'Growing up in Queens, I didn't know being named Shenequa was considered "ghetto" or uncouth. It was only later in life that I realized I was being judged by a decision I had no control over... I will examine the double-standard Black girls with big names like Shenequa face, and the quick math we have to calculate when trying to de-escalate drama.'
In A BLACK GIRL IN THE MIDDLE, a timely, compelling, and blazingly honest essay collection, Shenequa Golding holds up her magnifying glass to both her own experiences and those of young Black women everywhere. With her trademark wit and originality, Shenequa covers identity-searching themes of white supremacy, feminism, misogyny, love, sex and heartbreak. But this isn't just a book about Black women's trauma, it is also a book that embraces and celebrates the things that make Black women different. For readers of SLAY IN YOUR LANE, Candice Brathwaite and Issa Rae.
Read MoreShenequa Golding's writing takes you places: to Kingston, to Hampton University, to Queens. But mostly it ferries you on a journey with her, as she explores, examines, deconstructs, and reassembles - with rigor and wisdom and humour and fire - what it means to be Black and female and free. She's been here before. Y'all just ain't seen her yet. Get readyShenequa Golding's debut essay collection deserves an immediate place on your bookshelf. She handles tough subjects like lost friendships, rejected crushes, and distant fathers with humor and care. Shenequa pokes fun at herself while learning to establish better boundaries for her own well-being. Her writing is clear, funny, and touching. A Black Girl in the Middle will resonate with any young woman feeling the pressure to have everything figured out.Creating work that centres of Black women's unique perspectives is challenging. It requires self-reflection, thinking deeply about society, and the willingness to use your words as a shield of protection against harmful narratives that threaten Black women. Shenequa Golding is a gifted writer who rises to said challenges.