Carefree Black Girls

Carefree Black Girls is an exploration and celebration of Black women's identity and impact on pop culture, as well as the enduring stereotypes they face, from a film and culture critic for HuffPost.

In 2013, Zeba Blay was one of the first people to coin the viral term "carefreeblackgirls" on Twitter. It was, as she says, "a way to carve out a space of celebration and freedom for Black women online."

In this collection of essays, Blay expands on that initial idea by looking at the significance of influential Black women throughout history, including Josephine Baker, Michelle Obama, Rihanna, and Cardi B. Incorporating her own personal experiences as well as astute analysis of these famous women, Blay presents an empowering and celebratory portrait of black women and their effect on American culture. She also examines the many stereotypes that have clung to Black women throughout history, whether it is the Mammy, the Angry Black Woman, or more recently, the Thot.

Zeba Blay is a film and culture critic who has contributed to publications including The New York Times, The Village Voice, ESSENCE, Shadow and Act, Film Quarterly, and Indiewire. Currently Senior Culture Writer at HuffPost, Blay has spent her nearly decade-long career writing about pop culture at the intersection of race, gender, and identity. Born in Accra, Ghana she is based in the New York City area.

• Carefree Black Girls: A Celebration of Black Women in Pop Culture by Zeba Blay
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (October 19, 2021)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 240 pages
• ISBN-10: 1250231566
• ISBN-13: 9781250231567
• Item Weight: 1.11 pounds
• Dimensions: 5.38 x 8.25 inches