The Unboxing of a Black Girl

By: Angela Shanté

Narrated by: Angela Shanté

A LOVE LETTER TO BLACK GIRLS

Set in New York City in the ’90s, Angela Shanté’s poems and stories paint a mosaic of childhood that is shaped by the past and reverberates into the present. As Shanté navigates the city through memory, this timeless book illuminates the places where Black girls are nurtured or boxed in, through stories and poems about expectations, exploitation, love, loss, and self-realization.

Her poems center on pivotal moments of Black childhood, using footnotes that encourage you to listen to songs, watch movies, and even learn how to play Spades to further contextualize and celebrate Black culture in every aspect of life.

But even with Black joy, life ain’t no crystal stair. Between fond memories, Shanté also explores the dark corners of childhood by showing us the ways adultification, misogynoir, and sexual assault can impact girlhood. Every piece in this memoir invites you to unpack the past—to find and transcend the expectations and boxes the world puts Black girls in.

©2024 Angela Shanté (P)2024 Recorded Books

Poetic Storytelling at its finest

There’s nothing about this work that I do not like. My first favorite thing is the voice of the author - both her literal as well as her poetic voice. Her perspective is modern but also simultaneously feels timeless. I felt like I was home but also on a guided tour. I appreciate the brevity of the work and the fact that it’s poetry that is clearly poetry but also doesn’t read or always sound like a stereotypical poem. I have already shared it with two of my son’s teachers as well as my college-aged daughter and I plan an immediate listen through to follow this one. It’s a worthy listen that I’d love to add to my physical library at some point.

Powerful words

What a way to bring someone in to their story without having to give it in a memoir, yet using strong short powerful words to express what it is to unbox yourself as a black woman. Everyone should read this.

I loved it! Real and Riveting!

Thank you Angela Shante. Your words brought each poem to life. I kept wanting more but at the same time each poem painted a picture in my mind of exactly what you were saying. It was a plus to hear the narration from the author. I purchased this book when it first came out, but haven't been able to dive in the way I wanted to. Angela Shante does it again!