Vengeance Feminism: The Power of Black Women’s Fury in Lawless Times

by Kali Nicole Gross

2025 PEN Open Book Award Winner

2025 ASALH Book Prize Winner

From an award-winning historian, an alternative model of feminism driven by the legacy of Black women who took justice into their own hands

So often failed by the state, demeaned by racism and sexism, and denied respectable means of redress, Black women have nevertheless patiently resisted myriad injustices. Yet history shows an alternative path. It involved razors, pistols, hatchets, and blackjacks, and playacting for courts and reporters—whatever it took to beat the system. In a world where Black women are castigated and caricatured for being angry, Vengeance Feminism tells the story of those who leaned into their fury, crafting a different kind of ideology that scratched and stabbed and sometimes even succeeded.

Vengeance Feminism is about the Black women who hit back—not always figuratively, and not necessarily nobly either. Weaving together historical narrative with Black feminist analysis, Gross illuminates the stories of Black women who fought for their dignity on their own terms, from the nineteenth-century “badger thieves” who robbed men on the streets of Philadelphia to victims of intimate partner violence who defended their honor and bodily autonomy with deadly force.

Reckoning with women who lied, robbed, and cheated a racist, misogynistic world, Vengeance Feminism grapples with the volatile power of violence in pursuit of racial and gender justice.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Feminism, American History

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 24, 2024

About the author

Kali Nicole Gross’s award-winning books include Colored Amazons: Crime, Violence, and Black Women in the City of Brotherly Love, 1880-1910 (Duke 2006), Hannah Mary Tabbs and the Disembodied Torso: A Tale of Race, Sex, and Violence in America (Oxford 2016), and, co-authored with Daina Ramey Berry, A Black Women’s History of the United States (Beacon Press 2020). Her new book is Vengeance Feminism: The Power of Black Women’s Fury in Lawless Times (Seal Press, 2024).

Reviews

[Sunny Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

We need more vengeance feminism contemporarily and better organization to keep women out of prison

[Sonni Estill]

Just came in the mail. Excited to read...will keep you posted.

[Professor Cinephile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blown away by this incredible text.
My full review can be read here https://signsjournal.org/kali-n-gross...

[Jenn Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK. It is so important that we tell true stories about Black women's lives and this book does such an incredible job of that. This book is about revenge, fury, and responding to misogynoir with brass knuckles and bullets. I can't recommend it enough.

[KJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful. Informative.

[Shay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is in a league of its own. Real life stories of the numerous black women who didn’t just lay down & take it. They stood up for their own rights. The stories were from the 19th to 20th century even some current stories. These women had to endure so much & at times, it made me sad. Especially the last chapter that discussed the babies. I enjoyed the book, but at times it was a bit wordy and I found myself drifting off.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher & of course the author for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ Review ✨ Vengeance Feminism: The Power of Black Women’s Fury in Lawless Times by Kali Gross

Thanks to Seal Press and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This book was a super accessible history about Black women employing violence in the 1800s/1900s. This fits into a growing field of Black female historians writing about this important topic (see We Refuse by Kellie Carter Jackson, Brooding over Bloody Revenge by Nikki Taylor, Reckoning with Slavery by Jennifer Morgan, etc.).

Gross's focus is fairly narrow, focusing on Philadelphia, but the range of contexts for these women's stories is vast. She shows how women reclaimed dignity by using violence when few other options remained. She uses legal records and other sources to show how these women fought back, resisting and reclaiming what parts of their personhood they could, however they could. Rooted in Black feminist theory, this builds our knowledge of this era and the important actions these women took.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: non-fiction history
Setting: Philadelphia
Pub Date: 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ Black women's history
⭕️ women fighting back
⭕️ Philadelphia history

[Ridim Buk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women, especially Black women, are often characterised as angry just for showing their passion or frustration at a world that is not only designed to keep them down, but often kills them for stepping out of line.

This book is full of snippets of stories where black women took their vengeance into their own hands. Their stories woven together to create a world where maybe they had the opportunity to get back a little of what the world stole from them.

In Australia at the moment there is a lot of focus on the astronomical number of women who are murdered by men. Every year the number increases. Feminism and how women are viewed and treated within Australian culture is front and centre as I was reading this and I could totally empathise with the rage that the people in this book were feeling. The feminist movement we have today owes a lot to the people in this book. It’s not all pussy hats and #GirlBoss.

Thanks to #NetGallery and publisher for a copy of this book.

Genre: nonfiction, history
Format: Digital

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another book club book and it is def the best book we've read so far. I found it so interesting to read about this history that isn't really widely considered both in history as a whole and even in feminist history more narrowly. The comparisons at the end to modern happenings made the stories shared in this book cement themselves even stronger in my mind.

All of the stories shared are very well told and the sheer amount of notes at the end of the book show just how well researched this was. My only wish is that there was a bit more analysis of what vengeance feminism is beyond the literal actions depicted in the book.

[Sydney ⸙ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting histories organized in a unique way

[Chyler Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my new favorites!

[J Kromrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Vengeance Feminism by Kali Gross is a groundbreaking exploration of the often overlooked and misunderstood power of Black women’s anger. Gross, an award-winning historian, delves into the historical narratives of Black women who, when faced with systemic injustice and societal neglect, took justice into their own hands.

The book is a compelling blend of historical narrative and Black feminist analysis. Gross traces the stories of these women from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, focusing on those who operated outside the law in Philadelphia.

One of the standout features of Vengeance Feminism is Gross’s ability to humanize these historical figures while also critiquing the societal structures that forced them into such extreme measures. She provides a nuanced portrayal of these women, acknowledging their flaws and the moral ambiguities of their actions. This approach challenges the reader to reconsider traditional notions of heroism and justice.

Gross’s writing is both scholarly and accessible, making complex historical and feminist theories understandable for a broad audience. Her narrative is enriched with vivid descriptions and poignant anecdotes, bringing the past to life in a way that is both engaging and informative.

The thematic depth of Vengeance Feminism is another of its strengths. Gross explores the intersectionality of race, gender, and class, highlighting how these factors compounded the injustices faced by Black women.

Vengeance Feminism: The Power of Black Women’s Fury in Lawless Times is a powerful and thought-provoking work that offers a fresh perspective on the history of Black women’s resistance. Kali Gross has crafted a narrative that is both enlightening and inspiring, urging readers to recognize the strength and resilience of these women. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in feminist history, social justice, and the enduring power of righteous anger. Whether you’re a scholar or a casual reader, Vengeance Feminism will leave a lasting impact.

[Haerlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

From an award-winning historian, an alternative model of feminism driven by the legacy of Black women who took justice into their own hands

So often failed by the state, demeaned by racism and sexism, and denied respectable means of redress, Black women have nevertheless patiently resisted myriad injustices. Yet history shows an alternative path. It involved razors, pistols, hatchets, and blackjacks, and playacting for courts and reporters—whatever it took to beat the system. In a world where Black women are castigated and caricatured for being angry, Vengeance Feminism tells the story of those who leaned into their fury, crafting a different kind of ideology that scratched and stabbed and sometimes even succeeded.

Vengeance Feminism is about the Black women who hit back—not always figuratively, and not necessarily nobly either. Weaving together historical narrative with Black feminist analysis, Gross illuminates the stories of Black women who fought for their dignity on their own terms, from the nineteenth-century “badger thieves” who robbed men on the streets of Philadelphia to victims of intimate partner violence who defended their honor and bodily autonomy with deadly force.

Reckoning with women who lied, robbed, and cheated a racist, misogynistic world, Vengeance Feminism grapples with the volatile power of violence in pursuit of racial and gender justice.

My Take:
This is for the folk who think that women, especially Black women, have passively accepted whatever injustice befallen them. This text gives examples of times where Black women have chosen another form of action: one that "crosses the bloody line in the sand" and it a glorious piece of scholarly work. Add it to your reading lists on women's history, Black feminism, womanism, Black studies, and Black literature lists: it will give historical context to women real and imagined, throughout time and space.

[Natalie T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since we are living in increasingly lawless times, when a woman's freedom to control her own body and destiny--even her freedom to travel--are being circumscribed, Kali Nicole Gross's study of Black women's spirited self-defense in Jim Crow Philadelphia is provocative and optimistic reading, because it maps a path other than stoic endurance of suffering. Those stories--when Black women fought back--have mostly been suppressed and erased from the historical record; no surprise there. But they "have the potential to create an alternative road map for Black feminist theories and activism in crucial ways," Gross states. "I wrote this book because I believe we need something to help us push back against the persistent feeling of despair and peril as Black women in America. [. . .] Sometimes, regardless of what we want, there is no running from the fight. [. . . ] Sometimes the only sane recourse is to cross the line." Self-defense can be a revolutionary act.

Fast-moving, spirited, thought-provoking, and empowering.

[waithaileyreadwhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Black women have been so castigated and caricatured for being angry that many of us have been trained not to express it, let alone act upon it, even when it is warranted… it was refreshing and instructive to explore histories of Black women who not only refused to swallow their anger but rather drew decisively upon it.” (10)

I generally don’t enjoy reading history, but this book was fantastic. I think the quote above from Kali Nicole Gross speaks to the heart of why this read was so engaging. From the discussions of Black badgers to reproductive retribution, I was thoroughly engaged in all the different historical examples of Black women practicing autonomy and rejecting victimhood.

There’s so much more to be said about this book, but my thoughts are too surface-level to share right now. Currently, all I’ll say is that this book is an interesting examination of vengeance feminism, and how it both aligns and diverges from Black feminism. Highly recommend to my Black thought daughters… I’d love to see this discussed in a book club.

[eve is reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

read for sunny's book club :)

this was a very illuminating work! my introduction to vengeance feminism and to the rich history of black women in philadelphia who retaliated against their oppressors.

this book is a close study of actions of specific women, and i admire the deep research taken to fully bring these stories back to life. the descriptions of the streets and general feel of the city were brought to life for me, as someone who has no familiarity with philadelphia, let alone in the late 19th and early 20th century.

i was especially fascinated by the badger thieves who would pose as prostitutes to then rob men, and also the women partaking in infanticide.

i would love for this book adapted into a chapter providing historical context as to how vengeance feminism is being enacted today. this was a narrow look at a very interesting topic which i would love to see broadened, especially with more modern examples, and across larger geographic areas.

"Vengeance feminism is defined by Black women defending themselves against dishonor, violence, and lawlessness, and taking control of their own bodies with respect to reproduction by whatever means necessary."

[Susie Dumond · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I found this book well researched, informative, and interesting, it's a lot more narrow of a study than the title leads readers to believe. Kali Nicole Gross is specifically looking at Black women's violence through criminal cases in Philadelphia around the turn of the 20th century. If you're interested in history, it's a great read! But if you're looking for feminist theory, particularly in a contemporary context, that's not really what you'll find here.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extensively annotated and documented, this book is a quick read that exposed me to new concepts such as vengeance feminism and mysogynoir. The presentation at times seem embraces a more lurid time than most scholarly texts, but the topic is important and the author’s research documentation proves the seriousness of her scholarship. This book is a valuable and thought provoking read.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ It can help remind us: sometimes, regardless of what we want, there is no running from the fight. It might even help us reclaim something else: sometimes the only sane recourse is to cross the line. And it might leave us armed with this: even when our backs are up against the wall, losing is not a foregone conclusion. “

[Beverly Hallfrisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting. I would have preferred more narrative stories of the example cases.