Intersecting Race, Gender, and Power in Black Feminism

Abstract

This research article assesses how race, gender, and power operate together in shaping the experiences of Black women in American society. Race, gender, class, and intersectionality in Black feminism have been widely discussed; however, the multidimensional role of power within this movement has remained insufficiently focused. Employing a qualitative interpretive approach, this study analyzes foundational Black feminist texts by Patricia Hill Collins, bell hooks, Angela Davis, Audre Lorde, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and other Black feminist thinkers. It examines how Black women have been marginalized both by mainstream feminism, which often neglects race, and by male-centered Black liberation movements, which often overlook gender-based oppression. The article also explores storytelling, personal experience, and self-definition as important sources of knowledge production and resistance. It argues that Black feminist thought understands power not only as structural, cultural, discursive, and institutional domination but also as a means of resistance, identity formation, and social transformation. By foregrounding the central role of power, this article highlights the continuing significance of Black American feminist thought in addressing contemporary inequalities and imagining more inclusive forms of justice.