TW: Mentions slavery & sexual abuse.

In this vital episode, we explore the history, harm, and reclamation of Black femininity—particularly as it exists within white queer culture. From the violent myths born on the plantation to the modern dynamics of white-dominated queer spaces, we trace how Black womanhood has been distorted, denied, and policed. We center the experiences of Black queer women and femmes as we unpack the tensions, dangers, and double standards that define our interactions with systems and communities that claim to be liberatory. Finally, we uplift the work of reclamation: how Black femmes are creating spaces of tenderness, visibility, and belonging on our own terms.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The origins of distorted Black femininity: Jezebel, Mammy, and the plantation’s racial-gender order
• How Black femininity is policed or erased in white-dominated queer spaces
• The failures of white-centered feminism to address the realities of Black womanhood
• The work of reclaiming softness, tenderness, and humanity in a world that often denies it
• The importance of intentionally curating the spaces, relationships, and media we engage with for affirmation and healing

Referenced Works & Further Reading:

• Patricia Hill Collins, Black Feminist Thought (1990)
• Deborah Gray White, Ar’n’t I a Woman? (1985)
• Jacqueline Jones, Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow (1985)
• Monique Morris, Pushout (2016)
• Margaret Hunter, “If You’re Light You’re Alright” (2002)
• Bailey, M. & Trudy, “On misogynoir: citation and the epistemic violence of invisibility” (2018)

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