What, when & where
In 2017, The Crunk feminist collective proclaimed a new black feminist agenda, one that like the Combahee River Collective that came four decades prior, sought to marry a black feminist polemic with grassroots activism to speak to the realities of the intersectional oppression of women of color. The Crunkistas (among them co-founders Brittney C. Cooper and Susana M. Morris) through their online platforms created a space for a diversity of women’s voices to be heard. Moreover, they made visible the scholars, grassroots activists, and artists who changed the trajectory of black feminist criticism through a sister girl discursive formation which legitimized subjects for interrogation beyond the scope of academia. From Black Lives Matter and Black Girl Magic, to Ratchedness and Respectability Politics, these cultural producers present an alternative way to interrogate contemporary culture and politics.
In this vein, this edition of Open Cultural Studies Journal seeks essays as innovative and thought-provoking as the writings from the Crunk Feminist Collective. The primary theme for exploration is representation: How is a new generation of black feminists representing a black feminist agenda? How are artists and writers subverting definitions of black womanhood represented in media and scholarship? Finally, how are marginalized groups within communities of color fighting for recognition?
The following list provides suggested topics for consideration:
The Body: Sizeism, tattoo art, ableism, beauty politics
Culture: Music, visual art, film, reality television, social media
Politics: Political figures, healthcare, the Judicial system
Deadline & how to apply
· Deadline for extended abstracts: 15 September 2020
· Notification of acceptance to authors: 10 October 2020
· Deadline for full articles: 31 January 2021
Please send an extended abstract (maximum 1,500 words) by 15 September 2020 to the guest editor Dr. Tracey L. Walters, Associate Professor of Literature and Chair of the Department of Africana Studies at Stony Brook University (tracey.walters@stonybrook.edu).
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