When I first got my hands on Yomi Adegoke’s and Elizabeth Uviebinené’s Slay In Your Lane, little did I know the fuschia pink and gold number, with its title emblazoned in white on the front was going to be a game changer for many UK black women, who for a long time have largely gone ignored, silenced, and uncatered for.
The Black Girl Bible?
Slay In Your Lane covers a large spectrum of topics, from career and finances to dating and health, but uniquely from the perspective of black women. Far from just an eloquent expression of the injustices black British women face daily, such as wide salary discrepancies and social media abuse, the aim of this book is to inform and empower. The voices of many black British women from different industries were collated to form the rich text. It provides useful resources the reader can turn to, such as the list of websites provided at the end of the ‘Getting Ahead‘ chapter, to help entrepreneurs get started. But what I love the most is the message of hope that radiates from every chapter.
I was Triggered.
There are many reasons for deciding to pick up a book, from the need for entertainment or escapism to wanting to be informed or motivated. But there was something else that Slay In Your Lane did for me. It triggered me. Reading that black women are more likely to be the most educated in their work departments, and not so long after, learning that UK ethnic families “earn up to £8900 less than their white British counterparts” made the adrenalin jump around my body. Women across the board are less likely to ask for a much-deserved pay rise, and black women even less so as they’re usually preoccupied with dismantling the “aggressive black woman” stereotype.
It made me reflect on my own career and the fact that the bid to just put my head down and get the job done, might have done me a big disservice. I also realised that every time I had to duck to avoid the hand of a colleague who wants to “know what my hair feels like”, or explain how my hair grew inches over the weekend thanks to my fresh braids, or hide my bottle of Supermalt lest I am accused of drinking whilst working, I have confronted yet another soul-stripping, albeit unintentional microaggression.
Take Your Time
If you’ve been following me on the Gram, you’ll know that it took me quite a while to get through Slay In Your Lane. Almost a month to be more precise! That’s not to say that I found it difficult or too uninteresting to glide through. But aside from the millions of other projects I had, I just wanted to give this piece of work the respect due. Each chapter is divided into subchapters and felt the need to take time to digest each one. Both Adegoke, and Uviebinené, an award-nominated journalist, and brand marketer respectively, clearly wrote the book with care. Eloquent in expression (for example, when Yomi describes “the cliché of millennial navel-gazing and our fervent need to constantly self-identify”), and conscientious enough to back every assertion with fact.
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I am not necessarily in blind agreement with everything the ladies had to say (my views on dating might differ slightly), but I love the openness, the intellect and the heart which underlines every paragraph of the text. Having so many viewpoints made it dynamic. I imagine Slay In Your Lane being the basis of, or remodelled as a six-part docuseries.
Have you read Slay In Your Lane yet? What did you think? If not, why not make a purchase now!
368 pages, Published by 4th Estate, RRP is £16.99
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You're reading some interesting books sis. I haven't read this, but surely sounds great. I just finished a full book yesterday and couldn't be more proud. I haven't read a full book in like forever so I'm happy I'm back on it. It was a romantic novel and I think I'll stay on this lane for awhile. Lol!! My next read is 'The 5 Love Languages'https://www.missymayification.co.uk
I have read some great books! A lot of quality publications came out this year. Well done you! What is the name of the book? 5 Love Languages is a very good read. Thanks for stopping by!
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