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In this episode of Coochie Business®, Dr. Abigail sits down with Africana Studies professor Dr. Derrick “Dr. kNOw” Lanois for a layered conversation on womanism, Black history, reproductive narratives, and collective liberation.
What is womanism — and how is it different from feminism or Black feminism?
How have historical stereotypes like the “Hottentot Venus” and Jezebel myth shaped how Black women’s bodies are imagined today?
And what might healing, Sankofa, and imagination have to do with reproductive freedom?
Together, they explore:
- Womanism as a Black women–rooted social change framework
- Black nationalism, Pan-Africanism, and communal responsibility
- The historical construction of Black sexuality and reproductive stereotypes
- Colorism and respectability politics
- The power of history in shaping liberation
- Black love, heterosexuality as learned behavior, and redefining relationships
- Afrofuturism and the role of imagination in building new traditions
This episode moves beyond statistics and policy into philosophy, history, and embodiment — asking not only how we dismantle systems, but how we build commonweal.
If you’re interested in Black reproductive justice, womanist thought, Black history, embodiment, and decolonizing love, this conversation will stretch you.
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@DL_PhD (Instagram, X/formerly Twitter, TikTok)
Episode Mentions
Layli Phillips (now Layli Maparyan) – “Womanism: On Its Own” (Introduction)
The foundational framework for today’s conversation. Womanism is presented as a Black women–rooted social change philosophy emphasizing anti-oppression (both named and unnamed), communitarian responsibility, spirituality, and harmonizing difference.
Patricia Hill Collins – Black Sexual Politics
Explores Black sexuality, stereotypes, and power — including discussion of Sarah Baartman and the historical construction of Black women’s bodies.
Ida B. Wells – The Red Record
A historic anti-lynching text that challenged rape myths and exposed racialized violence in the late 19th century.
Deborah Gray White – (Work referenced on stereotypes and Black women’s history)
Dr. Lanois referenced White’s scholarship in connection to the Missouri Press Association president’s “liars, thieves, and whores” claim and the formation of Black women’s club movements.
Sarah Baartman (The “Hottentot Venus”)
A Khoi woman displayed in European “freak shows,” whose exploitation shaped enduring stereotypes about Black women’s bodies.
Frederick Douglass
Abolitionist leader who participated in early women’s rights advocacy but later took positions that created tension around Black women’s suffrage.
Mary Church Terrell & Ida B. Wells
Black women leaders whose activism addressed racism, sexism, and violence.
Carter G. Woodson
Fou
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Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for personal medical care.
