A Summer Renaissance, Courtesy of Beyoncé

Philyaw’s church ladies are anything but simple. Her collection of stories shows the multifaceted and complex lives of Black women as they carve out their own lives despite expectations of the Black church, which has been a huge presence in the lives of many Black Americans for hundreds of years. Queer women meet with their lovers, young girls start to piece together their individual identities, and therapy — still not wholly accepted in many communities — is sought to break unhealthy ties. Philyaw’s characters jump off the page as she explores their most intimate moments.

Fittingly, Beyoncé has a song titled church Girl, which has the lines “church girl, don’t hurt nobody” followed by “You can be my daddy if you want to.” I mean, not that I know what those words in that order mean, or anything *cough*, but they really fit this book so well.

Black people — Black women, in this book’s case — have never been granted the opportunity to meet societal expectations in the Western world. Many would argue that what Black people were not allowed to do — and what white people could do in contrast — defined what it meant to be white, but that’s another point for another book. Considering all this, though, it makes sense that, following the Victorian era’s strict social mores, many Black women bucked so-called respectability politics and lived as they wanted. Hartman outlines how they redefined what marriage, motherhood, and sexuality meant. By determining which kind of relationships — and even working conditions — they wanted for themselves, they shaped a cultural movement.

Might I suggest you don’t mess with my sis

Cause she comfortable

Comfortable in my skin

Cozy with who I am

I feel like this is the song Cozy from the Renaissance album in book form. We follow Kim, Tanisha, Davene, and Cookie as they navigate their own friendship, as well as their everyday lives, in the Bronx. As the title suggests, the importance of wash day — when many Black women set aside time for self-care through hair maintenance — centers the friends’ story. Differing color palettes help set the mood — which is often cozy! — in this graphic novel as the women revel in their sisterhood.

I’ve been loving slice-of-life graphic novels/manga lately, and it’s dope to see Black women’s everyday lives brought to life on the page. I could see myself spilling tea with them in the hair salon as we sang along to someone’s playlist.