Where racism and sexism meet—an understanding of anti-Black misogyny
When Moya Bailey first coined the term misogynoir, she defined it as the ways anti-Black and misogynistic representation shape broader ideas about Black women, particularly in visual culture and digital spaces. She had no idea that the term would go viral, touching a cultural nerve and quickly entering into the lexicon. Misogynoir now has its own Wikipedia page and hashtag, and has been featured on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time. In Misogynoir Transformed, Bailey delves into her groundbreaking concept, highlighting Black women’s digital resistance to anti-Black misogyny on YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr, and other platforms.
At a time when Black women are depicted as more ugly, deficient, hypersexual, and unhealthy than their non-Black counterparts, Bailey explores how Black women have bravely used social-media platforms to confront misogynoir in a number of courageous—and, most importantly, effective—ways. Focusing on queer and trans Black women, she shows us the importance of carving out digital spaces, where communities are built around queer Black webshows and hashtags like #GirlsLikeUs.
Bailey shows how Black women actively reimagine the world by engaging in powerful forms of digital resistance at a time when anti-Black misogyny is thriving on social media. A groundbreaking work, Misogynoir Transformed highlights Black women’s remarkable efforts to disrupt mainstream narratives, subvert negative stereotypes, and reclaim their lives.
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“Bailey has written a powerful book that explores the reach and impact of her groundbreaking idea—misogynoir. She centers her analysis on what she calls the margins of Black womanhood, illustrating both the many ways misogynoir has negatively shaped the life chances of Black women, and the many ways cis, queer, and trans Black women and nonbinary, agender, and gender-variant Black folks are using digital tools to resist harm, define their complexity, and create new narratives of Black women’s lives, health, and futures. Misogynoir Transformed is an important Black queer feminist text that implores us to think differently and expansively about Black women, resistance, and power in the twenty-first century.”
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Cathy J. Cohen, author of Democracy Remixed