Training School for Negro Girls by Camille Acker

Something I've been more mindful of these last couple of years is reading books that I wouldn't normally read. One of those types of books is short stories. Usually, I pass on short stories because I just want to get lost in 1 story for a couple of hours. I can think of 1 book of short stories off the top of my head that I really enjoyed and it was written by a white male. Great book, but I also like to discover new authors from underrepresented backgrounds. When I came across Training School for Negro Girls I thought AWESOME. A book of short stories written by a Black woman. Right up my alley.

Camille Acker is from Washington D.C. and her stories are about Black girls and women in D.C. She references D.C. in almost every story whether it's calling out street names, neighborhoods, or even mentioning trips to Maryland and Virginia. This may seem trivial, but it's something I absolutely love about her book. I've read plenty of books set in a specific geographic location and sometimes it feels like something is off and after some research, I learn that the author isn't from that area. Acker's book oozes authenticity and I think it's because she's actually from D.C. and can speak from that experience.

The characters in her short stories vary in age range and even skin tone, but the constant is that they are Black. Each story is about the experience of a Black woman/girl. Acker writes about the subtleties of these experiences - references to lighter skin and how a light skin girl is treated differently from a dark skin girl, excelling at a skill only to be met with snide comments, doing your job and following the rules and getting reprimanded because you didn't bend the rules for someone more powerful. Each one of these stories speaks to a different, subtle, and very important experience.

I think the way that Acker wrote these is just great. Too often racism and misogyny are equated with outlandish acts and offensive words. Acker writes about situations that happen every day and are seem innocuous, but are actually key in holding up systems of oppression. It's death by a thousand cuts and I think Acker communicates that very clearly.

I would honestly recommend this book for everyone to read. The writing is great, the stories are all interesting, and it feels like the author is talking to you.