I AM an Angry Black Woman: Black Feminist Autoethnography, Voice, and Resistance

This article couples Black feminist thought (Collins, 2009 Collins , P. H. ( 2009 ). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment ( , 3rd ed. ). New York , NY : Routledge . Google Scholar) and autoethnography to advocate for Black feminist autoethnography (BFA) as a theoretical and methodological means for Black female academics to critically narrate the pride and pain of Black womanhood. Rooted in my desire to “talk back” (hooks, 1989) to systemic oppression as a biracial (Black and White) Black woman, I position anger as a productive force that fuels coming to voice through BFA as an act of resistance. In this article, BFA is used to self-reflexively explore my everyday experiences as an “outsider within” (Collins, 1986 Collins , P. H. ( 1986 ). Learning from the outsider within: The sociological significance of Black feminist thought . Social Problems , 33 , 14 – 32 .Crossref, Web of Science ® , Google Scholar) and problematize the omnipresence of racism and sexism (at the least) in the everyday lives of Black women. Situating my anger as just and justifiable, I locate my voice directly in response to controlling imagery, such as the angry sapphire that denotes angry women of color as unruly, while simultaneously highlighting the need for “progressive Black sexual politics” (Collins, 2005 Collins , P. H. ( 2005 ). Black sexual politics: African Americans, gender, and the new racism . New York , NY : Routledge . Google Scholar, p. 16) that bear witness to the productive anger of Black women.