Redefining Power: The legacy of struggle and survival of Black Women and girls to change social systems

This presentation, which will be the cumulative findings of my independent study this semester, will trace the historical trauma and social injustices faced by Black women and girls in the United States from slavery, to current times and showcase their perseverance in overcoming their oppression through Black feminist thought and beyond. Throughout the past centuries, black women have experienced rape, exclusion, segregation and violence many times meant to devalue, discriminate, and dehumanize their culture, community, family race and sense of self. Despite these obstacles, black women continuously crafted intellectual views and theories from their experiences, and passed down knowledge and wisdom from these shared and oftentimes unimaginable experiences, thus creating the black woman\u27s consciousness. It is through these bodies of work by Black scholars and activists that I will expand our knowledge, reflecting and creating space to embrace a reimagined diversity in homes, schools, and the community at large. By applying the sociological perspective to the intersecting concepts of race and gender and its historical and contemporary impact on the experiences of black women in the United States, I will explore the importance of higher education as a catalyst for systemic change