Book Review: “This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope” by Shayla Lawson

“This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope” by Shayla Lawson (2020)

Genre: Non-Fiction, Essays

Page Length: 336 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

Shayla Lawson is major. You don’t know who she is. Yet. But that’s okay. She is on a mission to move black girls like herself from best supporting actress to a starring role in the major narrative. Whether she’s taking on workplace microaggressions or upending racist stereotypes about her home state of Kentucky, she looks for the side of the story that isn’t always told, the places where the voices of black girls haven’t been heard.

The essays in This is Major ask questions like: Why are black women invisible to AI? What is “black girl magic”? Or: Am I one viral tweet away from becoming Twitter famous? And: How much magic does it take to land a Tinder date?

With a unique mix of personal stories, pop culture observations, and insights into politics and history, Lawson sheds light on these questions, as well as the many ways black women and girls have influenced mainstream culture—from their style, to their language, and even their art—and how “major” they really are.

Timely, enlightening, and wickedly sharp, This Is Major places black women at the center—no longer silenced, no longer the minority. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

This is Major is a book full of essays about the author’s experience as a Black woman and her thoughts of Black women in the media, pop culture, legacy, and so much more. There’s a lot to unpack in this collection of thoughts, but I enjoyed it thoroughly from beginning to end. There are so many important narratives, awareness about many issues are brought to light, there are fun musings on life’s experiences, and an overall deeper conversation about race.

Lawson reflects on how life’s experiences have shaped her through the years and into the woman she has become today. From her time of performing in the play, For Colored Girls to Black Twitter, shares her honest opinions on their influence and it’s place into today’s society. I liked the structure of each essay and how she delves into a topic and then shares personal reflections/memories that tie-into it. It gave the book a personal touch and it allowed me to connect with her narrative deeply. Not only as a Black women, but as reader. I think others will be able to resonate with her stories as well.

I enjoyed all the essays and I learned so many new things. I liked her tie-ins to pop culture to explain certain concepts. This thought-provoking, and complex read. It was well-written, thoughtful, timely, and I would like to check out more of Lawson’s works. I highly recommend This is Major as a book that you should definitely add to your TBR!

Final Verdict: