The Global History of Black Girlhood ed. by Corinne T. Field and LaKisha Michelle Simmons (review)

Reviewed by: The Global History of Black Girlhood ed. by Corinne T. Field and LaKisha Michelle Simmons Miya Carey-Agyemang The Global History of Black Girlhood. Edited by Corinne T. Field and LaKisha Michelle Simmons. Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2022. xvi + 296 pp. Hardcover 125. 00, paperback 24. 95, e-book 14. 95. In 2017, scholars, activists, artists, and students gathered at the University of Virginia for the Global History of Black Girlhood Conference. What emerged from this multi-day gathering was The Global History of Black Girlhood, an expansive collection of essays, reflective pieces, and resource materials edited by historians Corinne T. Field and LaKisha Michelle Simmons. It explores Black girlhood across the African diaspora between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries. Three questions frame this volume: What does it mean to be a "girl"? How are Black girls thinking about their Blackness and what does it mean to be Black within a given place or time? How have Black girls across time and space understood their place within the global Black community? The editors' approach to this global history of Black girlhood is informed by historian Abosede George, whom they quote in the text's acknowledgements. According to George, "In all contexts, a central starting point could be to denaturalize the categories of black, girl, and girlhood so as to trace or historicize the mechanisms by which these social constructs become assigned particular meanings and become assigned to certain bodies" (xi). The editors and contributors of this volume assert that despite being marginalized across multiple historiographies and within societies around the world more broadly, Black girls are historical actors worthy of scholarly inquiry. Furthermore, historian Crystal Webster argues convincingly in her piece that centering Black girls transforms our understandings of childhood, race, and gender. Contributors to the volume successfully prove this argument through their explorations of broader historical phenomena such as slavery, colonialism, and social movements. End Page 321 Although there is scholarship that explores Black girlhood from a global perspective, this volume is unique in that it is grounded in history rather than the contemporary. This does not mean that the editors and contributors do not make connections to present-day Black girlhood. For example, in Part II of the volume, readers are introduced to MC Sofia and That Girl Lay Lay, hip-hop artists from Brazil and the United States, respectively. One goal of this text is to highlight the utility of history in our understanding of contemporary discussions about and experiences of Black girls. What also makes this volume notable is its expansive reach. The editors and contributors are not interested in remaining in their scholarly silos or even within the bounds of the academy. Most of the contributors are trained academics, but artists, poets, and activists are also contributors. This volume is a model for collaborative interdisciplinary scholarship and illustrates what it means to do work that is community-minded and transcends the ivory tower. For example, Part III, titled "Global, " concludes with a transcript from a roundtable comprising Black American and South African activists. While the roundtable will no doubt be useful for researchers interested in youth politicization, political education, and intergenerational organizing, it will also "offer a primer for activists interested in exploring the history of Black girls as a means of strengthening global and local movements for Black Liberation" (190). The archival challenges of doing the history of Black girlhood and the idea of self-definition are topics present throughout this text. The appendix, "For Black Girls: Creating Your Own Black Girlhood Archive, " addresses both themes, while further emphasizing the outward-facing nature of this volume. Here, Simmons and Casidy Campbell empower Black girls to control their own narratives and ensure the visibility of Black girls through the creation of archives. Suggested activities include conducting oral histories, recording modes of play from different generations, and creating zines. Young readers will also learn the historian's craft and ethical research practices. The appendix is meant for Black girls and young women, but community leaders or those with Black girls in their lives may also find this section of the book helpful. The Global History of Black Girlhood should be regarded as a. . .