What do you think?
Rate this book
Naked: Black Women Bare All About Their Skin, Hair, Hips, Lips, and Other Parts
A collection of witty and insightful essays by African-American women of all ages and walks of life--including Iyanla Vanzant, Jill Nelson, Jill Scott, and Melyssa Ford--addresses a variety of issues related to body image, includiing hair texture, skin color, weight, sexuality, and acceptance. Original.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
25 people are currently reading
971 people want to read
About the author
Ayana Byrd
4 books18 followersAyana Byrd is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn, New York. A Phi Beta kappa graduate of Columbia University's Barnard college, she is an entertainment journalist whose work has appeared in Vibe, Rolling Stone, Honey, TV Guide and Paper magazines.
Aside from writing, Byrd has appeared on numerous panels, including Harvard University's Black Arts Festival and Barnard College's Scholar and the Feminist, to discuss the representation of women in popular culture and the intersection of gender, race and class in the arts. Philadelphia native Byrd is an avid traveler who has visited Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
Aside from writing, Byrd has appeared on numerous panels, including Harvard University's Black Arts Festival and Barnard College's Scholar and the Feminist, to discuss the representation of women in popular culture and the intersection of gender, race and class in the arts. Philadelphia native Byrd is an avid traveler who has visited Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 27, 2007
This book is a compilation of essays written by black women about black women. Writers, doctors, inmates, rappers, video vixens, college students and women from so many other walks of life, offer up their personal stories. The essays pretty much revolve around issues of identity and sexuality and self-confidence. Most of the essays are very well-written and offer compelling, diverse real life stories that most black women (and maybe most women) could relate to on some level. Some of the pieces are too short and/or too superficial. Even with a few bad apples, this book is definitely worth the read. I would especially recommend it to young women in high school and college.
March 27, 2010
"Naked: Black Women Bare All About Their Skin, Hair, Lips, and Other Parts" by Akiba Solomon and Ayana Byrd is a compilation of essays that articulates the black female experience. As a black woman, I found it easy to invest my emotions in the text, and in much of the writings I could see myself and people I know. Even though the essays are exclusively by black women, the sources are diverse. Women from all regions of the African diaspora were represented, as were socio-economic backgrounds, sexuality, conscientiousness, and celebrity. No voice more important than the other.
Some of the stories were cringe inducing, while others were light and endearing. It's no surprise that the text is sexy - if you need a hint please check out the title. What is surprising, however, is that some of the sexiest essays were written by matriarchs whose seasoned beds have tantilized going back beyond the Civil Rights movement.
Although no author was repeated, there were reoccurring themes throughout the book. Some were unique to the black female experience and others are common to womanhood with no preference for race or culture. I found the topics relating to black women particularly relatable (no brainer-I'm black) and felt pity for the women who could find solace with the overwhelming pressure to validate oneself with the flattery of a man.
All in all, this book is delightful. No matter your race, there is wisdom and therapy to take from this book. All of those experiences and lessons learned should not be in vain.
Some of the stories were cringe inducing, while others were light and endearing. It's no surprise that the text is sexy - if you need a hint please check out the title. What is surprising, however, is that some of the sexiest essays were written by matriarchs whose seasoned beds have tantilized going back beyond the Civil Rights movement.
Although no author was repeated, there were reoccurring themes throughout the book. Some were unique to the black female experience and others are common to womanhood with no preference for race or culture. I found the topics relating to black women particularly relatable (no brainer-I'm black) and felt pity for the women who could find solace with the overwhelming pressure to validate oneself with the flattery of a man.
All in all, this book is delightful. No matter your race, there is wisdom and therapy to take from this book. All of those experiences and lessons learned should not be in vain.
June 2, 2017
This is one of those texts that should be required reading for adolescents (girls and boys) and African American youths, in particular.
All of the essays were written by Black women brave enough to voice their views, issues and personal experiences with/on topics like the concept of beauty, the complexities of African American hair and skin color, sexual behavior, dating choices, body image and weight. The contributors included entertainers, writers, scholars, professionals, activists and a number of regular, everyday folks.
The following essays were among my favorites:
Melyssa Ford's "Calendar Girl" (which detailed some of her efforts to control her image and its use and several examples of the dangers and abuse she's experienced as a dancer and model);
Cynthia Berry's "The Dark Den" (a member of a prisoner's writing group, Ms. Berry discussed some of the "guilt, anguish, hatred and pain" she's come to associate with her vagaina);
Asali Solomon's "Black Fuzzy Thing" (which addresses one of the many uncomfortable truths about our hair "in its natural state, as far as most people are concerned, Black women's hair is unpresentable.") and
Akiba Solomon's "The Free Black Woman" (a no-holds barred account of the author's youthful and misguided efforts to be "Sapphire with a Jezebel chaser" before deciding that being a "free Black Woman" was a much more rewarding and liberating option.)
All of the essays were written by Black women brave enough to voice their views, issues and personal experiences with/on topics like the concept of beauty, the complexities of African American hair and skin color, sexual behavior, dating choices, body image and weight. The contributors included entertainers, writers, scholars, professionals, activists and a number of regular, everyday folks.
The following essays were among my favorites:
Melyssa Ford's "Calendar Girl" (which detailed some of her efforts to control her image and its use and several examples of the dangers and abuse she's experienced as a dancer and model);
Cynthia Berry's "The Dark Den" (a member of a prisoner's writing group, Ms. Berry discussed some of the "guilt, anguish, hatred and pain" she's come to associate with her vagaina);
Asali Solomon's "Black Fuzzy Thing" (which addresses one of the many uncomfortable truths about our hair "in its natural state, as far as most people are concerned, Black women's hair is unpresentable.") and
Akiba Solomon's "The Free Black Woman" (a no-holds barred account of the author's youthful and misguided efforts to be "Sapphire with a Jezebel chaser" before deciding that being a "free Black Woman" was a much more rewarding and liberating option.)
May 12, 2010
This book relates to ALL women. The stories are about African-American women but in most cases we can just substitue ourselves, what ever our color. Under the color of our skin we are closer than we think.
June 4, 2014
A deeply compelling, challenging, and thought provoking collection of essays about what it is to be a black woman in America, and how that experience shapes your personal view of your body.
I'm not black, but I am a woman, and I found myself saying "yes, me too!" more than once, and also shaking my head over the many ways our culture tells women they are ugly.
Dear women, you are gorgeous, strong, powerful, and amazing.
I'm not black, but I am a woman, and I found myself saying "yes, me too!" more than once, and also shaking my head over the many ways our culture tells women they are ugly.
Dear women, you are gorgeous, strong, powerful, and amazing.
November 11, 2014
This book is phenomenal. There was so much in it that I could identify with. It's a must-have for every black female.
January 19, 2019
This book was good incorporation of different perspectives that black women have about their bodies. It was an insightful collection of how the beauty standard affects black women. Some stories are meh, we hear that a lot while others are shocking. Overall, I would recommend this book. [Spoilers ahead]
.
.
.
So, the introduction said that most of the stories will be told from the perspective of urban, straight, middle-class black women, which is disappointing within itself. There was only one queer black woman's story told. The authors blamed this on their own lack of resources and proximity to these resources. Here are a few stories that stood out to me. One of the editors, Ayana Byrd, talked about how wearing flip-flops and flats reduced her on-the-street appeal, which is weird since she said that women should be able to wear what they want. However, many of the stories echoed this same sentiment where their catcalling was greatly reduced by what they wore. Another story was by Toni Anderson, whose story that I really related to. She talked about how she is a fat woman with big boobs, but no butt. Anderson talked about how fitting rooms were a torture chamber and her parents would lecture her about her weight. Newsflash, lecturing people about their weight doesn't work. It didn't work when my mother did it and it doesn't work now. Also, there was a funny comment in one of the stories, that was from Jill Scott's perspective. Scott seemed to refer to herself as light-skinned, which she is not. I won't go off on a tangent on this, but it really irked my nerves. Moving on...The final story that stood out to me was by Hilda Hutcherson, who is from Alabama (woot!). She talked about growing up in a strict, Baptist household where she was raised by her grandmother. Hutcherson's grandmother told her that the only thing she needed to know was to keep her legs closed, keep her head in the books, and that's all. There were no sex or sexuality talks. Her grandmother thought that this would keep her safe, which is what a lot of the older generation of black women believe. This teaching obviously doesn't work. It didn't work for her when she became an OB/GYN and her patients would ask about sex, but her background nor her residency taught her about it. Today, she has an interesting book called "What Your Mother Never Told You About S-E-X," that I am very curious to read since my mother raised me the same way. Overall, many of these stories highlighted one thing: they all got validation from how others perceive them. This is fairly common in today's society, but I wanted to see more women seek self-validation that is not dependent on how others (especially men) perceive them. One woman felt complimented when she would get catcalled, and I don't understand how that can be taken as a compliment. I like how the European standard of beauty didn't affect most of the women since black women have their own standard of beauty, but colorism and LSGH (light skin, good hair) really did. I encourage you to read this text as the writing is very vivid and paints a good picture of how black women feel about the entirety of their bodies.
.
.
.
So, the introduction said that most of the stories will be told from the perspective of urban, straight, middle-class black women, which is disappointing within itself. There was only one queer black woman's story told. The authors blamed this on their own lack of resources and proximity to these resources. Here are a few stories that stood out to me. One of the editors, Ayana Byrd, talked about how wearing flip-flops and flats reduced her on-the-street appeal, which is weird since she said that women should be able to wear what they want. However, many of the stories echoed this same sentiment where their catcalling was greatly reduced by what they wore. Another story was by Toni Anderson, whose story that I really related to. She talked about how she is a fat woman with big boobs, but no butt. Anderson talked about how fitting rooms were a torture chamber and her parents would lecture her about her weight. Newsflash, lecturing people about their weight doesn't work. It didn't work when my mother did it and it doesn't work now. Also, there was a funny comment in one of the stories, that was from Jill Scott's perspective. Scott seemed to refer to herself as light-skinned, which she is not. I won't go off on a tangent on this, but it really irked my nerves. Moving on...The final story that stood out to me was by Hilda Hutcherson, who is from Alabama (woot!). She talked about growing up in a strict, Baptist household where she was raised by her grandmother. Hutcherson's grandmother told her that the only thing she needed to know was to keep her legs closed, keep her head in the books, and that's all. There were no sex or sexuality talks. Her grandmother thought that this would keep her safe, which is what a lot of the older generation of black women believe. This teaching obviously doesn't work. It didn't work for her when she became an OB/GYN and her patients would ask about sex, but her background nor her residency taught her about it. Today, she has an interesting book called "What Your Mother Never Told You About S-E-X," that I am very curious to read since my mother raised me the same way. Overall, many of these stories highlighted one thing: they all got validation from how others perceive them. This is fairly common in today's society, but I wanted to see more women seek self-validation that is not dependent on how others (especially men) perceive them. One woman felt complimented when she would get catcalled, and I don't understand how that can be taken as a compliment. I like how the European standard of beauty didn't affect most of the women since black women have their own standard of beauty, but colorism and LSGH (light skin, good hair) really did. I encourage you to read this text as the writing is very vivid and paints a good picture of how black women feel about the entirety of their bodies.
January 10, 2009
One day, long ago, my husband suggested a book for me to read with the glowing praise of "this is the type of book you might like." Not believing he had even paid attention to any of the books I read, I responded with a question. "What type of books do I like?" He paused and said "You know, about women." I grimaced. My husband, who is a pretty intelligent man, could only recommend a book to me based on the fact that it was about "women." He couldn't even fully explain what he meant by that. I didn't get angry, but I did become disappointed.
My husband, however, did redeem himself this past Christmas by giving me this book as a present. He said that when he saw it in Barnes and Noble that it looked like a book that I might like. I couldn't resist, and asked him why I would like it. "Because, it is a book about Black women talking about their bodies and society's influence on how they've been taught to think about their bodies. The essays are part sexuality and part sociology." A light bulb had gone off in my husband's head. Naked is a book about women and it is a book that I would like. As a matter of fact, it is a book I absolutely love and I believe every woman should read it.
Every essay is a like miniature jewel. The best that I've read thus far is by Precious Jackson--an HIV-positive woman and safe sex and AIDS activist. She goes on to recount her childhood and adolescence where her grandmother taught her to hate her body as early as age 6 and leaving her in the dark about puberty and sex. When she became a young lady, she learned the power of her body and became promiscuous while trying to find someone to fill that void of body/self-love. It wasn't until Precious became HIV+ that she learned to love herself inside and out and to care for herself physically and spiritually. That essay should be the foundation for every conversation about sex a caregiver or parent has with their teenager.
My husband, however, did redeem himself this past Christmas by giving me this book as a present. He said that when he saw it in Barnes and Noble that it looked like a book that I might like. I couldn't resist, and asked him why I would like it. "Because, it is a book about Black women talking about their bodies and society's influence on how they've been taught to think about their bodies. The essays are part sexuality and part sociology." A light bulb had gone off in my husband's head. Naked is a book about women and it is a book that I would like. As a matter of fact, it is a book I absolutely love and I believe every woman should read it.
Every essay is a like miniature jewel. The best that I've read thus far is by Precious Jackson--an HIV-positive woman and safe sex and AIDS activist. She goes on to recount her childhood and adolescence where her grandmother taught her to hate her body as early as age 6 and leaving her in the dark about puberty and sex. When she became a young lady, she learned the power of her body and became promiscuous while trying to find someone to fill that void of body/self-love. It wasn't until Precious became HIV+ that she learned to love herself inside and out and to care for herself physically and spiritually. That essay should be the foundation for every conversation about sex a caregiver or parent has with their teenager.
August 8, 2012
Naked strips away all the mystery surrounding the thoughts held by black women about their bodies. Often raised in a subculture that is not tolerant of a woman sharing their fears, reservations and insecurities about their bodies African American ladies have had to long keep their thoughts to themselves, at least until now. Often over-sexualized in music and videos, Naked sheds a rainbow of light on the way black women from all walks of life, view their bodies, from Melyssa Ford and Jill Scott to a former prostitute and a house wife, this anthology has it all. With short essays like "My Tush" and "Ho Gear", this promises to be a quick enjoyable read for anyone.
1. What did you like best about this book?
I absolutely loved that this book was written by women, for other women. Some of the stories in here express thoughts and feelings that are often not talked about and mostly not accepted. It was very refreshing to see the stories of our women in print.
2. What did you dislike about this book?
I felt that the editors did a great job in being selective about what they put in the book but I still feel a few stories could have been left out.
3. How can the author improve this book?
I think the book would be even better if the editors could somehow swap out a few stories.
1. What did you like best about this book?
I absolutely loved that this book was written by women, for other women. Some of the stories in here express thoughts and feelings that are often not talked about and mostly not accepted. It was very refreshing to see the stories of our women in print.
2. What did you dislike about this book?
I felt that the editors did a great job in being selective about what they put in the book but I still feel a few stories could have been left out.
3. How can the author improve this book?
I think the book would be even better if the editors could somehow swap out a few stories.
June 20, 2008
i was looking in the olympia library's very small "color" non-fiction section, trying to find something written by native women. all i found was a book full of edward s. curtis photos about native women's "ancient spiritualness." i passed on that book because i took it home once and discovered it was written by white folks and very static. like native women don't wear jeans and drive cars.
anyway nothing on the shelves by native identified women, but i did find Naked. an amazing raw real and current sharing of inside thoughts, oppressions and healings, by african american women. all about color and the body, too much or too little, what it means to live the lies and stereotypes and what it means to let them go. this anthology jumps right into the most vulnerable places. i appreciate its strength and love.
and i'll bet that some of these women are mixed with native blood as well. so maybe i did read something contempory by mixed blood native women after all. there was so much in here about hair, eyes and skin tones it really reminded me of my own mixed race family.
anyway nothing on the shelves by native identified women, but i did find Naked. an amazing raw real and current sharing of inside thoughts, oppressions and healings, by african american women. all about color and the body, too much or too little, what it means to live the lies and stereotypes and what it means to let them go. this anthology jumps right into the most vulnerable places. i appreciate its strength and love.
and i'll bet that some of these women are mixed with native blood as well. so maybe i did read something contempory by mixed blood native women after all. there was so much in here about hair, eyes and skin tones it really reminded me of my own mixed race family.
September 15, 2015
"Naked: Black Women Bare All About Their Skin, Hair, Hips, Lips, and Other Parts" by Ayana Byrd, was a truly beautiful book. All the stories about self discovery told from middle class black women, left me educated and aware of struggles black women face in life. This will definitely go into my favorites collection. And will be greatly recommended.
"Looking at the outside, at the media, we'e continually being shown the same kind of woman. It's as if God just created one kind of flower. But how do u compare a red rose to a white rose? Or a white rose to a daisy?"
"Looking at the outside, at the media, we'e continually being shown the same kind of woman. It's as if God just created one kind of flower. But how do u compare a red rose to a white rose? Or a white rose to a daisy?"
January 9, 2014
This is a beautiful book filled with stories about me and you and my sisters and my mother. Stories I didn't know we had in common. I would give it five stars, but as it said in the introduction, the editors were aware that this book provides a mostly east-coast, heterosexual account of body image. I would have loved to see more of a cross-continental viewpoint. Overall, I'd buy this book for future generations to read.
December 15, 2018
Every. Black. Woman. Needs. To read. This book! It’s a compilation of stories from Black women who learned to love themselves and recognize their worth after battling the self-hate that’s been passed down to us for many generations since the beginning of African slavery. It addresses racial/gender issues in the Black community and ways that we can overcome them. So inspiring and heartwarming. If you haven’t read it, please make an effort to do so!
November 26, 2008
A very thought provoking and readable collection by various black women, some of whom are celebrities and some of whom are just regular folk. There were some essays about body image, love, sex, gaining weight, losing weight, hair, skin colour and the media. I found this book rather empowering and would recommend it to many.
January 28, 2011
Every black woman who finds herself struggling with who she is as a black woman and what her place is in a world of images that do not look like us should read this book. It's a times funny, at times sad, but utimately uplifting. I was glad to have read it, but wish that I read it many, many years before.
June 16, 2007
Accepting yourself
July 7, 2008
We African American women share so much. I recognized myself in a lot of these essays. It's amazing how much baggage we carry as a result of the racism and sexism that are the legacy of slavery.
October 13, 2009
FANTASTIC!
December 16, 2010
This touched my heart.
July 1, 2011
Currently re-reading.
March 1, 2013
This book is very touching. Phenomenal. A lot of black women I know can identify with this greatly.
June 19, 2013
This is such an amazing anthology. I wish I would have had it in my 20's. I identified with every writer. It was amazing how they interviewed some of my favorite authors.
Must buy!
Must buy!
June 30, 2016
Very interesting short stories
I especially loved the stories about skin color, weight, and relationships. I'm hoping to find more books like this one.
I especially loved the stories about skin color, weight, and relationships. I'm hoping to find more books like this one.
September 30, 2016
Superb. Enlightening and honest; a sincere and shame-free exploration of bodily identity, Self and life. A+
March 5, 2021
Great essays, I laughed, cried, smiled, agreed and laughed again.
September 28, 2023
This is one of the books you never get ride of. It will forever be part of my home library.
March 15, 2024
“Everyone one of us has to look in a mirror and see herself as beautiful before other people will” The poet Sonia Sanchez starts this book with powerful words that lets you know this book is going to wholly change how you look at yourself.
This is a reread for me, and I’ve loved it both times round. There are stories I relate to more than others, but even the ones I don’t relate to, they are so intimate I can still understand all the feelings behind the words.
I think this is a great book for everyone to read, not just black women, to helps peoples understanding of the way a lot of black women feel about themselves. Although it may be outdated it’s still very relevant.
————————————
Piropos - Every woman deserves to be herself, to be comfortable in her sexuality and her body. To walk the streets and not be abused or harassed. To be able to say no without fear of abuse. Why should we feel ashamed of ourselves because men lack self control? ——— “I’d had enough of being preyed upon, of somehow being forced to accept that it was just a way of life. (P.g. 27)
Ho Gear - why can’t we wear what we are comfortable with? Why should we change to accommodate those who have to self-control? Justifying predator behaviour on a short skirt or a big bum? Why can’t we appreciate our physical form and be proud of it. Showcase it, without it being touched? ——— “I never considered dressing differently, because why should I have to?…. Just because I’m wearing this doesn’t give anyone the right to touch me.” (P.g. 59)
Free Black Woman - this may seem to some like a rare experience but it’s so common. Black girls doing want they hate, changing who they are, using their bodies and sexuality to gain approval of the black male. Why do we as black women, especially those of darker skin have to nearly lose themselves in order to find themselves? ——— “I can barely see the signs of pretty…. But I do know they are there. I just have to retrain my eyes to recognise them without external cues.” (P.g. 99)
Playing the Vixen - There’s so much power in reclaiming your sexuality when you have spent so much of your life feeling like it belongs to someone else. Having people use and abuse you in the most volatile ways, making you feel like your blessings are a curse. ——— “Sure, the animalistic, objectifying way most guys respond to my body sometimes makes me feel like sexy parts rather than a beautiful whole. But unlike my vulnerable teenage self, I now recognise and appreciate my body for what it is, a living, breathing, gorgeous instrument of power.” (P.g. 159)
This is a reread for me, and I’ve loved it both times round. There are stories I relate to more than others, but even the ones I don’t relate to, they are so intimate I can still understand all the feelings behind the words.
I think this is a great book for everyone to read, not just black women, to helps peoples understanding of the way a lot of black women feel about themselves. Although it may be outdated it’s still very relevant.
————————————
Piropos - Every woman deserves to be herself, to be comfortable in her sexuality and her body. To walk the streets and not be abused or harassed. To be able to say no without fear of abuse. Why should we feel ashamed of ourselves because men lack self control? ——— “I’d had enough of being preyed upon, of somehow being forced to accept that it was just a way of life. (P.g. 27)
Ho Gear - why can’t we wear what we are comfortable with? Why should we change to accommodate those who have to self-control? Justifying predator behaviour on a short skirt or a big bum? Why can’t we appreciate our physical form and be proud of it. Showcase it, without it being touched? ——— “I never considered dressing differently, because why should I have to?…. Just because I’m wearing this doesn’t give anyone the right to touch me.” (P.g. 59)
Free Black Woman - this may seem to some like a rare experience but it’s so common. Black girls doing want they hate, changing who they are, using their bodies and sexuality to gain approval of the black male. Why do we as black women, especially those of darker skin have to nearly lose themselves in order to find themselves? ——— “I can barely see the signs of pretty…. But I do know they are there. I just have to retrain my eyes to recognise them without external cues.” (P.g. 99)
Playing the Vixen - There’s so much power in reclaiming your sexuality when you have spent so much of your life feeling like it belongs to someone else. Having people use and abuse you in the most volatile ways, making you feel like your blessings are a curse. ——— “Sure, the animalistic, objectifying way most guys respond to my body sometimes makes me feel like sexy parts rather than a beautiful whole. But unlike my vulnerable teenage self, I now recognise and appreciate my body for what it is, a living, breathing, gorgeous instrument of power.” (P.g. 159)
April 10, 2014
The authors DO acknowledge the collection of narratives do not substantially address or include the experiences of Black and womyn-identified folks across the intersections of gender, class, and attraction. This was missing for me resulting in the 3-star rating; however, there is great value and connection in many of the personal stories provided and I still highly recommended it as a staple on bookshelves..
August 6, 2015
A collection of short stories written by women brave enough to bare all about our self awareness and consciousness of our bodies. From hair texture to big lips to big hips and not big enough hips to how the world sees us and deals with our presence; this book is all the things we admit to ourselves and our closest friends. An excellent read and funny too!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews