A Black Girl in the Middle

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Description

'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, Shenequa's timely, compelling, and blazingly honest essay collection, grants the opportunity to hold up her magnifying glass to not only her own experiences, but those of young Black women everywhere. Covering identity-searching themes of white supremacy, feminism, misogyny, love, sex, and heartbreak with her trademark wit and originality, A BLACK GIRL IN THE MIDDLE will appeal to readers of SLAY IN YOUR LANE, Candice Brathwaite, and Issa Rae.

Each chapter represents a different theme and though American, these essays are very relatable to Black girls everywhere, to the point where it felt like I might have written it myself. This isn't just a book about Black women's trauma, it is also a book that embraces and celebrates the things that make us different.

Author Bio

Shenequa A. Golding is a writer and editor whose work focuses on race, culture and entertainment. Shenequa's articles and interviews (written and on-camera) have appeared in prominent Black publications such as Vibe and Essence as well as mainstream outlets like Complex and Vanity Fair in which she was commissioned by a Los Angeles-based agency to explore some of the themes in Steve McQueen's anthology, Small Axe.

Her work includes interviewing Joshua Jackson for Ava DuVernay's Netflix original limited series When They See Us, and Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin on what would have been Trayvon Martin's 21st birthday for a feature about moving forward with grief. Her essay "Maintaining Professionalism in The Age of Black Death is...A Lot", published on Medium in May 2020, has received 990K views to date. It also earned praise from CEO's nationwide including Jeff Bezos for detailing the double-duty Black employees carry while trying to be professional as Black Americans are being killed by police.