Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl: Essays

by Amena Brown

An irresistible delight, this hilarious and heartwarming essay collection gathers essential tales about growing up in the South, the pitfalls of date night, and why no one should ever tell a Black girl how to Black Girl.

Black women always find a place to in the natural hair aisle, at Beyoncé concerts, even online in memes and catchphrases. This book is one of those a living room where readers can contemplate how a well-picked afro can defy the laws of physics and why boob sweat has to exist in the first place. Here, Black Girl is a verb. Here, Black women can Black Girl in every way we want to.

Amena Brown’s book Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl blends storytelling, humor, and pop culture commentary to traverse the magic and wisdom she's gleaned from being raised by Southern Black women, and supported by the community of Black women who hold her down today. After graduating from the International Black Girl Headquarters (the renowned HBCU Spelman College), Amena has built a career telling stories and celebrating Black womanhood. In her book, she shares stories of dancing in Janelle Monae's "Tightrope" music video and partnering with Tracee Ellis Ross to compose odes to natural hair. She imparts essential life lessons from the Real Housewives of Atlanta, and tells hair tales, including wisdom on the ideal style for her first speaking gig at Essence Fest (box braids, 100 percent).

In the end, Brown shares that Black women are a whole world. A galaxy of customs, language, code, and unspoken understandings, all explored with humor and heart in this unforgettable book.

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 16, 2026

About the author

Amena Brown is a spoken word poet, performing artist, and event host whose work interweaves keep-it-real storytelling, rhyme, and humor. The author of five spoken word albums and two non-fiction books, Amena has garnered national attention in media outlets such as Ebony Magazine, Huffington Post, and Belong Magazine. Amena recently wrote and collaborated with award-winning actress, producer, and activist Tracee Ellis Ross on the Manifesta for Ross’ natural hair product line, PATTERN.

A proud graduate of Spelman College, some of Amena’s most popular spoken word videos are “Letter to My Hair,” where she writes about her natural hair journey, “Dear TV Sitcoms,” a nostalgic piece about the lessons we can learn from sitcoms, “Girlfriends Poem,” where she writes about the importance of friendship among women, and “For the Women” a poem she wrote to honor women of color for International Women’s Day. Collectively these poems have reached over 200,000 views on Facebook Video.

Reviews

[Renita Cohill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I love reading the perspective of the author. I am biracial and identify myself as black. The experiences are a bit different, but I can totally relate to this book. I highly recommend this read!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was wunnaful- as grandma would say- funny, insightful, a great read - Amena is great at telling her stories whether about life, love, food or the realhoisewives-

thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review