Tamara Winfrey Harris is the author of The Sisters Are Alright, which won several awards, including the Harlem Book Fair's Phillis Wheatley Award. Her work also appears in the books The Burden- African Americans and the Enduring Impact of Slavery and The Lemonade Reader- Beyonce, Black Feminism and Spirituality, as well as in publications such as the New York Times, Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine, Ebony, the American Prospect, and Ms. magazine. She is also vice president of community leadership and effective philanthropy at the Central Indiana Community Foundation.
“25 Must-Read Books for March” —Good Morning America
“March 2021 Reads for the Rest of Us” —Ms. Magazine
“Ten Hot Reads for March 2021” —Frolic
“Black History Month Essential Reading” —Enspire
“A collection of letters written by Black women to encourage,
educate, and uplift Black girls. ‘The world does not value Black
girls like it should,’ writes Winfrey Harris. With chapters
dedicated to ‘Black Girl Magic,’ family, friendship, mental health,
and romantic relationships, the author seeks to rectify the
devaluing of Black girls by connecting them with Black women
through sage advice focused on meaningful topics. With an eye
toward educating and healing, this collection of letters is
reinforced by vocabulary words and history lessons necessary for
any Black girl to know. It is also a self-affirming workbook
prompting readers to supplement the letters and lessons with love
letters to themselves. Winfrey Harris highlights the spectrum of
Blackness and the Black experience, writing with necessary candor
throughout. Beautifully written, the letters often feel like a
collection of essays and poems. One standout contribution features
the perspective of a ‘transracial adoptee’ writing to other Black
girls raised within White families; the author discusses the
realities of alienation and the longing for connection. Ultimately,
she writes, ‘May you love yourself exactly as you are.’ ‘In
Survivor Solidarity’ she speaks to girls who have suffered sexual
violence and assault from ‘the other side’ of trauma, reminding
them that what happened is not their fault. While many other
similar books are how-to guides written by and for other teens,
most of which focus primarily on boys, this collection is written
by older Black women for younger Black women with the intent to
provide vital knowledge, to instruct in how to build a sense of
self-worth, and to be passed on from one generation to another.
Interspersed throughout the book are sharp ‘Know This’ sidebars,
which feature further resources and concrete information on such
topics as ‘black name bias,’ ‘radical self-care,’ Planned
Parenthood, and the Trevor Project. A valuable combination of
encouragement, empowerment, and instruction.”
—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
“Dear Black Girl is for the little Black girls who still need the
language to process their magic. In a world that often leaves us
with more questions than answers, this book is a literal gift.”
—Bassey Ikpi, author of I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying
“Dear Black Girl is the empowering, affirming love letter our girls
need to thrive in a world that does not always protect, nurture, or
celebrate us.” —Tarana Burke, founder of the Me Too Movement
“This book, a conversation across generations, is a loving,
trenchant reminder that Black girls deserve tenderness, care, and
the forgiving mirrors that are another Black woman’s eyes.” —Dr.
Brittney Cooper, author of Eloquent Rage
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