational, first-person style, includes numerous anecdotes and stories and offers reassuring, constructive guidance on topics that range from self-acceptance to reproductive justice to sex and consent, all explored through the lens of Black feminism. Notes on history and social constructs are woven into the narrative, as are playlists, recommendations for books and movies, and contact information for various social agencies. No topic is taboo, be it colorism, misogynoir, polyamory, or code-switching. The authors (Cooper, a professor at Rutgers and an award-winning author and activist; Tanner, the director of the Center for Women at Emory; and Morris, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology) hit all the right notes, consistently conveying strength, confidence, and authority. Required reading for Black teenage girls.

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Starred review from August 1, 2021
Three members of the Crunk Feminist Collective, a group of feminists of color, join forces to deliver a bold and thorough guidebook. This title delivers wisdom and insight garnered from lived experiences and decades of research and practice in language that is mature but still accessible to young people. Divided into four major sections, the book touches on significant topics, including race, sexuality, disability, body image, friendship and family dynamics, and more. Intersectional feminism is a throughline, with inclusive stories and comprehensive counsel that provide knowledge, solidarity, comfort, and hope for its audience. Along with analyses of politics that address existence and survival across marginalized identities, the work discusses systems and structures that affect individual and societal outcomes. The authors offer specific, relevant anecdotes from their own lives as well as the media and popular culture that reflect the complex issues that girls and nonbinary youth face, accompanied by thoughtful, compassionate, honest, and realistic advice. Text boxes provide valuable background and context as well as recommendations of movies, TV shows, and books to check out. All these elements come together to create a work that reads like far more than just a handbook for a young feminist's journey but rather presents as a guide to life as a whole. A necessary life companion for readers of all backgrounds. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)

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