Black Feminisism in History by Fatou Cham

Week 9: afrosurrealism and afrofuturism

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 08:24:27 UTC

This video highlights Missy Elliott's music videos and how they have shaped Afrofuturism today. In Missy Elliot's videos, she creates a world where black people are thriving in an alternate universe. Similarly to the concept of Drexicya, Elliot shows that black people can be versatile and exists heavily in their culture

week 9: afrosurrealism and afro futurism

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 08:32:43 UTC

This book, titled "The Deep" by River Solomon, is about the history of black women who were thrown overboard during the Middle Passage. It shows the journey that they've adapted to life underwater. This book holds a similar concept to Ayana Jackson's art titled " From the Deep" because they both showcase the afterlife of these women. They both use the word deep which could also signify that they're talking about the stories from when slavery started.

week 6: Black Power

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 08:57:00 UTC

Afros were used as a form of resistance during the civil rights era. Black women's hair has always been heavily criticized for looking "undone" in its natural state. That led to many women straightening their hair to be considered proper. However, women started wearing their afros out in public more often to show the beauty in the curls. Afros are just as presentable as someone with pin straight hair.

https://exhibits.library.duke.edu/exhibits/show/-black-is-beautiful-/the-afro

week 6: black power

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 09:04:07 UTC

Assata Shakur was a political activist and was involved in the Black Liberation party. The BLP was against capitalism and white supremacy, because of this, they would be targeted by the US Government. Shakur was also involved in the Black Panther Party alongside Angela Davis, but left due to different political beliefs. Shakur was heavily criminalized in the media, so people would think that she's dangerous. But in reality, she believed that the US government was deeply rooted in white supremacy, and she wanted a change in that, so she decided to join the BLP

week 8: Black Aesthetic Theory/ Practice

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 09:05:00 UTC

In the music video This Is America by Childish Gambino, it highlights the harsh realities of being a black person in America. In one of the scenes, it has a church choir singing a gospel part, where only a couple of seconds later they are all shot dead. This refers to the Charleston Church Massacre, which shows the reality that black people aren't allowed to exist even in their own spaces.

week 7: Black Arts Movement

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 09:05:41 UTC

Nina Simone was a civil rights activist and singer. She has been vocal about the Vietnam War and the injustice of black people in America. In this song, she mentions how she frequently talks about wanting to be free as if she's being held back. She feels trapped in her life, and knows that there are people out there living her dream. This is especially relevant to the 1960s, with white people being able to do anything they want. Back then, if you were black, you were segregated from white people because of racism. Simone knew one day that she would be able to be in society without being judged for her skin color.

week 5: The Black Book

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 10:12:30 UTC

Lyda Newman was the creator of the first synthetic hairbrush. She was a hairdresser living in New York. The brushes she had previously been using weren't suitable for her hair type. So she decided to create a better hairbrush that would function a lot better, specifically with black hair. Lyda originally only created a product specific to black women, but now it's used by all types of people.

week 8: Black aesthetic theory/practice

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 10:24:28 UTC

In 2024, Beyoncé does her take on creating a country album named Cowboy Carter. She drew inspiration from various country-themed movies and experiences. She faced controversy over the music not being country enough. But those critics are most likely referring to "white" country music. This album includes the intersectionality of being black and also being "country". After all, country music wouldn't exist without Black people who were the originators. This album has not only showcased her ability to be so versatile in her music, but also shows that she's here to tell a story.

https://www.npr.org/2024/03/29/1241672819/beyonce-cowboy-carter-10-takeaways

week 7: Black arts movement

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 10:56:38 UTC

Lauyrn Hill is a well-known phenomenal artist, who inspires many modern artists today. In her song I Gotta Find Peace of Mind she highlights loving herself unapologetically. In a world where black women are told they should change, Hill decides to flip that narrative and turn it into something powerful.

week 5: The black book

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 14:47:28 UTC

Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman to be in space. She thrived in science and dance in her early years, She would then go on to university, where she would earn 2 bachelor's degrees. She also went on to medical school, graduated, and started practicing Medicine in a hospital. She applied to a NASA program that would send her and a couple of other people into space for experiments, and was one of 15 applicants accepted. Mae Jemison is a reminder that black girls can be able to excel at education no matter the challenges that they may face.

week 4: The black reconstruction

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 14:48:01 UTC

After the reconstruction, many black women had the opportunity to become house maids or nannies, or otherwise called "mammys". This stereotype of women would always work with white children and take care of them as if they were their own. This was created to make black women submit to whiteness, they can't thrive without the white man. In most cases, the black woman is dealt with a lot of hatred from the white mothers because they aren't as close to their children. But they also solely rely on these women to take care of their children.

week 4: The black reconstruction

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 14:48:23 UTC

In the aftermath of the reconstruction, black women were most likely reliant on their previous slave owners. This is because women back then didn't have any status unless they were with a man. Black women are at the bottom of the status automatically, because their partner would likely be a black man(they barely had power themselves). Some black women would stay and work things out to the best of their ability with the white man. But when things went bad, some would leave for a better life.

week 8: Black aesthetic theory/practice

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 14:48:55 UTC

In Poetic Justice, Black women are showcased differently than they have previously in previous films. Justice is a poet and an artist who has just witnessed the death of her previous boyfriend. She left on a journey with her friend and her friend's boyfriend, and another guy who seems to like her. In this film, Justice is a young woman trying to find herself, and it's enlightening to see in films a black woman paving the way. Despite her challenges, she's still trying to find a way to make it in the real world.

week 9: afrosurrealism and afrofuturism

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 14:49:34 UTC

NWA is an African-American hip-hop group that talks about real-life experiences growing up in Compton, California. These experiences are mostly being black in America, and the challenges that come with it. Most of the topics that they've covered back when they first recorded their music are still issues that are prevalent in the black community today. Such as police brutality and the injustice against black people. Their message is timeless as long as America continues to oppress black people

week 6: Black Power

fcham2 — 2025-06-05 15:11:21 UTC

You might've heard Black Girl Magic before, but do you know the meaning of the movement? Black Girl Magic is a movement all about praising and recognizing black girls/women all around the world. It takes a moment to celebrate their wins and educate people that black women can do it all too. This is a form of black power because it's encouraging black girls to thrive and do what they couldn't before in previous decades. This could be excelling at education, career, and even self-development.