Ginger Wilson - The BAP Handbook: The Official Guide to the Black American Princess

You dont have to be a BAP to love this book. This Italian American Princess howled with laughter at this royal primer, a how-to for any girl who aspires to rule the universe.

Adriana Trigiani, author of Big Stone Gap

Every sistah has a little BAP in her, and this hilarious, on-the-money guide to these divine divas will have you howling with laughter!

TaRessa Stovall, coauthor of A Love Supreme

Hilarious! The BAP Handbook has made the world safe for siddity women everywhere. Finally, we can say it loud: were bourgie and were proud!!!

Susan Fales-Hill

We are thankful to have had the opportunity to chart the course for BAPs across the country. We hope our sistersBAPs and other princesses alikewill read this book and have a chance to laugh at themselves.

All four of us are blessed with sisters with whom we share our most precious and intimate BAP experiences. Kendell; Pam, Robbyn, and Wendy; Karen; and Kellyyou all have taught us the true meaning of friendship. We love you guys unconditionally!

Many friends, old and new, were important to us while writing this book. Those of you who fielded phone calls, participated in surveys, read drafts, and helped brainstorm during dry periods (you know who you are)we could not have done it without all of your help and support!

Thanks to Janet Hill, our editorwere glad our book told your story! We also thank Roberta Spivak, Lisa Davis, Victoria Cook, and Lynn Hobson for their belief in our project and their patience with the four of us.

And last, wed like to thank Oprah Winfrey, who spared a few moments on a cold and sad day in January 1997; your act of kindness propelled us on a path that culminated in the publishing of this book.

The BAPgirls

PREAMBLE

black american princess \blak e-mer-e-ken prin(t)-ses\ n., adj., abbr. usu. cap BAP: a. A pampered female of African-American descent born to an upper-middle- or upper-class family. b. An African-American female whose life experiences give her a sense of entitlement. c. An African-American female accustomed to the best and nothing less!

This book is written by Black American Princesses (BAPs), for BAPs, wanna-be BAPs, the uninitiated, and anyone mildly curious about that Black girl who is so poised and confident and seems to have everything. In fact, she really seems to be quite JAP-py (like that Jewish American Princess [JAP]who is simply selective, not spoiled). The BAP Handbook: The Official Guide to the Black American Princess provides a satirical insight into our lives and culture in a way never before addressed.

Any true BAP will read this book with a nod of approval. For everyone else, this book will be a guide into our social milieu, charting a course from birth through adulthood and beyond. Not everyone who reads this book will do so claiming to be a member, but everyone who completes the journey will be able to easily spot a BAP and even become a princess with a little hard work, extra cash, and a newfound appreciation for the finer things in life.

Princesses come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. While our book focuses on Black American Princesses, all princesses share the same intrinsic traits, which bridge the gap between our cultural differences. Our bond in the bon vivant revolution that we are waging at hair salons, spas, makeup counters, and major department stores around the world unites us in a lifetime of the Best and Nothing Less.

You Might Be a BAP If

• You insist on parking in illegal spaces and then wonder why your car was towed.

• Youd rather have the original or nothing at all.

• Weekend trips to Europe have become a habit.

• You know what shopping-bag-handle cramp is.

• You have converted one of the rooms in your house into a closet.

• It takes you an entire year to get a cleaning lady because youre still trying to clean up before she comes.

• You assume the world is your oyster.

• You date a man who lives over a thousand miles away, but you still see him every weekend (and he foots the bill).

• You have a standing weekly hair appointment.

• Youre well known in all of the premium outlet stores within a one-hundred-mile radius of your home.

The BAP Test

1. What is San Pellegrino?

   1. A mountain range in Italy

   2. A bird

   3. Effervescent water

   4. A clothier

2. The House of Prada is located in

   1. Hong Kong

   2. NYC

   3. Milan

   4. Barneys

3. Mikimotos are worn

   1. Around the neck, on fingers, and in ears

   2. As kimonos

   3. On the feet

   4. As pajamas

4. The Link(s)

   1. Is slang for the golf course

   2. Are sausages

   3. Are things on a chain

   4. Is a womens service organization

5. Makeup should look

   1. Like you have it on/dramatic

   2. Natural

   3. Like warpaint

   4. Better on your face than in its container

6. When you hear Dean & DeLuca, you think

   1. Da-what?

   2. A bad Vegas comedy act

   3. Dolce & Gabbanas cousins

   4. A famous specialty grocery store

7. Peau de soie is

   1. French for patent leather

   2. A beautiful silk textile usually used for evening bags and shoes

   3. Spanish for leather

   4. A new perfume

8. A BAP without a tube of MAC is like

   1. The Louvre without Mona Lisa

   2. A writer without a pen

   3. Gucci without Tom Ford

   4. All of the above

9. You are having a bad hair day and you have a date in one hour, so you

   1. Cancel the date and reschedule it for the day of your next hair appointment

   2. Give him a pair of dark sunglasses and go to a midnight double feature