Sisterly Discussions about Black Women Candidates

Sister Style ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 95-119
Author(s):  
Nadia E. Brown ◽  
Danielle Casarez Lemi
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Historically Black ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Political Elites ◽  
Women Candidates ◽  
Natural Hair ◽  
Delta Sigma ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
Elected Office

In this chapter, through a focus group with members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the authors query a set of highly politically engaged Black women about the importance of appearance to this group of political elites. As a historically Black Greek Letter Organization, this sorority has, throughout its history, upheld restrictive and controlling cultural norms that disproportionately impact Black women. Yet, the authors’ findings demonstrate that while there are different preferences and tactics that Black sorority-member voters think are most useful for other Black women to gain elected office, those voters are uniform in their desire to see successful Black women political elites. The authors also observe a generational split regarding the perceived political implications for Black women candidates with natural hair, which the focus group participants tie back to respectability politics. The chapter concludes by highlighting the differences in how younger Black sorority members think about the politics of appearance and the implications for these differences for the future of Black women political elites.

Conclusion

Sister Style ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 172-182
Author(s):  
Nadia E. Brown ◽  
Danielle Casarez Lemi
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Black Woman ◽  
Political Elite ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Elites ◽  
Women's Activism ◽  
Natural Hair ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
Women’S Representation ◽  
Black Women's Activism

The concluding chapter of this book contextualizes the political implications of Black women’s appearances for both political elites and voters. The chapter centers on Black women’s activism around natural hair and its connection to politics and policy. The natural hair movement signals not just a styling preference but also a way for Black women political elites to descriptively represent constituents. In this chapter, the authors provide a summary of the findings of their study and offer insights into Black women’s representation. The chapter ends by asking readers to assess the values that they ascribe to a Black woman political elite based on what she looks like.

Candid Conversations: Black Women Political Elites and Appearances

Sister Style ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 75-94
Author(s):  
Nadia E. Brown ◽  
Danielle Casarez Lemi
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Political Elites ◽  
Women Candidates ◽  
Aesthetic Experiences ◽  
Age Cohorts ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
Action Committee ◽  
Political Office ◽  
The Aesthetic

This chapter showcases how conversations are a generative tool to assess the differences and similarities in the aesthetic experiences of Black women political elites. The authors partnered with the Black Women’s Political Action Committee of Texas to provide the first ever scholarly focus group with Black women political elites. Through an organic conversation, they found that Black women candidates and elected officials face challenges from others, including fellow Black women, about how they choose to present themselves for political office. The authors documented generational splits in how age cohorts of Black women decide to style themselves and the political implications of these choices. Most notably, Millennial Black women political elites detailed discrimination and hostilities based on their styling preferences, often at the hands of older Black women.

“Glass half full: cautious optimism and the future of Black women political elites in America”

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Nadia E. Brown ◽  
Sarah Allen Gershon
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Democratic Party ◽  
Political Elites ◽  
Scholarly Research ◽  
Women Candidates ◽  
The Future ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

Abstract In this essay, we place Black women's electoral challenges and opportunities in context. We situate this year of “Black Women Candidates” as an anomaly, but one that has been a long in the making. We also point to the appeal of Black women lawmakers among voters to mirror Alberder Gillespie's claims in this epigraph. We note that Black women have long been the backbone of the Democratic Party and are willing to use their clout for their own political means. Furthermore, given the unique ways that Black women represent their constituents, an influx of Black women into governing bodies may have a substantial, lasting impact on policy-making. We conclude with insights from our own research and that of other scholars on Black women to demonstrate future avenues of scholarly research.

scholarly journals Give Yourself Permission to Rest

Genealogy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Kareema J. Gray ◽  
Latoya B. Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Historically Black ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Women Faculty ◽  
Women In Higher Education ◽  
Emotional Needs ◽  
Social Unrest ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Black Women Faculty

Black women in higher education have always been under pressure to prove that they belong in their positions, and often have taken on more work to prove this. The events of 2020—the COVID-19 global pandemic and the racial and social unrest that swept through the country increased this pressure on Black women in higher education. Historically, Black women have taken on the roles of mother, professional, and caretaker of all who were around them. The events of 2020 added to those roles for Black women faculty, working from home, homeschooling online, checking on the welfare of students, and addressing the emotional needs of their families who have been stuck indoors for months. Self-care is more important now more than before for Black women faculty. To employ these self-care strategies, Black women faculty must first give themselves permission to need them.

scholarly journals Voter Support for Women Candidates

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalyn Cooperman
Keyword(s):  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Central Research ◽  
Party Affiliation ◽  
Women Candidates ◽  
Opinion Polling ◽  
Female Candidates ◽  
The Us ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Elected Office

Voter support for women candidates in American politics may best be summed up by the often-repeated phrase, “when women run, women win.” This statement indicates that when compared to male candidates running in a similar capacity, such as candidates for open seats in which no incumbent is present, female candidates are equally likely to win elected office. Voters, therefore, seem equally likely at face value to support female candidates. However, the literature on voter support for women candidates suggests that this voter support may be more conditional in nature. A central research thread on voters and women candidates is how voters perceive women candidates and, in turn, their electability. Research on gender stereotypes and candidates examines voter perceptions of the traits they typically associate with men and women, candidates, and officeholders and the circumstances under which these traits make gender and political candidacy more or less attractive. The literature on political party and voter support for women candidates explores how gender and party affect levels of voter support and is offered as one explanation for the party imbalance in women’s representation with female Democrats significantly outnumbering female Republicans as candidates and officeholders. Researchers have also examined how voters evaluate other components of women’s candidacies, including their party affiliation, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. In addition to personal characteristics, scholars have explored how the type or level of office impacts voter support of women candidates with certain types of elected positions often considered more or less well suited for women candidates. More recently, a thread of research on voter support for women candidates has focused on women’s absence from the nation’s highest elected position—the US presidency. Scholars, and the candidate herself, have assessed voter support for or opposition to Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful presidential bids in 2008 and 2016. This line of research includes public opinion polling that measures both the abstract idea of electing a woman president as well as electing a specific woman president, namely Clinton.

Valuing the History, Missions and Traditions of HBCUs

2016 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Derrick M. Bryan ◽  
Felicia Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Historically Black ◽  
Black Colleges ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Historically Black Colleges ◽  
Historical Significance ◽  
Howard University ◽  
Morehouse College ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ethnographic Narratives ◽  
Black Colleges And Universities

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) serve the educational needs of students of African descent while providing an atmosphere of nurture and guidance enriched in cultural norms. In considering how HBCUs can remain competitive, this chapter recommends that one of the first steps is to return to the basics, reviewing the historical significance, missions and traditions of HBCUs. In doing so, this work investigates the role HBCUs play in student identity and character development by looking at the history, mission and traditions of Morehouse College and Howard University. The authors, who both are alumni of these institutions, respectively, will examine relevant documents and statements from the schools as well as provide auto-ethnographic narratives explicating the impact those institutions had on their academic, social and professional successes.

Gendered Racism in the Lives of Black Women: A Qualitative Exploration

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 583-606
Author(s):  
Kamesha Spates ◽  
Na’Tasha Evans ◽  
Tierra Akilah James ◽  
Karen Martinez
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Historically Black ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
The United States ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Gendered Racism ◽  
Societal Expectations ◽  
Qualitative Exploration ◽  
Depth Interviews

Historically, Black women have experienced multiple adversities due to gendered racism. While research demonstrates that gendered racism is associated with negative physical and mental health implications, little attention has been given to how being Black and female shape Black women’s experiences in multiple contexts. This study provided an opportunity for Black women to describe their lived experiences of gendered racism in the United States. We conducted in-depth interviews with Black women ( N = 22) between the ages of 18 and 69 years. We applied a thematic analysis approach to data analysis. Three themes were identified that underscored how these Black women navigated gendered racism: (a) navigating societal expectations of being Black and female, (b) navigating relationships (or lack thereof), and (c) navigating lack of resources and limited opportunities. Findings from this study provide an increased understanding of the unique challenges that Black women face because of their subordinated statuses in the United States. These findings may influence programs and assessments for Black women’s wellness.

The Natural Hair Bias in Job Recruitment

2020 ◽  
pp. 194855062093793
Author(s):  
Christy Zhou Koval ◽  
Ashleigh Shelby Rosette
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
Black Women ◽  
White Women ◽  
Job Applicants ◽  
White Female ◽  
Job Interview ◽  
Natural Hair ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Job Recruitment

Across four studies, we demonstrate a bias against Black women with natural hairstyles in job recruitment. In Study 1, participants evaluated profiles of Black and White female job applicants across a variety of hairstyles. We found that Black women with natural hairstyles were perceived to be less professional, less competent, and less likely to be recommended for a job interview than Black women with straightened hairstyles and White women with either curly or straight hairstyles. We replicated these findings in a controlled experiment in Study 2. In Study 3A and 3B, we found Black women with natural hairstyles received more negative evaluations when they applied for a job in an industry with strong dress norms. Taken together, this article advances the research on biases in the labor market in the age of social media use and highlights the importance of taking an intersectional approach when studying inequity in the workplace.

The Effects of Candidate Gender on Voting for Local Office in England

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Welch ◽  
Donley T. Studlar
Keyword(s):  
Simple Model ◽  
County Council ◽  
Women Candidates ◽  
Local Council ◽  
Metropolitan County ◽  
Considerable Controversy ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Elected Office ◽  
Shed Light

There has been considerable controversy over the reasons why women hold less than 20 per cent of all local council offices in England. Using a simple model of the votes a candidate might be expected to receive, this Note uses data from the 1985 English non-metropolitan county council elections to shed light on the paucity of women in local elected office. Our analysis evaluates the following alternative explanations for the low proportions of women in local office:1. Relatively few women are selected by parties to run for local office;2. Parties tend to nominate their women candidates for unwinnable races;3. Voters disproportionately vote against women candidates.

scholarly journals The Voters Behavior Towards Women Candidates in the 2019 Legislative Election in North Luwu Regency

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Ananda Rezky Wibowo
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Gender Issues ◽  
Political Elites ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Political Candidates ◽  
Women Candidates ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Female Candidates ◽  
Political Costs ◽  
Legislative Body

The results showed that the absence of female candidates who passed the legislative body in North Luwu Regency showed that the implementation of the policy affirmative action of the 30 percent quota of women's representation was not optimal, even though voter behavior was no longer significant in questioning gender issues in politics. This is due to the dominance of male political elites which still have a big influence because the voting community still sees the existence of these political elites. In addition, it is due to the failure of political parties to regenerate and build political commitment to women. Although in the 2014-2019 period there were two female representatives in the legislative body of North Luwu Regency, in the 2019-2023 elections they were not re-elected because they no longer had a network of power and kinship. The most crucial factor is that money politics is still a compromise tool in the electoral process, political actors play a role in money politics, so this makes no female candidates elected because of their inability to compete with the flow of money politics even though they have incurred political costs. which is not the least. Voters will choose a certain candidate if he feels there is a reciprocal that will be accepted as well as political candidates who are afraid of losing their votes, this irrational act (playing money politics) becomes the last resort.

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