Black Girls Must Die Exhausted: A Novel

In the 2010s, the period in which Black Girl Must Die Exhausted is set, women of color faced considerable intersectionality challenges, meaning that they experienced multiple forms of discrimination at once. These challenges blended race, gender, and often class-related struggles, making the experiences of such women unique and complex. While intersectionality challenges for BIPOC women have existed for decades, several social movements like #SayHerName and #BlackGirlsMatter—both of which were coined in 2014 by the African American Policy Forum—garnered national attention for these issues.

One significant concern was the lack of representation across various domains. Whether in media, politics, or corporate leadership positions, women of color encountered profound underrepresentation. The marginalization of BIPOC women hindered their ability to have their voices heard and perpetuated harmful stereotypes and misconceptions. As a news reporter, Allen’s protagonist, Tabby, highlights this issue when she confronts Scott, her white male colleague, on gentrification issues in Los Angeles. Whereas Tabby sees families being uprooted from their communities, Scott describes “dangerous” neighborhoods that have been successfully cleansed of crime. Scott’s outlook wins the favor of the news director, and Tabby loses the opportunity to highlight the ongoing challenges to predominantly Black communities in LA. Moreover, Scott assumes that he will advance to a senior position before Tabby, and he has good reason to make this presumption, as BIPOC women often face limited access to opportunities for career promotion, further establishing economic inequities.

Additionally, healthcare disparities disproportionately affect women of color, particularly when assessing fertility and maternal care. Despite developed medical practices, BIPOC women are more than twice as likely to experience pregnancy- and childbirth-related death. While access to medical care and health insurance plays a significant role in this statistic, studies indicate that systematic racism and discrimination give rise to disparities in maternal mortality rates. Tabby’s story illustrates the differentiated treatment that women of color experience in healthcare: When she visits the infertility clinic, she receives unsympathetic treatment from the receptionist and belittling care from the doctor. This scene contrasts starkly with the warm and considerate phone conversation that Tabby experienced while scheduling her appointment. While the late 2010s saw increased activism and awareness for intersectionality challenges affecting women of color, maternal mortality among BIPOC women only worsened in the early 2020s (Hoyert, Donna L. “Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2021.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).