As soon as I saw the founder of Black Girl Hockey Club was writing this book, I knew I had to read it. In this collection of essays, Hess tackles the way that hockey systematically excludes Black people and more specifically Black women, often simply by way of not recognizing how much harder it is for those groups. It's no secret that hockey is very white and very monied. The sport is expensive, from buying all the equipment to getting access to ice, and the barriers to entry are high. Throughout these essays, Hess highlights some of the ways that her nonprofit and others are working to make the game more accessible. From the Pittsburgh Penguins running training camps in a facility closer to downtown and accessible via public transit to the BGHC giving out scholarships that help marginalized players with the costs of the game, there are small changes that can be made that have huge impacts on who is given the opportunity to be exposed to the game.

One thing that I love about Hess in this book is that she knows she only knows one viewpoint, that of a "fan of being a fan" who came to the sport later in life. Knowing that, she reached out to people all across the spectrum to get their views too. She interviewed Sarah Nurse, the only Black Olympian in women's hockey, and Bernice Carnegie, daughter of Herbert Carnegie who is considered to be the best Black hockey player to never play in the NHL and founded one of the first hockey schools in Canada.

While I admit, and Hess even has an essay about this in the book, that this book isn't for me as a white woman, I do think I took a lot out of this. I grew up feeling some of the things the players in this book feel simply by being a girl playing a "boy's" sport so I know it had to be even harder when facing racism or racism and sexism. I loved that this made me look at my own experiences in a different light and gave me insight into what I can do to help others, especially others who don't look like me.

That being said, I do think that by the end of this essay collection, some of the anecdotes and comments began to feel a little repetitive. Maybe I wouldn't have noticed as much if I had spaced out the readings of these essays, but as a whole it made the collection feel a little less polished.

A fascinating read on Black girls and women in hockey spaces, community in fandom and how racist affects all aspects of live. Loved the nuance and voice in this book. I know next to nothing about hockey but was fascinated by every page.

Blackness Is a Gift I Can Give Her: On Race, Community, and Black Women in Hockey by R. Renee Hess

I loved this book! It was a great insight into Black Girl Hockey Club. I loved the interviews. I loved the research. I loved the plain language. Absolutely spectacular.

Two of my favorite highlights are below:

“You see, I may not be a hockey mom, but I’ll claim the role of hockey auntie any day.”

“Gender, sexuality, race— these are social constructs created to divide us and build false walls around us, so that we don’t feel empathy for our fellow human beings.”

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

"It isn’t easy being the first— the first Black woman to win gold, to run a hockey school, to be a professional hockey scout, to start a hockey non-profit that values Black women above all else. “Firsts” need the support and care of our communities. But by creating safe spaces where others can be vulnerable and honest, we give ourselves that same gift—and that’s a beautiful thing to behold."

With a title that I expected to deliver more of a scholarly tone, footnotes and the like (there is a Works Cited), Blackness Is a Gift I Can Give Her: On Race, Community, and Black Women in Hockey instead was a conversational piece about the author's fandom, experience, work, insight, and hope for inclusivity in the world of hockey. The beginning lays out how they came to be a fan of the sport and then how isolating it could be at times being a Black and queer person in that fandom. This had the author creating Black Girl Hockey Club, sending them down a road of creating space, connections, and opportunity for others to not feel so isolated.

"Be a bridge to something better, and take care of the bridges in your own communities."

A lot of this highlighted the people working to make a difference, such as Kim Davis, Dr. Szto, Shireen Ahmed, Sarah Nurse, Erica Ayala, Blake Bolden, and Jashvina Shah, along with organizations, BGHC, Carnegie Initiative, Get Uncomfortable Campaign, and Hockey is for Everyone. Important names to get out there, as the book discusses, resources, information, and knowledge give people a way to reach out and connect. Relaying this information shows the work being done and how many kids and families want to give hockey a try but have no idea where to start. There's a lot of talk about community, whether in person or online but always addressing the importance of building it and relaying how the author has done it, helping with suggesting how to do it.

"I am leery of anyone who would rather be blissfully ignorant than painfully aware."

The heart of the book was the relaying and sharing of experiences of players, parents, kids, and people that have a love of the game that the author interviewed, Joel Ward's thoughts and feelings about his mom will connect and hit hard with many. There's discussion of how colourism and ignoring intersectionality work to undermine efforts for inclusivity and an ending chapter that speaks on how insidious white feminism is to efforts for equality and equity for all.

"Black hockey players are few and far between at all levels of hockey, which means that equitable communities must be built with intentionality. Parents of Black children will seek these spaces out, but first they must exist."

The evolution of women's hockey is also discussed and how behind the NHL is compared to the NBA on reaching out. The burst of popularity of the WNBA in the last year shows that once afforded attention, money, effort, and time, women's sports can more than hold their own. The spending power companies let sexism and racism leave on the table never ceases to amaze me. I thought the first half of this was laid out perfectly but the latter second half before it wrapped up had moments of not held together as tightly, causing it to feel a little sluggish. Anyone can get something out of reading this, if you're Black, a sense of community, if you're white, a shake up to see outside of yourself, and if you're a hockey fan, you'll feel the excitement and love of the game and see all the ways the experience for all needs to and can improve.

thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc i do not think i can do it justice because it felt informative even to someone who watches from the sidelines, i honestly might go back to read it again.

I learned a lot about hockey from black perspective. It was really interesting how they Arthur talked about the hockey and Different points of view. People weren't amazed how black people like the sport and participate in the Hockey. This would be a really good book to read high school. It shows Despite all the P RE g Udi Ced. Against them. Because they're Black. It was a very important book.

Blackness Is a Gift I Can Give Her

"Her" is self, mothers/daughters, scholarship recipients, fandom group chats, locker rooms, community spaces, and professional boardrooms. Hess embodies that Black girl magic - that gift - not just in advocating for community, but in building it (see the Black Girl Hockey Club).

Her essays are further imbued with this power as she uplifts the voices of Black Women at every level of the hockey community. From young Black hockey players connecting with the supportive coaches, to a hockey club executive creating programs for their local communities. A gold medalist finding strength in the joy of young skaters.

But lest you mistake this for some hopecore aesthetic piece, prepare to Get Uncomfortable. Hess' work is unequivocally for Black women. Non Black readers are challenged to decenter themselves to conconspire and advocate for equity and inclusion. And Pay Black Women For Their Labor.

" The question is not “Will Black women gain equity within institutions built on systemic racism?” but rather “What can Black women build to subvert the systems of institutional inequity in order to create something better?” When Black women create, we are able to manifest such joy, such inclusivity, that others who long for that same care become drawn to us and our work. "

Hess has created that community and isn't waiting for Black hockey fans to find her. She is organizing group seats at hockey games with meet and greets before puck drop. She is networking with hockey executives to get the funds for tangible outreach programs specifically for marginalized Black communities. Her Blackness is a gift to the hockey fan & professional experience.

Thank you Netgalley & Penguin Random House Canada | McClelland & Stewart for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.