Hotmess Library’s Reviews > Girl Gurl Grrrl: On Womanhood and Belonging in the Age of Black Girl Magic > Status Update

"Most of all, I felt I had failed because I had not anticipated the threat. I’d been watching for men with guns and had forgotten about all of the other ways to hurt a Black child."

I feel like we could have really gotten into some thangssss with the Skinfolk chapter

"As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized the best thing I can do to honor her legacy in my own life is let go of any compulsion to explain my humanity to anyone who doesn’t recognize or value it. I recognize it. I value it. That’s what matters most. And the beauty of this moment in history, as Black women rise to the fore, is this overall rejection of personas placed upon us."

"There is something in the experience of conversing, for better (enlightening and being enlightened) or worse (correcting conspiracy theories, calling out misconceptions, and countering erroneous mansplaining) that makes me even more confident in speaking out."

Life of a rideshare girl!

"But throughout my evolving networks of friends—and especially so among my Black chosen sisters—one term of endearment remains: girl. Equal parts greeting, exclamation, and rallying cry at once."