Review by emvance -- DeFacto Feminism: Essays Straight O...

[emvance]

[Following is a volunteer review of "DeFacto Feminism: Essays Straight Outta Oakland" by Judy Juanita.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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De Facto Feminism: Essays Straight Outta Oakland by Judy Juanita is a collection of essays, poems, and letters between the author and her mentors. The introduction provides a glimpse of the energy and sense of humor that Juanita brings to her essays. The very first few lines, “I’m a woman. POW! Black. BAM!” are attention-grabbing and she later humorously refers to herself as, “old enough for Medicare, but feel young at heart…” This unbridled passion and energy is absolutely essential as she begins to dive into topics like racism, feminism, and activism.


The essays in De Facto Feminism are in such a strategic order that they almost feel like chapters in a novel – the narrative is so clear. The first essay, “My California Childhood – a freedom childhood” tells how the author didn’t think about race until adolescence. Soon after her mother advised her to make black girlfriends, she became aware of intraracism. In “White Out,” she tells more about what it was like being a college-aged black girl in the 60’s. There were very seldom any black people portrayed in the media unless they were maids or butlers. However, she argues that the rise of the Beatles helped black culture seep in to the mainstream. The subsequent essays explore Juanita’s college years as a member of the Black Panther Party, to the lessons she learned as a woman. She shares her stance on the N-word, guns, and feminism using her own lived experience as justification.


This collection of essays was exceptionally well edited. Additionally, the author is able to balance heavy topics with light-hearted stories, blunt language with airy poetry. Anyone can find something to love about this book. In fact, everybody should read it because it is valuable to learn about social issues through the lens of someone who experiences them on a daily basis. Aside from being informative, it also appeals to the artistic senses through poetry and prose. However, because of the nature of some of the topics in this book, it is certainly best suited for more mature readers.


It would help to have some background knowledge on the Black Arts Movement before reading this text. There are quite a few instances where the author drops a string of names without detailing their contributions, so prior knowledge would be helpful in these instances. If anything, though, this book could be used as a launching point for learning more about the Black Arts Movement.


All-in-all this book is worth the read. It is also a book that would be good to keep around so that you can come back to it every so often. It being a collection of essays and poems allows you to flip through and read whichever one tickles your fancy on any given day. Definitely add De Facto Feminism: Essays Straight Outta Oakland to your library; I give it a 4 out of 4.

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DeFacto Feminism: Essays Straight Outta Oakland
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[Erin Painter Baker]

I am super interested in reading this collection of essays. It sounds like it could be a great addition to a literature, history, or social studies type class.