
Jayne Allen Says 'Black Girls Must Have It All' Is A Love Letter To Black Women

From its lush cover featuring a dark-skinned Black woman with natural hair, down to its title, when readers pick up a copy of Black Girls Must Have It All, it's unapologetic in who the intended audience is. Author Jayne Allen has delivered a series, starting with Black Girls Must Die Exhausted, that is written for Black women, about Black women, by a Black woman.
Over the course of three books, Allen navigates the complexities of race and relationships in corporate America, the realities of Black maternal health, and the dynamics of love and partnerships, and she wraps it in a story built around sisterhood and family.
In this latest release, readers, along with the main protagonist, Tabitha Walker, are forced to reexamine what it means to “have it all” and question the life society has ingrained in us as acceptable.
xoNecole spoke to author Jayne Allen about Black Girls Must Have it All, her trilogy that has sparked debates, side-eyes, and “Girl….no he didn’t” moments and has inspired conversations and laughs for book clubs and readers across the world.
Courtesy of Jayne Allen
xoNecole: Let’s start at the beginning. Walk us through how Tabitha and her story 'Black Girls Must Die Exhausted' was formed.
Jayne Allen: I wrote this book by necessity. I came up with the idea around 2016, and that was a very vitriolic environment for Black and brown people, and combining that with being a Black woman, I just felt this weight.
It made me take a look at my life and what I was carrying with no sweat. This is a story about the day-to-day of navigating these layers of challenges and still being the incredible Black women that I've seen around me and that I try to be. We need to understand her daily journey, the struggles, and the triumphs, and we need to celebrate that. So I thought, if nobody's telling this story and nobody sees our worth in this way, then I'm going to do it. I'm going to celebrate Black women.
xoN: In bookstores we still don’t see a major selection of books that center Black women. Walk us through your journey and what you experienced as a writer in getting this story told.
JA: The feedback I got was: "This character is not relatable. We don't like her, but we love her grandmother, who is white." It was very interesting to feel the weight of race-based bias. Agents wanted to try and hide the characters with a different title. I said, "No, I’m [not] going to apologize for having a Black protagonist. This book is not going to hide Blackness or cater to acceptability with a different cover."
I was intentional, from day one, that I wanted this to be a celebration of Black women. I wanted readers, even non-Black readers, to come to this book and come to it as a book about a Black woman, with the knowledge and understanding that this is a story about a human being. Yes, you can relate to this person, and she has something to teach that's valuable, she has something to say that's valuable, and she is valuable.
"Agents wanted to try and hide the characters with a different title. I said, 'No, I’m [not] going to apologize for having a Black protagonist. This book is not going to hide Blackness or cater to acceptability with a different cover.' I was intentional, from day one, that I wanted this to be a celebration of Black women."
xoN: How do you think readers are going to react to this final book, 'Black Girls Must Have It All' and the closing of Tabitha’s story?
JA: I hope they have this moment of just being happy for their girl. That's how I felt when I wrote the last words of the book. Maybe it’s not a conventional happy ending in the way that we're conditioned to believe they're supposed to be. But, I think it's a very happy ending that’s hopeful and progressive. I wanted to give that feeling where you know your girl is gonna be alright. But she still has a long way to go.
xoN: Tabitha’s journey to motherhood started off in a very poignant and unexpected moment. Let’s discuss her journey on the other side of the delivery room.
JA: We don't talk about actual motherhood very often, and I wanted to examine the different experiences we face. We just talk about the various issues of Black maternal health and statistics but in, Black Girls Must Have It All, I wanted to see what that journey looked like for a Black woman because it looks different than what we see in something like Bridget Jones’s Baby.
There's been a societal vilification of Black single motherhood and the cultural perspective on traditional relationships to contend with. It was important to see Tabby navigate those things on top of the already stressful experience of being a new mother.
xoN: Readers are now three books in with Tabitha and her crew… what else can they expect in this latest book?
JA: The big thing in the third book is this theme of motherhood, but it's not just motherhood in the traditional sense. It's about nurturing and it's about how we nurture ourselves and how we mother our dreams. Some people are making choices not to pursue conventional motherhood, but that doesn't mean that the nurturing part of us doesn't get to shine.
We see Laila as an entrepreneur with her company, essentially her baby, and her friends in turn celebrating, nurturing her and her goals---going back to the theme of friendship, that nurturing of each other and ourselves---so that theme of motherhood and seeing the various perspectives on it. It was an important theme for the third book and not just traditional motherhood.
"It's about nurturing and it's about how we nurture ourselves and how we mother our dreams. Some people are making choices not to pursue conventional motherhood, but that doesn't mean that the nurturing part of us doesn't get to shine."
xoN: What readers can really appreciate about this series is your ability to give us pieces of so many different characters that at the end, we’re just as invested in the sisterhood of Lexi and Laila, Tabby’s mom, grandmom, her sisters, and Ms. Gretchen as we are in Tabitha. How did those storylines shape Tabby?
JA: I was speaking for myself as a Black woman. I am so much a reflection and a product of the people in my life. Close family ties are part of our culture. That's why you see multiple generations in the book. You have these multiple generations in your life that are influential to you, that matter, that your family matters. I couldn’t create Tabby’s character without showing the people who make her who she is.
Sisterhood is important for us as Black women in particular. Compared to our parents' generation, we get married later in life, especially when you're in a career. So your soulmate, a lot of times… is your girls. Friendship is the support structure that keeps Tabitha Walker standing, and we got to see and meet these people. I was really happy to see their story progress and mature, and the characters mature.
Friendship is self-care.
xoN: This series also brought up allyship and how that impacts Black women in corporate America. How did that come about?
JA: I wanted to examine allyship in the book because it's very much a part of the Black journey in corporate America, because we're still in very much predominantly white spaces. In the new release Black Girls Must Have It All, there's a scene where Tabby questions her coworker Lisa and asks, “Why are you trying to help me?”
I thought that was such an important question that felt authentic to Tabitha’s journey. Here you have this ally, and because of the nature of how Black women are treated in corporate America, you question when there's someone who seems to be friendly to you—who seems to be advocating for you because it doesn't happen enough.
Then you see another relationship with her boss, Chris Perkins. I wanted to show the diverse types of allies, advocates, and mentors that you experience in corporate America. There's a big difference between having someone who's going to make sure you're in the room and that you have a seat at the table. So, Tabby's got these different models of mentorship, and she has to navigate which one is going to serve her best.
xoN: In book three, 'Black Girls Must Have It All' we gain a new perspective into Tabitha’s love interest, Marc and his journey. Let’s discuss the layers that were revealed.
JA: Marc is a really important character to me. On paper, he's a person that you want to date. You would want him without really asking yourself the more important questions like, 'Who is this person behind being handsome, the success, and the Porsche? [How] is he showing up as a partner?'
I examine Marc's humanity and get behind that facade and see who's there, how he grows and evolves. I wanted to give him the opportunity to mature. I wanted the readers to see his journey, and I wanted to see what Tabby was going to do with it and how she was going to grow with him.
xoN: How do you respond to the criticism that the Black male characters in the book were not shown in the best light?
JA: It's not representative of all men or all Black men. It is representative of Tabby's choices, which start with her dad. And then her dad’s choices started with his dad, and you get to read all about that in the book. It's not a characterization of Black men. It's just these particular men, by virtue of who Tabby is attracted to, by virtue of who her father is, and how that came to be, which has a lot to do with racism. It’s a very specific story that intentionally speaks to generational legacies and how that affects women and our choices. I hope readers are asking themselves those questions.
xoN: In your journey as a writer, what do you hope to see differently when it comes to telling Black stories and centering Black characters?
JA: Often, we see pieces of our story told by somebody else, or we see just pieces of ourselves, but to see an actual book about us and about people that we know and people that look like us. That's very important, something that we don't see in the publishing industry, especially when reading women's fiction and contemporary fiction.
I would read stories where there is a Black sidekick, and she has kinky hair and this spunky attitude. She's the one that everybody leans on, and I'm like, 'This is a caricature. Why are you telling me this character is Black without showing me the humanity of this person? Where's her story?' So that was my intention.
It's not meant to be representative of all Black people and not every Black experience, but the culture is there, and there's enough there that should hopefully allow readers to feel seen and be celebrated in a way that hasn't been so common.
xoN: What’s next for Tabitha and the characters in the 'Black Girls Must Die Exhausted' series?
JA: Tabitha is headed to television! A series is in development, we have a writer and showrunner, no roles have been casted, but it’s moving along! There have been some major developments that I can’t say just yet, but it's very good!
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Featured image courtesy of Jayne Allen
After Decades-Long Career, Terri J. Vaughn Is Finally The Main Character: Exclusive
Terri J. Vaughn first captured our attention in the late ‘90s as Lovita Alizay Jenkins on The Steve Harvey Show. Decades later, she is starring in her very own series, She The People, which is now available to stream on Netflix.
The political sitcom, which she co-created with Niya Palmer and later teamed up with Tyler Perry Studios, is about a Black woman named Antoinette Dunkerson who runs for lieutenant governor of Mississippi. She wins and becomes the state’s first Black lieutenant governor. Now, she’s forced to balance working with a racist and sexist governor while also trying to keep her family from running amok.
According to the beloved actress, this project was a long time coming. “I’ve been trying to get my own television series for like 20 years, pounding the pavement, meeting with people, getting clothes, being lied to, just a whole bunch of stuff,” she says in an exclusive interview with xoNecole.
“But just keep going, because this is what I do. This is what I love, and I know how important it is for us to continue to show up and make sure that we are seen, make sure that our voices are heard. For several reasons. I just never give up. So here I am, 20 years later, finally sold my show.”
She The People is inspired by the true story of London Breed, who became the first Black female mayor of San Francisco, Terri’s hometown. And to help make the show more authentic, the Cherish the Day actress tapped former Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms to come on as a producer.'“I’ve been trying to get my own television series for like 20 years, pounding the pavement, meeting with people, getting clothes, being lied to, just a whole bunch of stuff."
After bringing the former mayor aboard, it was time to pitch again. And this time, the companies were pitching them. Ultimately, Terri decided to work with Tyler Perry on the series.
“We decided to do it with Tyler for several reasons. I love that. Well, most of the companies we met with were Black-owned companies, but he was the only studio,” she explains. “Tyler is like Walt Disney. That's literally what he is. He has the studio, he has the content. He operates just like Walt Disney.”
And thanks to the cast, the show is nothing short of laughs. The series also stars social media creator Jade Novah as Antoinette’s crazy cousin/ assistant, Shamika, Family Mattersstar Jo Marie Payton as Anotinette’s mom, Cleo, and Terri’s husband, Karon Riley, who plays Michael, her driver and love interest.
While we’ve watched Terri’s career blossom in various ways. From directing to producing, and playing diverse characters, the mom of two says her The Steve Harvey Show character will always be her favorite.
“Well, Lovita was definitely my favorite, especially for my time, the age and everything that I was. Now as a grown ass woman over 50, Antoinette Dunkerson is everything that I've wanted to play. She's everything. She's a mother of two teenagers. She's divorced, so she's co-parenting with her ex-husband. She has to wrangle in a very eclectic family,” she says.
“So I like playing characters that are really flawed and trying to figure it out and doing their best to try to figure it. And she's very flawed and she is trying to figure it out, and she fucks up sometimes. But her heart and what she's trying to do and what her vision is and purpose, it's all for the people. I mean, she the people. She’s for the people, she is the people.”
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Feature image by Jamie Lamor Thompson/ Shutterstock
Your June 2025 Horoscopes Are Here & It's The Soft Rebirth You Didn’t Know You Needed
June is a month of overcoming challenges, clarity, new relationship developments, and being more flexible with life. Gemini Season is underway, and when the Sun is in Gemini, we understand the depths of communication. This is a good month for connection, networking, and finding more common ground with others, and there is power in working together right now.
Venus enters Taurus on June 6 until July 4, and Venus loves being in Taurus, making love and relationship matters especially prominent this month. Venus in Taurus creates a foundation for love and romance, and it’s about planting your seeds in love, creating space for more love to enter, and nourishing what is working for your relationships right now.
Mercury enters Cancer a few days later from June 8 until June 26, and this will be bringing another focus into where your heart stands right now, and the importance of communicating that and spending more time focused on your emotional and intuitive world.
June 2025 Horoscope Overview: A Month of Clarity, Connection & Change
We have a big transit this month, and that is Jupiter's move from Gemini into Cancer on June 9. Jupiter changes signs once a year, and these more lengthy transits in the stars hold a lot of impact. With Jupiter being the benevolent planet of blessings, expansion, spirituality, wisdom, and good fortune, Cancer placements, water signs, and cardinal signs will feel the blessings of this transit a little more strongly.
With Jupiter now in Cancer until June 30, 2026, expansion is available within you, in your home space, your emotional world, and within the things that really matter to you deep down. Jupiter in Cancer brings Mother energy, and there are opportunities for feeling supported, nourished, and safe in this transit.
The Full Moon for the month is on June 11, and is a Strawberry Moon in Sagittarius. This Full Moon is eye-opening, and emotions will be worn on their sleeve. Mid-June is all about letting go of what doesn’t inspire or support your vision for your future, and having more fun with the way life is playing out for you. Mars enters Virgo on June 17 until August 6, making this a summer of getting organized, taking care of your priorities and health, healing, having more energy to do it all, and feeling inspired to create space for a new beginning.
Cancer Season officially begins on June 20, and a few days later, we have a New Moon in Cancer on June 25. This New Moon further amplifies the emotional journey this month is taking us on, and there is a new door opening here. This Cancer New Moon is about setting your intentions from your heart, spending more time with the people who make you feel loved, and about healing in the home.
Overall, June is a month where a lot is being presented, and there are some things to work through with others, but the more you can grasp what both your heart and your head are telling you, the more you can navigate this time with divine trust, power, and timing.
Read for your sun, moon, and rising sign below to see what June has in store for you.
ARIES
June is a month of gathering your strength and remembering that you are worth everything you are working towards right now, Aries. This month is about picking your head up and seeing yourself the way you want others to. It’s about giving yourself the same time and care that you have been giving to other priorities, and remembering your power this month.
With the Sun in your 11th house for most of June, you are being asked to look at your dreams and inspirations as signs from the universe.
The Full Moon on June 11th is a reflection of everything you have experienced this year, and where your heart stands now. You are letting go of old versions of happiness that don’t resonate with you anymore and reclaiming your inner confidence. Jupiter forms a Square to Saturn in Aries on June 15, and it can feel like forces are working against your progress at times this month. Know that redirection is protection, and you are being asked to trust the timing of it all a little more right now.
TAURUS
June is a month of victory, Taurus. You are making some major accomplishments this month, and feeling supported in doing so. This is a month of upliftment, owning your dynamic nature, and creating a new beginning in your life through accepting the gifts and blessings that are coming your way right now. With Venus in your sign for most of the month, there is love surrounding you in June, and you are looking around in gratitude.
Mars moves into Virgo and your house of romance, creativity, hobbies, happiness, and pleasure this summer, and there are a lot of exciting and heartfelt experiences ahead of you. These next few months are going to be great for you when it comes to love, self-expression, and feeling the joy of your world. On June 25, we have one of the best New Moons of the year for you to manifest by writing down your intentions or speaking them into existence. At the end of the month, it’s all about focusing on your dreams and aspirations, and knowing that you have the power to bring them to reality.
GEMINI
June is a powerful month for you, and it’s your time to shine, Gemini. Gemini Season is fully underway, and good karma is coming your way right now. This is your time to find your balance, feel empowered by what has been and what is now, and to trust where the universe is guiding you. Jupiter moves out of your sign on June 5 after expanding your world for the past year, and this is helping you take a deep breath and feel a little less pressure on your shoulders.
On June 11, we have a Full Moon in your sister sign, Sagittarius, and you are letting go of relationship dynamics or experiences that don’t serve you, and are focused more on where the support is growing in your life. This Full Moon can also highlight your financial world, and you are gaining clarity on how to feel more abundant or supported here.
CANCER
June is a beautiful month for you, Cancer. You are feeling in tune with your heart’s desires, and are being met with magic. This is a month of honoring the connections and support in your life, feeling the strength of love, and experiencing more romance and joy in your world. Jupiter enters your sign on June 5, and with the planet of blessings in your sign for the next year, you are going to be experiencing the gifts of a new beginning and are exuding main character energy this month.
Cancer Season officially begins on June 20, and you are entering this year’s Cancer Season on a high note.
You are empowered by where life and love are for you right now, and there is a strong sense of hope in your heart. With Mercury also in Cancer until June 26, this is also a good month overall for communication, networking, coming up with new ideas or insights, and feeling heard. Before the month ends, we have a New Moon in Cancer on June 25, and this is your time to set your intentions for how you want to physically and mentally show up in the world and be seen.
LEO
This month, for you, Leo, is a month of change, closure, and letting the past go. You are doing some reflecting this month as you recognize where new boundaries may be needed in your world, and how to take care of your energy and your heart right now. With a Full Moon in a fellow fire sign mid-June, you are looking at things with a different perspective and feeling the need for a change. You no longer see things the way you used to, and are changing what and who you want in your life overall.
Mercury enters Leo at the end of the month on June 26 until September 1, and with Mercury in your sign for most of the Summer, you are finding your power within communication matters. It's about being completely vulnerable, open, and honest with yourself and others, to bridge that gap to forgiveness this month. At the end of the month, we have a New Moon in your 12th house of closure, and you are leaving June feeling the blessings that have come from your inner healing.
VIRGO
June is all about perspective, Virgo. Your guidance for the month is to focus on where you are growing and not on where things are feeling stagnant for you. The more you can shift your energy when you feel less hopeful about things out of your control, the more you can experience the gifts of the present and the ones coming in for you. With Jupiter moving into your 11th house of friendships, aspirations, community, and dreams for the next year, you are getting real-life examples of the blessings and support available to you in life, and you are more seen and inspiring than you know.
Mars enters Virgo on June 17 until August 9, and with Mars in your sign for most of the summer, life picks up the pace for you at the end of the month. You are going to have a lot of energy to get things done and will be inspired to move forward, overcome, and take charge of your life in a new way over the next few months. You could also be seeing progress in health matters now as well. The New Moon on June 25 will be an opening for you when it comes to community and finding the people who resonate with you on a soul level.
LIBRA
June is a transformative month for you, and one that changes a lot for you moving forward, Libra. Your guidance for the month is to flow with the winds of change rather than fight them, and to trust that what is leaving your life will be replaced with something better. With Venus in your 8th house this month, there is support there for you if you can ask for it, and you are exploring the depth of your relationships right now.
Love is a strong influence for you in June, but you are also learning to give yourself more of this love right now as well.
On June 11, we have a Full Moon in your 3rd house of communication, and you are getting the answers you have been seeking. This Full Moon is about letting go of perspectives or beliefs that may have been limiting your progress, and about seeking the truth right now. The New Moon in Cancer at the end of the month on June 25 will be a good time to set your intentions for your career world and for what you want to see take place for you this summer.
SCORPIO
June is about taking a break and letting divine timing do its thing, Scorpio. You’ve been working hard to make your dreams come true, but right now it is about taking a moment to pause, in order for your dreams to reach you. You are getting an opportunity to reflect and plan before you make your next move, and this can be a really inspiring month for you, Scorpio. With Jupiter also moving into your 9th house this month for the next year, travel plans are being made, and things are falling through for you in the best way possible, even when you are least expecting it.
The Full Moon on June 11 is a great time for gaining clarity in financial matters, and old projects or intentions revolving around your sense of abundance are coming full circle for you now. Cancer Season officially begins on June 20, and you flow in synergy when the Sun is in a fellow water sign. With a New Moon happening in Cancer on June 25 as well, you are ending this month feeling more adventurous, in tune with your spirit, and excited about what is ahead of you. Trust your path this month, and know that you are making progress.
SAGITTARIUS
Your guidance for the month is to back your intentions with your actions, Sagittarius. This month is about putting the work in towards your goals and desires, and about strengthening your skill sets and perspective. You have a lot to get done and take care of this month, but these are things that you once wished to come about for you. With your ruling planet Jupiter changing signs this month as well, you are gaining some renewed support and seeing the gifts that come from committing yourself to something you care about.
The Full Moon of the month is in your sign on June 11, and is showing you how much you have grown this past year. Your emotions are running high, but you are feeling in tune with your intuitive world and what you feel called to let go of or move towards right now. It’s all about honoring your growth, not selling yourself short, and letting go of the past. With a New Moon in Cancer on June 25, before we end the month, this is a time of dedication, perspective, and choosing to walk on a new path that resonates more with your multifaceted self.
CAPRICORN
June is a beautiful coming together for you, Capricorn. There is abundance, support, and growth present in your life, and you are recognizing that you don’t have to do it all alone. You are experiencing some big personal wins in your life and are enjoying sharing this abundant energy with others. With Jupiter entering your 7th house of love for the next year, you are moving into a time of seeing the gifts of connection, and more support and romance are on the way to you right now.
Mars moves into Virgo and your house of adventure this summer, and there are a lot of exciting experiences ahead of you.
These next few months are going to be great for you when it comes to travelling, expanding the mind, and feeling connected spiritually. Before the month ends, we have a New Moon in your 7th house of love, and this is a good time to set your intentions for how you want to see love unfold for you this summer, and what is truly possible for you here.
AQUARIUS
June is all about timing, Aquarius. You have some important decisions to make this month, but you also have to be prepared enough to make them. Let the answers come to you, and trust that they will, knowing that you deserve the clarity you are looking for right now. With Jupiter now in your 6th house of health, work, and daily routine for the next year, you are going to see your everyday life expand and transform for the better, and you are going to see the gifts of taking care of yourself and others, and dedicating yourself to your purpose.
Mars enters your 8th house of transformation on June 17, where it will remain for most of the summer, and you are on a journey of finding and owning your power right now. Your life looks a lot different at the end of the summer than it does now, and what is brought to your attention this month is the catalyst for this change. Before the month ends, we have a New Moon in Cancer, and this is a great time to set your intentions for your work/life balance and where you want to see progress in your everyday life.
PISCES
Pisces, June is a fast-paced month for you, and you are moving forward in strides. This month is about taking charge of your life, being you unapologetically, and allowing yourself to shine in your independence. You are feeling creative, inspired, and courageous this month, and there is a lot to do and a lot to look forward to. The most important transit of the month for you is Jupiter's move into Cancer, as the planet of blessings will be expanding your romantic world and love life over the next year. This month, you are getting glimpses of that progress, and your heart is shining.
On June 17, Mars enters Virgo and your 7th house of love for the next few months, and you are motivated by the relationships, abundance, and harmony that are possible for you now. Disagreements or conflicts are also possible, however, with Mars being the planet of war, though, if you can find a middle ground when differences or challenges arise, you can move through this time making real progress in love.
The New Moon on June 25 is another magical moment for the heart, and you are leaving the month feeling more seen, supported, and encouraged than ever.
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Featured image by Kyra Jay for xoNecole