44 pages 1 hour read

bell hooks

Ain't I A Woman: Black Women and Feminism

Nonfiction | Essay Collection | Adult | Published in 1981

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

Chapter 2

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 2 Summary: “Continued Devaluation of Black Womanhood”

In this chapter, hooks examines the impact of slavery on the political and social status of Black women. Sexual violence targeting Black women did not end with slavery. Contemporary media continues to portray Black women as sexually promiscuous, which is consistent with the fundamentalist perception of women as sinful temptresses. Lack of attention to the rape of Black women is consistent with the perception that Black women are sexually permissive, which hooks traces back to slavery: “The designation of all black women as sexually depraved, immoral, and loose had its roots in the slave system” (52). White media portrayed Black men and women as innately immoral, and many believed that Black women were deserving of the abuse they experienced due to their moral status.

During Reconstruction (the post-Civil War period), Black women pushed back against these stereotypes by dressing well and emulating white women, but they were physically and verbally assaulted by people who wanted them to remain subjugated. Sexual violence against Black women was so common that activists published articles to draw attention to the matter. Their outrage was ignored by the white public, who internalized stereotypes about Black women. hooks explains that the prevalence of bias against Black women and the pervasiveness of sexual assault reveal the continued devaluation of Black women’s identities.

Related Titles

By bell hooks

Study Guide

logo

All about Love

bell hooks

All about Love: Love Song to the Nation Book 1

bell hooks

Study Guide

logo

Feminism Is For Everybody

bell hooks

Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics

bell hooks

Study Guide

logo

Feminist Theory

bell hooks

Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center

bell hooks

Study Guide

logo

Killing Rage

bell hooks

Killing Rage: Ending Racism

bell hooks

Plot Summary

logo

Salvation: Black People And Love

bell hooks

Salvation: Black People And Love

bell hooks

Study Guide

logo

Teaching Critical Thinking

bell hooks

Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom

bell hooks

Teaching Guide + Study Guide

logo

Teaching to Transgress

bell hooks

Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom

bell hooks

Study Guide

logo

The Will to Change

bell hooks

The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love

bell hooks