ResearchPublications

This chapter explores how a sample of low-income heterosexual Black women living in New York City resist the interlocking oppressions of race, class, and gender through expressions of sexual autonomy and pursuit of sexual enjoyment. An intersectional analysis contextualizes the experiences of participants who live at the center of interrelated inequalities. These disparities contribute to negative consequences for Black women’s sexual health and imagery. We analyze how these women resist their oppression through participation in sexual activities that are typically considered to be in the male domain and that transgress cultural standards for appropriate sexual behavior in women.