When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost

[CrimsonTide4]

I received the following excerpt from an AKA SF on a listserve and was impressed but what I read. Has anyone read this book? Comments?


Excerpt from "When Chicken Heads Come Home to Roost" by

To Whom It May Concern:

For reasons of emotional health and overall sanity, I've retired from being a STRONGBLACKWOMAN. Since I've been acting like a SBW for most of my life, I've taken the liberty of drafting a re-orientation memo.

To the white folks I work with--the fake "Fine" and compulsory smile? Gone. Deaded. Don't look for it. From now on, when asked "How are you?" I'm going to tell you the truth -- so if you really don't give a sh*t, do yourself a favor and don't ask. Some days I really am an evil black woman.

To the folks in my life who are used to calling me at all hours of the A.M. or P.M. and repeatedly dumping their emotional refuse --start looking for a therapist. I apologize for not telling you before that I'm not the "strongest sista" you know, that my sh*t is not "always so d*mn together" (Then again you would have known if you'd interjected an occasional, "Hey, girl, how you doing" in your tirades.) There are days my sh*t is downright raggedy and on those days I'm not feeling you. I've officially given myself permission to ignore all twenty of your messages on my machine, especially the ones telling me you feel abandoned.

To the brothers trying to kick it. Stop. Let me save you some time. If my financial independence, education, ambition, looks, or basic determination to survive makes you question whether or not you'd have anything to give such a STRONGBLACKWOMAN, don't bother. Return to the valley of the chickenheads, cuz I don't f*** wit' that anymore. SBWs do not have needs. I got plenty---and I'll gladly tell them to you while I'm running your bathwater, or you're rubbing me down with oil, or we're playing tag with our tongues. Bring it on if and only if you really beleive you deserve me.

And while I'm at it, mad love for my peeps who didn't need anything of this, who knew I was never a STRONGBLACKWOMAN---just fronting. Thanks for sticking around while I was tripping. Y'all know sh*t goes. We get there in the by and by.

Peace & Love, Joan

[AKA2D '91]

[fine by design]

I read it as part of a book club a few months back, and only ended up discussing it with a few close girlfriends. i was initially thrown off by the title, but Joan Morgan hits some nails on the head with this one. Feminism, black love, sexuality, all that. Overall a good read. I would like to hear what brothers or non-black women think of the book.

[Honeykiss1974]

yes!!!! AMEN!!!!!!!!!

I want that on a T-shirt!!!!!!!!

[mccoyred]

I read this book about a year ago and enjoyed it.

The audience is the 'hip hop generation' however, many of her points apply to most Black Women. Yes, the title is a little misleading but it serves to attract the target audience.

I'll have to read it again and weigh in on the topic at hand.

[Blackwatch]

She actually came to My Grad school about a year ago and read from it. Pretty interesting book and subjects. Basically, she warns black women in the hip-hop generation not to fall for the notions of "independance" and "Power through sex" that many young women are falling for through the music and culture. The core unit in the black community is the family, which starts with healthy relationships between men and women. Independence in the hip-hop culture has become "hate your man" and more dangerously "hate yourself" when you believe the only redeeming quality about yourself if hyper-sexuality ( the academic term for skanky-ism ).
Blackwatch!!!

[CrimsonTide4]

I am going to get this book this weekend and read it because lately this excerpt has been on my mind.

[CrimsonTide4]

TTT for Sphinxpoet and others who have recently read it. I still have not read it.