Black Women

Black women experience a unique intersection of patriarchal and white supremacist oppression, leading to statistics like disproportionate maternal mortality in the U.S. and foundational feminist theory like the writing of Audre Lorde. Black women are not a monolith, however, and include women from all around the world who are a part of the African diaspora. They have often led social movements for a wide variety of causes because of the intersectional oppressive structures on their lives.

What Renee Bracey Sherman Wants You to Know About Liberating Abortion and the People Who Make It Possible

Renee Bracey Sherman and Regina Mahone recently released their co-authored book, Liberating Abortion: Claiming Our History, Sharing Our Stories, and Building the Reproductive Future We Deserve. In it, they offer a new perspective on the history of abortion and imagine a future where reproductive justice is realized.

Bracey Sherman and Mahone ask us to build a better future that begins with building community around abortion and reproductive freedom now.

Ms. sat down with Renee Bracey Sherman to discuss her new book, Liberating Abortion, the history of abortion and where we go from here.

Black Voters Prepare for Backlash Ahead of Election Day

Through her nonprofit Project Say Something, voting rights activist Camille Bennett urged city officials to remove a Confederate monument in front of the local courthouse in Florence. Throughout Trump’s presidency, as support grew across the country to topple and rename Confederate monuments, the former president continued to defend the racist remnants of the past. Organizers like Bennett say they can’t afford another Trump win. “The power belongs to the people,” said Bennett. “If we choose to mobilize and really lift our voices as a nation, we can get a lot done. And that’s the hope that I carry on—no matter what happens, we can’t be afraid.”

“Make no mistake about it, if [Trump] is reelected, this is going to further embolden his supporters to express their racial hostility, their racial grievances, and also continue to further inspire people to engage in hateful tactics,” said Emmitt Riley, president of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. “Some folks are sick of Trump, but this election is going to really be another test as to whether or not a nation who has lived under four years of chaos is ready to return to that dysfunction and chaos.” 

Black Women on the Ballot: Top Races to Watch in 2024

The 2024 elections are a watershed moment for Black women in politics.

As Americans—particularly young people and people of color—become more disillusioned by our political processes, the intentional and strategic advancement of Black women candidates may infuse a much-needed dose of confidence in decency, democracy and dignity in politics.

Front and Center: ‘If You Lose Your Job, You Lose Your Childcare. How Are You Supposed to Make That Work?’ Asks Mississippi Mom of Five

Front & Center began as first-person accounts of Black mothers living in Jackson, Miss., receiving a guaranteed income. Moving into the fourth year and next phase of this series, we’re expanding our focus beyond a single policy intervention to include a broader examination of systemic issues impacting Black women experiencing poverty. This means diving deeper into the interconnected challenges they face—including navigating the existing safety net; healthcare, childcare and elder care; and the importance of mental, physical and spiritual well-being.

“I really think Trump looks down on people like me,” writes Debra, a single mother taking care of her five children, plus her grandmother and niece. “That’s not the type of person I want leading the country. … People with criminal records can’t even get a job at Walmart. But a felon can run for president?”

Hollywood’s Role in Perpetuating the ‘Angry Black Woman’ Trope

After Vice President Kamala Harris recently completed an interview with a combative Fox News host, pundits agreed she “gave a master class on what it means to be a Black woman in politics” by demonstrating cool, calm, effective leadership. The Grio’s Gerren Keith Gaynor noted she avoided the “angry Black woman” trope—a stereotype that not only permeates politics but has deep roots in the entertainment industry. 

In recent years, a more diverse and empowering portrayal of Black women on the big screen has celebrated complexity and identity. For nearly all of its existence, though, Hollywood has been anything but inclusive, often illustrating one-dimensional perspectives of Black women. The history of inadequate representation—and certainly positive representation—helped form the “angry Black woman” stereotype, among other false narratives. 

Some of the Hardest Questions Kamala Harris Has Been Answering Lately, ICYMI

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Two weeks before the election, with early voting already ongoing in a majority of U.S. states, Vice President Kamala Harris is making her way through interviews, explaining her positions and taking tough questions on her validity as a candidate, abortion rights, the Supreme Court and the preservation of democracy.

We have listened and read through five of these tough interviews—Alex Cooper’s podcast Call Her Daddy; Charlamagne Tha God’s The Breakfast Club podcast; the Univision Town Hall; a Fox News interview with Bret Baier; and Howard Stern’s show—so you don’t have to.

Here are some of the toughest questions she faced, and her frank answers, in her own words.  

Keeping Score: Federal Judge to DeSantis, ‘It’s the First Amendment, Stupid’; N.Y. Woman Investigated for Pregnancy Loss; Abortion Is #1 Issue for Women Voters Under 30

In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in this biweekly roundup.

This week: Abortion is the number one election issue for women under 30; a record-breaking 300,000 Georgians cast their ballots on the first day; equal pay trailblazer Lilly Ledbetter died at age 86; X (Twitter) fails to quickly remove revenge porn; less than 1 percent of U.S. abortions happen after 21 weeks; and more.

Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester Could Make History as First Two Black Women to Serve Simultaneously in U.S. Senate

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week: Indigenous People’s Day, the New York Equal Rights Amendment, fostering trust in a time of misinformation, Angela Alsobrooks’ and Lisa Blunt Rochester’s campaigns, calls for increased women’s representation in the Sri Lankan parliament, and more.

Greedflation: Corporate Profits Are the Driver of High Prices

Depending on who’s doing the talking, inflation can be blamed on President Joe Biden or on his predecessor, Donald Trump. But one—and perhaps the greatest—driver of higher prices lies under the radar: corporate profits.

Women are the majority of the population, the majority of registered voters and the majority of those who actually show up at the polls. Let’s hope they do their homework and remember in November which candidates are coziest with the profit-mongering corporations picking their pocketbooks.

(This article originally appears in the Fall 2024 issue of Ms. Join the Ms. community today and you’ll get issues delivered straight to your mailbox! )