Nene vs. Star: Black Women & The Vulnerability of Anger

The first season of The Apprentice brought with it an impressive black woman (Omarosa Manigault) who deconstructed her brilliance to pacify an audience that seeks (if not requires) black women to fit a particular prototype on television.  Omarosa embodied what Patricia Hill Collins would designate the black lady, a black woman whose intellect and success […]

How Chris Brown is Effing Up My Sex Life: A B-Side to Dating While Feminist

For the last month or so, I have been entertaining a new Friend.  This brother is cute, sensitive, ambitious, educated, knowledgeable, adventurous and funny. For these reasons and others, he could most definitely get it. Sounds great, right? Yes. And then Chris Brown happened.  The day after the recent shamtabulousness occurred, I told Friend of […]

“We Created A Circle”: Reflections on the CFC Retreat

We began making plans for our first Crunk Feminist retreat months in advance.  The first attempt, in May, failed because of an unexpected death in Brittney’s family.  We initially planned a workshop-like gathering in Atlanta on Emory’s campus but the postponement, coupled with hectic schedules and life’s work, lasted one year. Our second attempt, scheduled […]