Customer Reviews

When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost : My Life as A Hip Hop Feminist

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a must read for the black feminist who doens't quite get the "N.O.W." viewpoint on feminism. Joan Morgan puts into words the conflicting feeling and emotions of being black, female, and a feminist from the generation X-ers viewpoint, using language that is easily related to. She doesn't sink down into dense theory that could be exclusionary in language and nature. Theory that can leave one feeling as if they should have taken a beginners course before attempting to delve into the mind bogling, high handed concepts. She maintains her focus and is concise as well as insightful. Most feminist theory tends to be a turn off since a lot of such material is geared towards a limited, elitist audience who leaves black feminist and other of an outside group feeling even more like an outsider because they don't address the differning issues and concerns that pertain especially to woman of color. Moreover, this is a book that should not only be read by black woman but by latina's as well. As a black female of latin descent I fould myself relating to almost every word. A must have. A must read.

As a young, black, struggling, college senior, this book gave me hope, inspiration, and motivation to look inside of myself and to stop pointing the finger at everyone else so much. If you want to go deep into the psyche, then this book is for you. Joan Morgan is definitly someone that I can relate to. Any young black woman, or woman will definitly gain an abundance of knowledge by putting this book into their shopping cart.

I love hip-hop but is my love of this sub-culture contradictory to my existence as a black feminist? At first I was a bit apprehensive about reading this book, after all skepticism is a true character trait of my generation (X and Y). But I've found from the shout-outs in the beginning to the last period in the book, Ms. Morgan is quite informative, insightful, and most of all --just real. I felt as if she knew me...she not only allowed me to understand her experience but enable me to begin to define my own.

Joan Morgan is an extrodinary black women deriving out of the hip-hop generation. Looking outside the hip-hop generation, many only view us as hip-hop heads with no mind-sense and no value for intelligence and education. Joan Morgan set yet another example of how intelligent and extrodinary black people are that are in the hip-hop culture. Morgan not only kept it real with our society today within the black community but within black on black relationships and women in a psychological point-of-view. As a femimist, Morgan did not attack men, nor did she necessarily totally glorify women. Morgan just told it how it is and did not try to sugarcoat everything. As a black person, as a woman, as a feminist, or as one deriving from the hip-hop generation, this book can relate to almost anybody.

I could not put this book down. The book articulated thechallenges I felt in my own relationships and experiences. I certainly enjoyed the chapter "Love Notes". The author by no means male bashes but frankly puts out there the real deal.

The book just had me saying AMEN!

Being caught at the tail end of the Baby Boom, I'd say that this book is really written from the viewpoint of young women a few years younger than I am. Still, it is reminiscent of Michelle Wallace's "Black Macho and The Myth of The Superwoman" which debuted some 20 odd years or so ago. Being a strong willed, independent Black woman is still as hard today as it was 20 years ago and I am glad that there are still fierce sistah's out there willing to address the issues at hand.

Great view on a never vanishing topic from a new voice and new perspective !

While reading "When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost", by Joan Morgan, I couldn't help but feel like I was being lectured on what it means to truly be a Strong Black Woman. Although I'm of the male gender I felt everything Ms. Joaney Joan Joan was talking about, but I still thought she was to repetitive in some areas, however, I ain't mad at her. This book is very interesting and keep you waiting for the knowledge she's going to kick on the next page. I think all females, the chickenheads, hoodrats, lesbians, churchgirls,professionals,hip-hop feminist,and not to mention the men folk should all read this book to learn a thing or 2 about themselves and about feminism.

Morgan eloquently voices the thoughts and desires of the independent, feminist, African American woman. She acknowledges the black feminists of the past but explains that today's feminists of the hip hop generation are different and they express different needs and desires from themselves and the people surrounding them whether they be male or female.

In her last essay "Chickenhead Envy" she acknowledges that "strongblackwomen" and "chickenheads" may have the same wants and desires but the roads they take to achieve them are different, creativing a dividing line coated with animosity.

Morgan calls herself a STRONGBLACKWOMAN in remission, saying she doesn't not want to be lauded for her success through struggle. Eliminating struggle from a black woman's life does not make her any less of a woman.

I recommend this book to women and men, black and white, young and old. If you have a desire to understand today's young African American woman, Morgan's blunt, in-your-face writing will give you an look instead the mind of one who is such.

Womanist, black feminist and now we have coined hip hop feminist. Interesting. I enjoyed reading the book but something about it didn't resonate with me. Perhaps it was my age. I couldn't relate to some of the things she said which was alright. Now I would like an early twenty something black feminist to write a book to complement Morgan's 30-something experiences.

When ChickenHeads Come Home is a real look at what young single black women face. Being 27, gainfully employed and a homeowner puts me in a bad category for dating. I found myself settling and excepting less than the best treatment and fighting lots of sexism and ignorance from my own brothers along the way. I began to wonder if Black men truly like us. I'm not your enemy brother man because I do for myself, make waves for myself and want better for myself. You should treasure me, not complain to me about a chickenhead who doesn't want anything other than you. I actually had an ex who babysitted a chicken's cat, when I couldn't get him to page me back. But that's life and Joan's book brought everything to the forefront. My standards are high (as they should be) and my legs are closed (celibant for 10 months). When the brothers get tired of chickenheads, I be here ready and prepared to create a Black family.