Hey! If any of the terms you’ve read have you puzzled, we’ve all been there. Honestly, don’t be concerned. You are listed here, checking out a subject you almost certainly under no circumstances envisioned to be studying about, and you happen to be executing your finest to assist a teenager you know. High-fives all about! The very first phase into anything new is always a bit frightening. So just hold likely and know you’re accomplishing the suitable factor. You acquired this!
If your teenager:
Then this e-book, A Manual To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF, is for them.
Though it’s definitely prepared for and to Black teen girls, this girls empowerment e book overtly welcomes every person who supports feminism and gender/identity flexibility. Trans, queer, nonbinary, BIPOC, white – this e book care who you are as very long as you aid freedom and feminism. The authors are distinct that white supremacy, colorism, and the capitalistic patriarchy are all repressive signifies of maintaining gals and marginalized societies and men and women from currently being equivalent.
Suppose your teenager requires a feminist teen e-book and understands that not everyone is treated equally. In that case, this reserve delivers superb insights, knowledge, and inspiration for going for walks a route in the direction of body positivity and independence.
Sidebar! You could possibly be wanting to know: Black is capitalized, white is not. Why? Go through why the Associated Push up to date its guidelines all-around capitalizing ethnicities. To sum it up, it truly is simply because Black persons have a shared history of discrimination AND culture, whereas white people, perfectly, never. And capitalizing the W in white just screams White Supremacy (<— see what I did with that capitalization there? It matters.) Capitalize the 'B,' not the 'w.' Moving on.
Give Me More Details
A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF is a girls empowerment book, part of a growing collection of feminist books for teens that focuses on introducing profound concepts surrounding identity and feminism in a connective, we-got-your-back way.
Drs. Cooper, Craft Tanner, and Morris wrote this book for “everybody feminist — trans girls, cis girls, girls with disabilities, BIPOC girls, queer girls, working girls, nonbinary folx, and our non-girl allies.”
Translation: If you have a budding feminist — or teen questioning their gender and identity —this is a fantastic empowerment book to add to their collection.
This is one book that doesn’t discriminate. The underlying theme is to get a crew together who will support you as you learn, grow, and question society and your role in it.
One of my favorite lines in the book is, “Have you ever heard the ‘prayer’ Lord, give me the confidence of a mediocre white boy?” – page 30
HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THAT?! It’s just so true. We breed boys as risk-takers and challengers while training girls to sit down and shut up. Anyone that has been to middle school knows that.
A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF addresses common stereotypes and breaks down where they came from and why they need to change. It’s a breath of fresh air, delivered with snappy comments and tons of helpful links for body and identity positive influencers to follow, books to read, podcasts to listen to, and documentaries to watch.
Let’s Talk Language & Triggers
This book is brutally honest but no more so than what’s likely going through your teen’s mind and social media feeds at this very moment. Hopefully, your teen already has a supportive crew, but if they’re struggling, this book will give them some hope.
Support and good friends are out there, waiting to be discovered.
Yes, there’s some language, but I’m betting your teen is well-versed in it already. But it’s not written for you, Mom/Dad/teacher, but for your teen struggling with identity, confidence, and essential topics.
They cheer, swear, cry, educate, inspire, and promote feminists and their allies, all the while keeping it real and not wasting any time.
Exploring girlhood and body image stereotypes and how these are fundamental ways to keep women and marginalized identities from taking more power make this a powerful introduction to intersectional feminism.
Also, the authors do a great job of warning readers of potential triggers, offering enough detail to know if you need to skip ahead or keep reading.
The Takeaway
It’s a win. Buy it. A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF is meant for anyone who has looked at the people “in charge” and thought, get the hell out of here— you don’t look, feel, or act anything like me.
This book is for anyone who rolls their eyes when the white guy in the room “decides” something needs to be done a certain way and gets his way. Every time.
It’s for everyone who agrees or is catching on to the fact that the capitalistic patriarchy (basically white men running everything) is meant to keep rich white guys in charge.
Let me be clear: This book is not about how much your white dad/teacher/boss/brother/classmate sucks, but instead how your teen can recognize, and do their part to change, an unjust system.
Whew, that’s a lot to unpack.
The book gives the reader the phrases, definitions, support, and ideas for challenging traditional roles and biases in society. It offers teenagers the inspiration and tools to move confidently in a direction that meets their —perhaps unspoken—needs.
A great example is when they discuss the nursery rhyme about girls being sugar, spice, and everything excellent. If a girl is deemed too bossy, she’s a bitch. If a boy is dictatorial, he’s usually “commanding” or “a natural-born leader.”
If your teen is a feminist or an ally questioning their own power, identity, place in the world, and/or the political and social structures around them. In that case, this is a great book to get them.
A Feminist Book For Teens and Every Ally
There’s a saying that feels like it’s been around forever. Maybe you’ve heard it:
Those who can’t do, teach.
Cooper, Craft Tanner, and Morris prove this trope is, beyond any doubt, a load of bull.
These women do it all – innovate, create, teach, and lead. And you can’t ask for a better teacher than someone who has not only the real-life experience but leads with the confidence and the hipness of your friend’s cool aunt.
Where To Get It
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