Say Her Name
146 pages, 6 x 9
10 color and 2 B-W
Paperback
Release Date:11 Mar 2025
ISBN:9781978831797
Hardcover
Release Date:11 Mar 2025
ISBN:9781978831803
Say Her Name
Centering Black Feminism and Black Women in Sport
Rutgers University Press
Say Her Name: Centering Black Feminism and Black Women in Sports offers an in-depth look into the lived experiences of Blackgirlwomen as athletes, activists, and everyday people through a Black feminist lens. With so much research on race centered on Black men and gender research focusing on white women, Say Her Name offers a necessary conversation that places Blackgirlwomen at the center of discussion.
Say Her Name delves deeply into issues of gender, the politics of punishment, athlete activism, the politics of Black hair, fingernails and fashion, and the representation and commodification of Blackgirlwomen in sport and society. An entry point into the growing research in sport studies and beyond from a Black feminist lens, Say Her Name offers a clear window into the power and potential of nuanced examinations of sport. As a reflection of the larger social world, sport provides a framework for understanding larger social issues, including racism, sexism, and misogynoir. Blackgirlwomen have varied experiences in sport, and Say Her Name provides a window into those experiences. The book discusses Black women in sports including the South African runner Caster Semenya, American runners Florence Griffith Joyner and Sha’Carri Richardson, as well as Venus and Serena Williams, Gabby Douglas, and Simone Biles. The women in this book have lived experiences that speak to the larger experiences of Black women and girls in sport and society, while also leaning into a larger discussion of the importance of the social movement #SayHerName.
Say Her Name delves deeply into issues of gender, the politics of punishment, athlete activism, the politics of Black hair, fingernails and fashion, and the representation and commodification of Blackgirlwomen in sport and society. An entry point into the growing research in sport studies and beyond from a Black feminist lens, Say Her Name offers a clear window into the power and potential of nuanced examinations of sport. As a reflection of the larger social world, sport provides a framework for understanding larger social issues, including racism, sexism, and misogynoir. Blackgirlwomen have varied experiences in sport, and Say Her Name provides a window into those experiences. The book discusses Black women in sports including the South African runner Caster Semenya, American runners Florence Griffith Joyner and Sha’Carri Richardson, as well as Venus and Serena Williams, Gabby Douglas, and Simone Biles. The women in this book have lived experiences that speak to the larger experiences of Black women and girls in sport and society, while also leaning into a larger discussion of the importance of the social movement #SayHerName.
The Black feminist theoretical lens has enriched our collective understanding of history, culture, and movements for social justice. With Say Her Name, Brown applies an analysis rooted in Black feminism to the world of sports and it is a revelation. Brown takes old debates and turns them on their heads, staking out new ground in our understanding of sports. Say Her Name deserves to be seen as one of the most important sports books in some time.
Say Her Name addresses the desperate need of a full-length treatment of Black sportswomen through a critical feminist lens. This will be an influential and widely cited text for decades to come.
The reflexive nature of Say Her Name is a welcomed breath. The opportunity to hear the voice of a Black woman writing on the lived experiences of Black sportswomen moves her narrative from margin to center, object to subject, and creates space to see her humanity and hear her truth.
LETISHA ENGRACIA CARDOSO BROWN is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Cincinnati and an affiliate of the Africana and Women’s, Gender, and Sexualities Studies programs. She is a Black feminist sociologist who researches issues of race, racism, and misogynoir in areas including sport, media, and education.
TOC:
Preface: Why Me? A Note of Reflexivity Introduction Chapter 1: What Makes a Woman? Race Making and Gender/Sex Verification in Sports Chapter 2: The Politics of Punishment: A Black Feminist Look at Drug Testing in Sports Chapter 3: Napps and All: The Politics of Black Hair and Sports Chapter 4: Go Flo, Go: On Fingernails and Fashion Chapter 5: Making Black Barbies: The Commodification of Black Sportswomen Chapter 6: Say Her Name: Black Sportswomen as Game Changers Conclusion Race, Sport and Black Feminisms
List of Figures ix
Author’s Note xi
Introduction: On Blackgirlwomen, Say Her Name, Black Feminism, and Messy Methods 1
1 The Gender Question: The Role of Misogynoir 14
2 Navigating the Politics of Punishment: An Intersectional Approach 27
3 Blackgirlwomen as Athlete Activists: A Black Feminist Tradition 43
4 Fingernails and Fashion: Engaging Ratchet Womanism 62
5 Don’t Touch Our CROWNs: Race, Gender, and the Politics of Black Hair in Sport 77
6 From Bodies to Barbies? Beauty, Representation, and the Commodification of Blackgirlwomen in Sport 96
Coda: Black Feminist Futures in Sport 111
Acknowledgments 115
Glossary 117
Notes 121
References 123
Index 000
Preface: Why Me? A Note of Reflexivity Introduction Chapter 1: What Makes a Woman? Race Making and Gender/Sex Verification in Sports Chapter 2: The Politics of Punishment: A Black Feminist Look at Drug Testing in Sports Chapter 3: Napps and All: The Politics of Black Hair and Sports Chapter 4: Go Flo, Go: On Fingernails and Fashion Chapter 5: Making Black Barbies: The Commodification of Black Sportswomen Chapter 6: Say Her Name: Black Sportswomen as Game Changers Conclusion Race, Sport and Black Feminisms
List of Figures ix
Author’s Note xi
Introduction: On Blackgirlwomen, Say Her Name, Black Feminism, and Messy Methods 1
1 The Gender Question: The Role of Misogynoir 14
2 Navigating the Politics of Punishment: An Intersectional Approach 27
3 Blackgirlwomen as Athlete Activists: A Black Feminist Tradition 43
4 Fingernails and Fashion: Engaging Ratchet Womanism 62
5 Don’t Touch Our CROWNs: Race, Gender, and the Politics of Black Hair in Sport 77
6 From Bodies to Barbies? Beauty, Representation, and the Commodification of Blackgirlwomen in Sport 96
Coda: Black Feminist Futures in Sport 111
Acknowledgments 115
Glossary 117
Notes 121
References 123
Index 000
