Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible

I listened to the abridged extracts from this book as broadcast on BBC Radio 4's ‘Book of the Week.' These were five 15 minute episodes, read by the authors themselves. After the first absolutely brilliant first episode, I found myself thinking that if the rest of episodes were this good, I'd probably have to buy the book and read it in full!

The first episode was created, apparently, from extracts from the essays ‘It's Always a Race Thing with Her', and ‘Lawyer, Doctor, Engineer'. This episode begins with a discussion on the double standards black women face today. They are told to “work twice as hard to be considered half as good.” The rest of this episode goes into more detail on how this manifests in education, and includes an interview with a researcher on the topic, as well as an account from Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock (a science TV presenter, for those who don't know), who I absolutely LOVE, so I have to admit I squealed with delight that she was included.

The next two episodes discuss the racist and discriminatory cultures that exists at universities, in the workplace, and in the media and popular culture. One example given is the discrimination and abuse faced by the first black female MP in the UK, Dianne Abbott, who anyone who follows British politics will know has been treated appallingly by the British media and beyond. Episode 4 explains how the internet has been a mixed blessing to minorities. On the one hand, the internet has made it easier find information and others like you, helping many to realise they are less alone than they grew up believing. However, the internet also allows racism and discrimination to flourish, largely unchallenged. In episode 5, Yomi Adegoke shares her own story of mental illness. She talks about the links between racism and sexism with mental illness due to the shame that is often left unspoken and internalised.

What I heard here was fantastic, and I am now convinced I need to track the book down and read it in full. I will leave it unrated and marked as DNF until then. Although, it appears the book has been written with a mainly black, British and female audience in mind, I (as a white, British woman) feel that this book should be read by many others than just this one group. If we want change, then we all need to take responsibility for it.