Naked: Black Women Bare All About Their Skin, Hair, Hips, Lips, and Other Parts

I bought this book several years ago, loved it then and I love it now. I bought it again for my sister-friend as our first book for our book club, and we can’t stop drawing connections to our own lives. Even though each piece is written by a different black woman, the intersectionality is seamless.

"Naked: Black Women Bare All About Their Skin, Hair, Lips, and Other Parts" by Akiba Solomon and Ayana Byrd is a compilation of essays that articulates the black female experience. As a black woman, I found it easy to invest my emotions in the text, and in much of the writings I could see myself and people I know. Even though the essays are exclusively by black women, the sources are diverse. Women from all regions of the African diaspora were represented, as were socio-economic backgrounds, sexuality, conscientiousness, and celebrity. No voice more important than the other.Some of the stories were cringe inducing, while others were light and endearing. It's no surprise that the text is sexy - if you need a hint please check out the title. What is surprising, however, is that some of the sexiest essays were written by matriarchs whose seasoned beds have tantilized going back beyond the Civil Rights movement.Although no author was repeated, there were reoccurring themes throughout the book. Some were unique to the black female experience and others are common to womanhood with no preference for race or culture. I found the topics relating to black women particularly relatable (no brainer-I'm black) and felt pity for the women who could find solace with the overwhelming pressure to validate oneself with the flattery of a man.All in all, this book is delightful. No matter your race, there is wisdom and therapy to take from this book. All of those experiences and lessons learned should not be in vain.

This is a true, realistic views of black women in which I can relate to some of those stories. Quite frank and to the point, this book also made me feel said to an extent. Black women are resilient and strong and have to go through so much negative and biased stereotypes that I know that other nonblack women could not hold up to all that scrutinity. I applaud black women who are the beginning of civilization. I guess you have to be strong because only black women can handle from survival of the species from the past to what is happening to us now as a race. This book made me very proud to be a black woman. Black women ROCK!

I loved this book. It made me feel good to know that there are women out here that look beautiful on the outside, but feel ugly on the inside. It doesn't matter if the are ugly or pretty, skinny or fat, this book made me realize that we all feel insecure about ourselves and that we take something we don't like on our bodies and over exaggerate about it. I finally learned to accept my body for the way it is and I can now see myself the way others see me:)

Very eye opening to read the stories and feel the emotion of what women (particularly of color) endure everyday. From ages of pre-teen, in many instances, to whenever, you are subjected to treatment that is disrespectful in its mildest form to near inhumane. I apologize that men are not better than that!

I could relate to some stories and others definitely gave me a mindful. I loved the black and white photos of the women at the end of their story versus the beginning. Interesting read.

This book was a great find I'm appreciative to have been able to find it I wouldn't have been able to find it had I not been on Amazon

I just turned 27 and I have, just like most women, had moments of insecurity when it comes to my body. This book reminded me to love my body in its entirety and once I do, it will make life a lot easier. I would recommend this book to women at any age.