Applying Black Feminist Theory to Research, Practice, and Advocacy on Gendered Racism among Black Women

Abstract

Although there has been an increase in intersectionality scholarship in the field of psychology, there is still a dearth of research and praxis grounded in a Black feminist theoretical perspective. The purpose of this paper is to apply a Black feminist and intersectionality lens to research, practice, and advocacy on Black women’s experiences of gendered racism. First, this paper will provide a brief herstory of Black feminist, womanist, and intersectionality theory and its relevance to the field of psychology. Next, we will highlight an example of how to apply a Black feminist and intersectionality lens to research on gendered racism among Black women. Then, we will apply Black feminism to therapy with Black women by highlighting a clinical case example. We will end by highlighting the importance of Black feminism to social justice advocacy and systems-level interventions to promote the health and well-being of Black women.

Keywords:

• Black feminism
• intersectionality
• gendered racism
• Black women
• feminist therapy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The name, identifying information, and content of the clinical case have been de-identified and disguised for the purpose of this paper.