You can’t Touch My Hair and Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson
LLBC Rating: 9/10
Book Synopsis: You Can’t Touch My Hair and Other Things I Still Have to Explain is a memoir written by genius comedian Phoebe Robinson where she discusses African American culture, how it has developed over the years, and her experience as a black woman in America and a woman in comedy.
This memoir was incredible and hilarious, though we may have been a few years too young to appreciate some of the references. Regardless, we learned so much from Ms. Robinson as many of the things mentioned in this book, we had no idea black women experienced or just did not realize was something they struggled with, such as receiving even the most basic customer service in an arts and crafts store among many other much more serious prejudices experienced on a daily basis. I wish that I would have better understood some of the references in this book as I think we all could have taken even more away from Ms. Robinson.
OUTING:
To continue our newfound love of Phoebe, and to pamper ourselves during Women’s History Month, we booked a room at the Grand Rapids JW Marriot hotel. We spent the afternoon enjoying the luxurious room and getting ready for our dinner reservation at the restaurant downstairs. Looking our best, we were placed in a private dining area where we enjoyed a glass of wine and some lovely appetizers.
With dessert to-go, we returned to the room where we changed outfits and jumped right into one of our signature photoshoots. We brought props, and some fun outfits to bring our vision to life as some of Queen Phoebe Robinson’s stand up played on the TV. We definitely did not have to fake any laughs for our candid shots and sometimes struggled to strike a serious pose.
In order to help other women this month, we donated a number of supplies to a local women’s shelter. Many of the products that women’s shelters are in need of are forgotten by those who are trying to do good. Our club tried our best to pay attention to these things donating goods like plastic gloves, masks to protect against the pandemic, and . If you plan on doing something similar, we suggest looking into the wish lists from these shelters and bringing/sending them the products that it seems nobody else is. Many of these shelters have Amazon wish lists where you can see what they need, so make sure to check them out before curating your donation.
FINAL MEETING:
As we had read a memoir for the month of March, it was only fitting that we wrote some memoirs of our own to read to the group. As we relived things such as all of the houses we grew up in, our college experience, or a few random moments of our lives that shaped who we are today, we laughed and cried and learned about each other through a new medium of expression.
When discussing the book at the final meeting, we all realized just how much we did not know about the experiences of black women. As a group of white women, we do our best to learn about the experiences of other cultures, and especially the women in those cultures, but sometimes those efforts fall flat. This is one of those times. March has opened our eyes and made us realize that we need to be more vigilant in learning about other cultures and the things they experience in America and throughout the world. This is something that we will take away from this memoir and hopefully improve on in our everyday lives.
Want to join us for next month? Check out our membership options and follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with us daily!
Instagram: ladyliteracybc
TikTok: ladyliteracybookclub
Comments