Am I Black Enough For You? (Anita Heiss, Random House)

The provocatively titled Am I Black Enough For You? is prolific Wiradjuri author Anita Heiss’ response to the well-publicised Andrew Bolt racial vilification case of 2011. As she does in all of her books, including her very entertaining chick-lit series, Heiss unpacks and explores contemporary notions of identity and, in particular, the issues faced by educated, urban, Indigenous Australians. Throughout the memoir, which is written in her usual witty and very accessible style, Heiss documents her engagement and relationships with her various communities (black and white), notions of home and her connection to land—all the time challenging the reader to question their own innate prejudice and stereotyping. My favourite section is the ‘If you are a black woman you should’ … ‘be strong and not ask for help’ … ‘be angry’ … ‘be married up’ … ‘know about black stuff’ in which she debunks a series of myths and cultural expectations. While it distresses me that Heiss felt she needed to ‘defend’ herself against Bolt’s comments, Am I Black Enough For You? is a fitting retort from one of the main protagonists in this historic case. 

Rachel Wilson has awarded Am I Black Enough for You? three and a half stars out of five. She is a Melbourne-based media academic and former bookseller

Tags: nonfiction

Category: Reviews