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Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America Audiobook
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(4.01) - 501 listener ratings
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Jezebel's sexual lasciviousness, Mammy's devotion, and Sapphire's outspoken anger—these are among the most persistent stereotypes that black women encounter in contemporary American life. Hurtful and dishonest, such representations force African American women to navigate a virtual crooked room that shames them and shapes their experiences as citizens. Many respond by assuming a mantle of strength that may convince others, and even themselves, that they do not need help. But as a result, the unique political issues of black women are often ignored and marginalized.
In this groundbreaking book, Melissa V. Harris-Perry uses multiple methods of inquiry, including literary analysis, political theory, focus groups, surveys, and experimental research, to understand more deeply black women's political and emotional responses to pervasive negative race and gender images. Not a traditional political science work concerned with office-seeking, voting, or ideology, Sister Citizen is an examination of how African American women understand themselves as citizens and what they expect from political organizing. Harris-Perry shows that the shared struggle to preserve an authentic self and secure recognition as citizens links together black women in America, from the anonymous survivors of Hurricane Katrina to the current First Lady of the United States.
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"This is one of those books that I am truly glad I read, because it has taught me valuable things that I feel that I should know as a feminist interested in social justice. Harris-Perry writes convincingly of the stereotypes that shape African Americans womens' lives, personally and politically: the oversexed Jezebel, the caretaker Mammy, the Strong Black Women. Her arguments consist of the ways in which those stereotypes determine behavior (going out of one's way to behave in a way that refutes them, for example) and even the ways in which the more positive ones--the Strong Black Woman--can lead to unhealthy ways of being. Of course, I am a Caucasian woman, so I have no idea what it is like to be an African American woman in American society today and can therefore neither praise nor refute Harris-Perry's depiction of that life. Still, I have been thinking about these ideas ever since and assume that they will make a difference in framing my future encounters with African American female students."
— Alex (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Harris-Perry’s book is both insightful and provocative.”
— Donna Brazile, political commentator for CNN and ABC News -
Harris-Perry offers fascinating observations of how black women are, at times, constricted by their mythology and asserts that their experiences act as a democratic litmus test for the nation.
— Booklist -
This is a broad, ambitious and important book that centers black women at the heart of American politics.”
— Cathy J. Cohen, author of Boundaries of Blackness -
“Harris-Perry offers fascinating observations of how black women are, at times, constricted by their mythology and asserts that their experiences act as a democratic litmus test for the nation.”
— Booklist
Sister Citizen Listener Reviews
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" Harris-Perry meanders throughout this text, spending less time on the stereotypes than I anticipated, but to fault her for that would be to ignore the astounding work that she does with this book. This is a necessary work and could easily be the start to a much-needed conversation about the intersectionality of race and gender in our country. "
— Jake, 2/13/2014 -
" I love the analogy that undergirds this book, "trying to stand up straight in a crooked room." Ms. Harris-Perry does a remarkable job of explaining this challenge that is often mis-diagnosed by all. She provides history mixed with present day situations that make hers analysis clear and insightful. The discussion of myths and stereotypes and the effects of them on Black women is instructional. I hope that not only Black women embrace this book, but my fellow Black men do so as well. There is no doubt that we (brothers) have bought into the strong black woman myth often to the detriment of our mothers, sisters, daughters and spouses. I know I've been guilty of the purchase of this delusion. This is not to say that Black women are not, or can't be strong, but to gain a greater grasp of the effects of the myth. Certainly, if you want a more in-depth understanding, you'll have to buy this book and be guided by Ms. Harris-Perry's brilliance. "
— Andre, 1/26/2014 -
" Smart, well researched book with great structure and an engaging thesis. "
— Sharon, 1/15/2014 -
" Hands down one of the best books ever written at the intersection of being Black, female, and American. Bravo to Melissa Harris-Perry! Well done! "
— Daveda, 1/8/2014 -
" A sophisticated, inteligent, and well written book on the political sphere of black women in the US. Without generalizing Harris-Perry argues about the harm that stereotypes do even if they are "good" ones. "
— Rubina, 1/2/2014 -
" Every Black Woman I know should read this book and every person that has ever known a Black Woman should read this book! "
— Kimberly, 11/5/2013 -
" Great thesis on black women and the crooked room. Particularly loved the chapter on the black church "
— Terra, 10/18/2013 -
" I enjoyed this overview of the "crooked room" stereotypes that African-American women still face today. It's very informative and interesting. "
— Laura, 6/9/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book! A little dense, because it is so filled with history and facts, but it helped improve my ability to contextualize American society. "
— Sydney, 4/16/2013 -
" I have rediscovered what it means to be a woman of color in America with this amazing book. "
— Paula, 3/24/2013 -
" A must read, even it you are not into nonfiction. This is a really accessible book on black women and politics. "
— Antigo, 2/9/2013 -
" This was a rough read, I won't lie. But it is a necessary one I think, one that really calls into focus how pathological the images and expectations projected onto black women really are. It's too fresh to really form a review more cohesive than "Ouch. And well done." "
— Andee, 1/18/2013 -
" This book does a great job analyzing the predominant stereotypes of African-American women. It brings together the politics of these women and their need for proper representation. It was a fast read and informative. "
— Lifelearner, 6/28/2012
About Melissa V. Harris-Perry
Melissa V. Harris-Perry is a professor of political science at Tulane University, where she is founding director of the Anna Julia Cooper Project on Gender, Race, and Politics in the South. She is the author of Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought, which won the 2005 W. E. B. Du Bois Book Award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists and 2005 Best Book Award from the Race and Ethnic Politics Section of the American Political Science Association. She is also a contributor to MSNBC and a frequent guest on the Rachel Maddow Show and The Last Word. She is a columnist for the Nation magazine, as well as a regular commentator for many print and radio sources in the United States and abroad. She lives with her family in New Orleans.
About Lisa Reneé Pitts
Lisa Renee Pitts is an award-winning actress in theater, television, and film, as well as an accomplished audiobook narrator and an AudioFile Earphones Award winner.