Mia McKenzie, creator of the enormously popular website Black Girl Dangerous, writes about race, queerness, class and gender in a concise, compelling voice filled at different times with humor, grief, rage, and joy. Her nuanced analysis of intersecting systems of oppression goes deep to reveal the complicated truths of a multiply-marginalized experience. McKenzie tackles the hardest questions of our time with clarity and courage, in language that is accessible to non-academics and academics alike. She is both fearless and vulnerable, demanding and accountable. Hers is a voice like no other.
Black Girl Dangerous on Race, Queerness, Class, and Gender features a collection of blog posts on tumblr all made by Mia McKenzie. This book was hard, honest and extremely important. I loved McKenzie’s background around her blog. She made a tumblr account in response to ex girlfriend on how she called her (black people) scary. This collection (her blog in general) focuses on the social justices of QPOC.
Her voice was extraordinary. Her tone is vexed and strong conveying her frustrations on society as a whole (and also I guess you can say feeding the stereotype). She outlines the experience of a queer black woman. Although what I already may have said seems like a serious gritty book (which it still its), it’s also quite humorous and sarcastic at times (How to be Black in America)
Some people may feel uncomfortable at the various topics that McKenzie explores due to the fact that she’s harsh but honest. She sheds light on the people who call themselves an “ally” but does nothing to prove it, she talks about how the trend “acknowledging your privilege” does nothing without action, she struggles to sympathize killed/lost persons on the news because she knows that black people hardly receives the same attention. McKenzie constructs a list on how to be black in America and dives into white privileged. Even though many of these posts were 2012-2014, they are still relevant today (especially the police brutality).
The collection focuses on action rather than just talking about social injustice. She suggests that we educate ourselves by reading books about the experiences of marginalized groups. She tells the harsh truths that we should sacrifice (if you really want to go to an event but it’s not wheelchair accessible, simply don’t go) Note: Here’s a blog post on BGD that gives a great example on sacrifice. Go to rallies, go to talks, but rather being the one to stand on that pedestal, allow the oppressed to step up and use their voice.
Reading Black Girl Dangerous, it made me relate to my thoughts on how I used to be afraid to speak on Black America. For some reason, I was scared to become the typical angry black woman, too scared of offending white people. McKenzie’s impressions tells POC, especially QPOC, that people shouldn’t be afraid to speak out on injustices. As of now, I’ve been talking to friends and making posts about black (POC) injustices. I will continue to do so and this collection just amplify my desire to seek justice.
Black Girl Dangerous doesn’t sugar coat and neither should any other marginalized group’s frustrations on today’s America.
Here’s the website to the blog that features all the posts in the collection and more!
