Women of Color in Community

Women of Color in Community

Ties that Thrive

Rooted in scholarship on intersectional feminism and drawing on the lived experiences of women of color, this edited volume explores the formation and practice of intersectional community, across varied contexts, as a powerful agent of social change. Chapters focus on conceptualizing women of color sisterhoods as disruptive to dominant white, male narratives of success; re-imagining self-care as acts of collective care; analyzing the dynamic, reciprocal relationships between women of color and their larger communities in terms of space and place; and experiencing sisterhood across and within generations. Incorporating both autoethnography and traditional ethnography, this volume offers unique insights on the practice of intersectional community among women of color.

This book will be of interest to scholars, researchers, and academics studying the social sciences, gender studies, and particularly intersectional feminism.

“ A powerful and timely intervention in contemporary feminist thought. Moving decisively beyond abstract invocations of intersectionality, this book asks how feminist solidarity actually looks when practiced in institutions, communities, and collective spaces shaped by power and difference. Centering women of color’s experiences as sources of knowledge and political insight, the contributors confront the tensions, failures, and possibilities that attend feminist collaboration in the present moment. Clear, grounded, and engaged, the book bridges theory and practice without flattening either.”
—Rumya S. Putcha, Associate Professor, University of Georgia, USA

Rooted in scholarship on intersectional feminism and drawing on the lived experiences of women of color, this edited volume explores the formation and practice of intersectional community, across varied contexts, as a powerful agent of social change. Chapters focus on conceptualizing women of color sisterhoods as disruptive to dominant white, male narratives of success; re-imagining self-care as acts of collective care; analyzing the dynamic, reciprocal relationships between women of color and their larger communities in terms of space and place; and experiencing sisterhood across and within generations. Incorporating both autoethnography and traditional ethnography, this volume offers unique insights on the practice of intersectional community among women of color.

This book will be of interest to scholars, researchers, and academics studying the social sciences, gender studies, and particularly intersectional feminism.

Lata Murti  is Lecturer of Sociology for California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and Recruitment and Retention Coordinator for Cal Poly Bachelor’s Pathway in Sociology at Allan Hancock College.

Sheila Lakshmi Steinberg  is Director of the Institute for Sustainability and Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at California State University, Northridge.

Jalin B. Johnson is Principal and Executive Producer of Insufferable Academics, LLC. 

Leticia Rojas is a faculty member and teacher education coordinator at Pasadena City College.

Nakisha Castillo is Clinical Director and Associate Professor of Psychology in the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences at University of Massachusetts Global.

“ Women of Color in Community: Ties that Thrive is a powerful and timely intervention in contemporary feminist thought. Moving decisively beyond abstract invocations of intersectionality, this book asks how feminist solidarity actually looks when practiced in institutions, communities, and collective spaces shaped by power and difference. Centering women of color’s experiences as sources of knowledge and political insight, the contributors confront the tensions, failures, and possibilities that attend feminist collaboration in the present moment. Clear, grounded, and engaged, the book bridges theory and practice without flattening either. Its interdisciplinary reach will make it essential reading for scholars in feminist, cultural, and ethnic studies, while its accessibility speaks directly to organizers, artists, and readers working beyond the academy.” (Rumya S. Putcha, Associate Professor, University of Georgia (Athens, GA))

“A powerful and necessary contribution to documenting how women of color build, sustain, and reimagine community, with narratives that not only theorize intersectionality; the authors embody it, demonstrating how their stories become sites of resistance, healing, and transformative sisterhood. Each highlights creative strategies to survive institutions not built for us, and the joyful, generative ways we still thrive anyway. Through autoethnography, place-based storytelling, and intergenerational insight, they capture the fullness of who we are: resilient, reflective, and revolutionary. More than an academic text, this book is a communal offering, reminding us that our stories matter, our relationships matter, and our collective resistance is a blueprint for the future. I highly recommend this volume to scholars, students, organizers, and anyone seeking to understand the depth and complexity of women of color’s lived experiences and leadership.” (Nicole Hodges Persley, Professor of American Studies and African & African American Studies, University of Kansas)

“ Women of Color in Community: Ties that Thrive is a unique and outstanding collection of essays, solely focused on women of color and global sisterhood, that combines first-person narrative autoethnography, self-care as a praxis, and intersectional community building. This edited volume is analytically rich and offers powerful possibilities for building community resilience, which is necessary for both individual and collective feminist transformation.” (Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt, Edith Green Distinguished Professor, Linfield University)

“This book weaves storytelling in a tapestry that provides connection and critical foundations for understanding how BIPOC women scholars navigate and resist oppression. It links personal and community experiences to key concepts, such as identifying and defining healing and resistance with intersectional struggles, power, race, identity, colonization, and imperialism. Each author offers a window for the reader into how they demonstrate a rejection of victimhood and define narratives on their own terms. If you ever need to feel connected with other BIPOC women scholars, or are curious about the lived realities of these colleagues, this book offers a source of connection, validation, and critical understanding.” (Stephanie Beaver-Guzman (Hupa/Yurok), Ethnic Studies Professor, Modesto Junior College, CA)

“Understanding the role of community is vital to understanding how human beings come to be. Women of Color in Community: Ties that Thrive is a manifesto on how that phenomenon comes to life for women of color. The role of location, both personal and professional, is one way that this book will expand our understanding of the dynamism of community. The other is to give us a glimpse into how intersectional identities determine the quality of the interactions we have in that space. Human beings are contextual, and we must understand how community influences who we become and what we do with that becoming. I highly recommend this book for those looking for a unique perspective on how community shapes reality in the lives of women of color.” (Marie Nubia-Feliciano, Director of the Institute of Black Intellectual Innovation, and Lecturer of Ethnic Studies, CSU Fullerton)

Highlights

• Draws on the lived experiences of women of color across different industries Provides rich and original empirical material Maps contemporary challenges and identifies ways in which sisterhoods can be sustained within these environments

Über den Autor

Lata Murti is Lecturer of Sociology for California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and Recruitment and Retention Coordinator for Cal Poly Bachelor’s Pathway in Sociology at Allan Hancock College.
Sheila Lakshmi Steinberg is Director of the Institute for Sustainability and Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at California State University, Northridge.
Jalin B. Johnson is Principal and Executive Producer of Insufferable Academics, LLC. 
Leticia Rojas is a faculty member and teacher education coordinator at Pasadena City College. 
Nakisha Castillo is Clinical Director and Associate Professor of Psychology in the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences at University of Massachusetts Global.