Narratives of Black Girlhood and Womanhood in Hip hop

• In Event: Black Girlhoods

Abstract

Black girls are often not allowed space within education, girlhood, or media, and are often left on the margins of the margins, facing criminalization and adultification. As black girls are unable to access girlhood, forced at an early age into womanhood, through controlling images, using media and stereotypes reproduced by teachers, staff, and popular media culture, it’s important to understand how girlhood and womanhood are illustrated in the media, specifically using hip hop music.This study plans to examine how Black women hip-hop artists express womanhood and girlhood through a Black feminist and Critical race theory lens, revealing popular culture narratives that highlight the multifaceted challenges Black girls face—being Black, girls, and often perceived as women—especially within educational settings by teachers and staff. To do this, I will utilize hip-hop music as a platform and culture that expresses the lived experiences of black women over the life course, including those of various family socioeconomic status and sexuality.

Author

• Kyra R Rost, The Ohio State University