The Three Books I Read In Voices of Black Women

 

A few semesters ago, I took a women and gender studies class called Voices of Black Women. This class focused on books by black women that should be considered classics. In high school, I remember many of the books at my public school (I'd gone to a charter school before which featured a larger variety) being written by dead white men. Books like Catcher in the Rye, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (not remotely close to a high school level book), and various works by Shakespeare. I often wondered why English classes were so bland, so single-sided. The US has such a wide variety of cultures, identities, and experiences and it makes absolutely no sense that the books taught in school should be so narrow. 

It's almost as if my public school experience was urging us to believe that the only works of value came from white men, with the occasional white woman thrown in. There is literary value in the works of women, of people of color, of immigrants, of nonChristians. These books that I read in my women's studies class are great examples of works that demonstrate excellent writing and the voices of black women. 

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou is one of those books that I value even more each time I read it. I have read it a total of three times now and realize more each time. I read the book first in middle school for a personal read, then again in a women's lit class as a senior, and of course in college. Maya Angelou is a fantastic writer. Her description of her childhood is different from any other writing I've encountered. She drew me in like I was there with her. This book is about her life and it was not an easy one. She grew up with segregation, there's an interview with her in her hometown saying she still doesn't like to cross over to the white part of town. It also deals with the sexual assault she experienced as a child and the ramifications of the experience on her life. She stops talking, but she also shows her journey after, regaining herself and giving hope to those who have experienced the same thing. I highly recommend this book. 

God Help the Child by Toni Morrison. First of all, Toni Morrison is an excellent writer and this is the second book of hers that I'd read. The first was Beloved which I chose to read as part of a school project in high school. God Help the Child looks at the story of Bride, a very dark-skinned woman dealing with the ramifications of her mother's lack of love as an adult. Her mother's treatment of her is heavily related to the darkness of her skin. This is one of the first books that I read that looked so heavily at colorism. More than that, the story itself is very interesting. I recommend reading this book as well. 

The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor. I love this book because of how heavily it focuses on the relationships between black women. It shows friendly love, sisterly love, motherly love, and romantic love. The book tells the story of multiple women who somehow end up living in Brewster Place, an apartment complex. Because of their shared living area, the women are all connected, but some end up connected well before they find themselves in Brewster Place. The book is beautifully written and fills my heart when thinking about it. It's not all happy as it deals with collective trauma, but it is a wonderful read.