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Aisha Redux was born and raised in New York City. Her parents emigrated from West Africa. She is originally from the Upper West Side, has lived in Harlem and has been a proud resident of The South Bronx since her late teens.   She is noted for her great capacity in conveying original insight through her writing and other creative outlets. As an avid culture seeker with an insatiable interest in global lifestyles, Aisha loves to travel. She speaks fluent English, French and Sou-sou dialect and has a unique comfort and aptitude for assimilation to any environment. Also, through these travels, she has gained valuable connections, a vast knowledge of cultures and the force to launch a media and creative projects that inspire and impact. She has written for  various publications and loves interviewing and  podcasting. In addition to her writing ability, she is well versed in pop culture. The creation of ‘Stupid Black Girl’ is a culminating out pour of her talents and inspiration.

Q&A with Aisha Redux

Author of Stupid Black Girl: Essays from an American African

Where did the title of your book Stupid Black Girl come from? And why did you choose to use it as your title?

Stupid Black Girl is based off of an encounter that I detailed in Origin Story in which I was called a “Stupid Black Girl”. I was having a deep conversation with an acquaintance of mine and in the middle of it he stopped and responded by saying “when I met you I thought you were just a stupid black girl”. Hearing this statement made to me, led me to an exploration of my life as well as a deeper look at culture and society around me. It’s an extension of a blog I had of the same name. The blog essays were triggered by thoughts, experiences and feelings that came about as a result of that encounter.

It must be weird having your debut as author be during a global pandemic, especially as a New Yorker, being in the epicenter of the outbreak in the US. How are you feeling about this your book coming into the world at this time?

My publication date has been moved to June 30th. Now is a precarious time to find yourself in as a first-time author making an introduction into the world. Bookstores are non-essential businesses and I can’t do readings and events to connect with people and promote. It will all come from online directly.

Part of the promotional aspect is reaching out to people in hopes of them spreading the word. This is something I find somewhat challenging and awkward.
Unlike a novel or work of fiction—this isn’t just a story I was inspired to write, with characters and imagination. This is my life. Me making do with a difficult path that the universe has given me to walk and making use of the talents I’ve been given to connect with people. How exactly do you promote that to people who don’t know you? How would you promote some of your deepest experiences? How would you package this up to sell? Shit that you’re still not really over. Because after everything is said and done and whether this book is out of print or on shelves, this will still be my story that I have to stand by.

I’ve had literary agents and authors send me their books to read and promote on my IG over the years. I couldn’t read all, but the books I did read were the ones that I found intriguing and authentic and by authors who have real messages. Everyone has their own criteria as well as their own busy schedules, so I know how it goes.
No matter how many times I saw the Alchemist being promoted or being recommended to me or I heard Oprah Winfrey raving about it, I still didn’t pick it up to read until I was 28. That’s because books are beings. Just like human beings, you will come across them when it’s time or not at all.

I can give birth to the book, but I can’t turn it into a doctor lol. It has its own fate and journey that lies with how the world responds to it Support, reviews, posts and presales are appreciated. Thanks to everyone who already bought a copy! I hope this book finds you though and moves you to selflessly share your story, think a little deeper and heal if you need to.

You have written for various publications and you have written online under the Stupid Black Girl identity for several years. When did you first aspire to become a writer? And inspired you to write this book of essays?

Writing is an important and vital form of expression for me. I knew I was a writer in Elementary school. I am a creative person in general I would say. I always have lots of things swirling around in my mind at any given time. But I don’t think I ever decided so to speak to become a writer. I decided to start writing the book because I didn’t think the blog did my narratives justice. I wanted them printed on pages and not just casual reading on a screen. And I wanted to be able to reach more people. I wanted to go into more detail as well. I wanted to honor my roots, my city, my ancestors and my family. A blog couldn’t do all that they way a book could.  

Your book is written from the American African experience. Can you describe how this experience is different from the African American understanding?

The American African experience is a term I created specifically for the book. There is no agenda behind it. American African just describes being first generation American born from African parents. I was born and raised in Manhattan on the upper west side. We spoke French at home and Susu, my mother’s tribal language. The book focuses on my experience of being a first-generation New Yorker, most specifically. Later living in pregentrified Harlem and then the South Bronx. My unique perspective and nuanced point of view create these narratives I share. It’s a story I’ve never heard and one that I think people need to hear.

In your book, you call upon other black women to embrace their strength and beauty despite Eurocentric standards of beauty. How is this important now?

Brown is an essay I wrote about empowerment and coming of age with a sense of pride and love for where you are from, while trying to understand a world that sees you differently and undervalues you. I think it is important because when I was growing up all the stories I read about brown skinned girls (the blue eye, the color purple etc) had to do with feeling ugly, being rejected and struggling to belong. My experience was different from that. I’ve always loved my brown skin and where I came from. My struggle was never an internal one. The struggle was with the external (society, my environment) It was my journey of coming to terms with how the world saw me, and a sense of disillusionment with a world that didn’t honor black beauty the way I did. Colorism is a facet of the black experience, but Brown is an essay about my coming of age through the specific lens of being a brown-skinned-loving black woman in a world that thinks otherwise. Brown is meant to express the challenge of that empowerment.

Les Cousins is another essay in the book. It translates as “the cousins” and in it I talk about being a first generation American and the tension and conflicts that exist between the Africans and African American community which I have witnessed and experienced. This was always something that lingered in the background, but which I didn’t see properly addressed by the Africans around me. The way we were conditioned to see African Americans, and the way I felt being a child of African parents in that situation. I always wanted an honest conversation to dispel the negativity. I hope that talking about my own experience can be a start to a real and compassionate conversation. 

It’s unusual for a book of essays to include art. Why and how did you decide to include art in the book? And how do you feel specifically about the art of Brianna McCarthy? What kind of connection do you feel to her? And how is her experience as a Trinidadian woman relevant to yours?

Brianna grew up as a black woman in a majority black country. I grew up as a black woman in a majority white country. She might not have had these same sorts of encounters, struggles and experiences of misogynoir and racism. She might not have seen beauty, talent and intelligence being questioned so blatantly. So, she brings her own perspective of the black female experience to the book through her art. I hope this is why the book is interesting and important. There are many facets and experiences of black womanhood and coming of age through the black diaspora. My perspective is a largely ignored one. Where Brianna and I meet is in being empowered and being black loving black women who share our message through art and self-expression. 

Art was a major part of my life growing up, my father was an art dealer. Having this component to my book of essays brought everything full circle. 

You are both globe trekker and avid culture seeker with an immense interest in global lifestyles. What are some of the favorite places you’ve traveled to?

 Africa. Abidjan is one of my favorite cities. I enjoy taking strolls through Paris and Brussels. New Orleans is a city I love and really connected with because I felt an acceptance of my spirituality and roots. I love to get the most ascendent sense of a city through the people. Forming connections, hearing life anecdotes and blending into their vibes. That’s why I travel. To grow as well as escape. Any place that offers this, is where I need to be. But nothing tops New York City! 

Who are a few of your favorite writers?

I’m mostly a nonfiction reader so most of my favorite writing comes from memoirs and autobiographies. I love social science and psychology, self-help. I love reading Malcolm Gladwell. Robert Greene. I enjoy Augusten Burroughs’ brave life narratives. Sylvia Plath. Maya Angelou. A lot depends on what I am searching to uncover or which part of me I am looking to access at that moment. 

But some of the books that have had a big effect on me are:

One of the things I loved most about Americanah was how authentic everything was! As a child of West African parents, growing up in America— I would say that the book kept it really real and I was very impressed by how familiar it all came across.

What is your favorite way to spend your free time?

Conversing. Meeting people and swapping life stories, connecting with others is always my favorite way to spend free time. It’s always so interesting to witness how much people are willing to share the deepest parts of themselves with you, when you come across as genuine and real to them. Sometimes it’s through those brief exchanges and conversations that you can have an effect or make even a slight difference in someone’s life. 

What kind of impact and message do you hope this book might have on your readers’ lives?

Be human. Share your stories, your tragedies, your pain, and your insight with others to connect and heal yourself as well as others. This was a book of healing for me. It was challenging and sometimes painful because I had to be real and vulnerable.

I’m also hoping to inspire people to feel pride. No matter what, you know who you are! Stand by that. Whether you are challenging society or challenging your family and traditions. This book is meant to honor the black girl, the black woman, and to shine a light on her power, beauty, intelligence, and issues which are often ignored and downplayed in our society. To shine this light through empowerment and truth as raw as it may be. 

Blackness is not a campaign, trend or gimmick. I had to live all of this before I could write it. Blackness is a multilayered experience being expressed through different voices throughout the entire world.