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The Crunk Feminist Collection
For the Crunk Feminist Collective, their academic day jobs were lacking in conversations they actually wanted—relevant, real conversations about how race and gender politics intersect with pop culture and current events. To address this void, they started a blog. Now with an annual readership of nearly one million, their posts foster dialogue about activist methods, intersectionality, and sisterhood. And the writers' personal identities—as black women; as sisters, daughters, and lovers; and as television watchers, sports fans, and music lovers—are never far from the discussion at hand.
These essays explore "Sex and Power in the Black Church," discuss how "Clair Huxtable is Dead," list "Five Ways Talib Kweli Can Become a Better Ally to Women in Hip Hop," and dwell on "Dating with a Doctorate (She Got a Big Ego?)." Self-described as "critical homegirls," the authors tackle life stuck between loving hip hop and ratchet culture while hating patriarchy, misogyny, and sexism.
Brittney Cooper is an assistant professor at Rutgers University. In addition to a weekly column in Salon.com, her words have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Cosmo.com, and many others. In 2013 and 2014, she was named to the Root.com's Root 100, an annual list of Top Black Influencers.
Susana M. Morris received her Ph.D. from Emory University and is currently an associate professor of English at Auburn University.
Robin M. Boylorn is assistant professor at the University of Alabama. She is the author of the award-winning monograph Sweetwater: Black Women and Narratives of Resilience (Peter Lang, 2013).
These essays explore "Sex and Power in the Black Church," discuss how "Clair Huxtable is Dead," list "Five Ways Talib Kweli Can Become a Better Ally to Women in Hip Hop," and dwell on "Dating with a Doctorate (She Got a Big Ego?)." Self-described as "critical homegirls," the authors tackle life stuck between loving hip hop and ratchet culture while hating patriarchy, misogyny, and sexism.
Brittney Cooper is an assistant professor at Rutgers University. In addition to a weekly column in Salon.com, her words have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Cosmo.com, and many others. In 2013 and 2014, she was named to the Root.com's Root 100, an annual list of Top Black Influencers.
Susana M. Morris received her Ph.D. from Emory University and is currently an associate professor of English at Auburn University.
Robin M. Boylorn is assistant professor at the University of Alabama. She is the author of the award-winning monograph Sweetwater: Black Women and Narratives of Resilience (Peter Lang, 2013).
360 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2017
74 people are currently reading
1801 people want to read
About the author
Brittney Cooper
18 books677 followersBrittney Cooper is a writer, teacher, and public speaker. She thinks Black feminism can change the world for the better.
Brittney is Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University. She is co-founder of the popular Crunk Feminist Collective blog. And she is a contributing writer for Cosmopolitan.com and a former contributor to Salon.com. Her cultural commentary has been featured on MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes, Melissa Harris-Perry, Al Jazeera’s Third Rail, the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, PBS, Ebony.com, Essence.com, TheRoot.com, and TED.com.
Dr. Cooper is co-editor of The Crunk Feminist Collection (The Feminist Press 2017). She is author of Beyond Respectability: The Intellectual Thought of Race Women (University of Illinois Press, May 2017) and Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower (St. Martin’s, February 2018).
Brittney is Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University. She is co-founder of the popular Crunk Feminist Collective blog. And she is a contributing writer for Cosmopolitan.com and a former contributor to Salon.com. Her cultural commentary has been featured on MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes, Melissa Harris-Perry, Al Jazeera’s Third Rail, the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, PBS, Ebony.com, Essence.com, TheRoot.com, and TED.com.
Dr. Cooper is co-editor of The Crunk Feminist Collection (The Feminist Press 2017). She is author of Beyond Respectability: The Intellectual Thought of Race Women (University of Illinois Press, May 2017) and Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower (St. Martin’s, February 2018).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 24, 2019
If your Feminism is not intersectional, then it's not Feminism.
There is an underlining issue with Feminism in society, that the media (or white) Feminism speaks for the entirety of Women within our community. What is not mentioned is that the Feminism of Emma Watson, Taylor Swift, and Miley, only encompasses one aspect. This then gets generalized to all groups of Feminists, which is problematic since not all sexism or misogyny is the same for every set of women.
This is why it's important for us to read the books of Women of Color, Trans', Gay, Sex workers' and Disabled to better shape "our" Feminism. As of right now, we question these women that don't fit the standard of Media's Feminism.
Reading the narrative of other women made makes you rethink/realize your own learned microaggressions and racism. That is Feminism at it's finest. That makes you realize how you need to be held accountable for actions and to improve on them.
There is an underlining issue with Feminism in society, that the media (or white) Feminism speaks for the entirety of Women within our community. What is not mentioned is that the Feminism of Emma Watson, Taylor Swift, and Miley, only encompasses one aspect. This then gets generalized to all groups of Feminists, which is problematic since not all sexism or misogyny is the same for every set of women.
This is why it's important for us to read the books of Women of Color, Trans', Gay, Sex workers' and Disabled to better shape "our" Feminism. As of right now, we question these women that don't fit the standard of Media's Feminism.
Reading the narrative of other women made makes you rethink/realize your own learned microaggressions and racism. That is Feminism at it's finest. That makes you realize how you need to be held accountable for actions and to improve on them.
April 11, 2017
Absolutely worth reading. This book is dense (it took me over 2 months to read!), sometimes difficult, and always very smart, but also sometimes very funny and sweet. It felt like talking to friends, but super smart feminist friends with very strong opinions who are kicking ass in academia.
My only complaints are: I don't have a problem with them essentially publishing a collection of previously-written blog posts as a book -- they never claimed it was anything else than a collection of the work they did for free for years. And they did a good job sorting the posts by theme and wrote new intros to each chapter that tied them together very nicely. I do wish they had listed dates for the original posts, though? Maybe just at the bottom, like "originally posted on CFC October 2013." Because they're all in the present tense but then refer to things that happened at very different times (the posts cover from 2010-2015, I believe), so it could get confusing to not have that context. Also, and again I know they were originally blog posts, but they are academics, so I wish they'd added endnotes. It's mostly opinions/feminist analysis, but there are some facts and statistics, which I assume were originally hyperlinked. It's not that I don't trust their claims, but there were some things they mentioned in passing that I'd have loved to read more about, and seeing sources for them would have been helpful.
My only complaints are: I don't have a problem with them essentially publishing a collection of previously-written blog posts as a book -- they never claimed it was anything else than a collection of the work they did for free for years. And they did a good job sorting the posts by theme and wrote new intros to each chapter that tied them together very nicely. I do wish they had listed dates for the original posts, though? Maybe just at the bottom, like "originally posted on CFC October 2013." Because they're all in the present tense but then refer to things that happened at very different times (the posts cover from 2010-2015, I believe), so it could get confusing to not have that context. Also, and again I know they were originally blog posts, but they are academics, so I wish they'd added endnotes. It's mostly opinions/feminist analysis, but there are some facts and statistics, which I assume were originally hyperlinked. It's not that I don't trust their claims, but there were some things they mentioned in passing that I'd have loved to read more about, and seeing sources for them would have been helpful.
April 23, 2018
brilliant! highly recommend. will be coming back to many of these essays again and again.
January 26, 2017
The overall quality of writing was strong, but the blog-style writing wasn't adapted well for a longer work. It was a bit yoyo-like at times to be brought into and out of so many quick pieces. I have recommended it to a faculty member in our women, gender, and sexuality studies department and I look forward to hearing her thoughts.
January 8, 2017
The kind of book that is challenging in the best way.
March 16, 2020
What a collection! Using big names and characters such as Queen Latifah and Clair Huxtable to inform their analyses, Cooper, Morris, and Boylorn have created an undeniably important anthology. Filled with topics such as education, dating, music, and activism, The Crunk Feminist Collection offers countless opinions and experiences to counteract the mainstream message of feminism.
They take no prisoners, hold nothing back as they push forth older ideas such as intersectionality, and grapple with more recent events, such as Bill Cosby's trial. For them, nothing is off limits, and that's what makes this collection truly stand out.
Review cross-listed here!
They take no prisoners, hold nothing back as they push forth older ideas such as intersectionality, and grapple with more recent events, such as Bill Cosby's trial. For them, nothing is off limits, and that's what makes this collection truly stand out.
Review cross-listed here!
December 18, 2017
excellent collection for feminists, allies, anyone interested in undoing the patriarchy.
February 17, 2018
Dr Cooper is one of the most eloquent academics I've ever had the pleasure to read.
May 8, 2018
These essays are extremely informative and enlightening. They can be read in succession or you can skip around to your liking and they still all fit together beautifully. My only criticism is that almost every essay felt unfinished. I was often getting really into it and then all of a sudden it would end and left me wanting more. I would love to read more extended versions of these works that perhaps push the envelope even farther.
June 19, 2020
** 4 stars **
I enjoyed this compilation of blog posts originally published between 2010-2015 at the Crunk Feminist Collective website (https://www.crunkfeministcollective.com/). Most of the short essay pieces are written by Brittney Cooper, Susana Morris, or Robin Boylorn, although there are also contributions from other writers throughout. The three authors/editors have grouped the essays by subject, so the collection includes sections on gender and the patriarchy, race and racism, love and sex, family, pop culture, hip hop generation feminism, sisterhood, and more. I found the essays very readable (but I also work in academia like Cooper, Morris, and Boylorn), and the authors have helpfully included a glossary at the end of the collection to define terms a general reader may be unfamiliar with (e.g. intersectionality, misogynoir, neoliberalism) and terms coined by CFC members like Blackgirl, disrespectability politics, crunk feminism, and ratchet respectability.
I agree with some other reviews stating that it would have been nice to have the original date of the blog posts for context, and in some cases, 2-3 sentences of cultural context as to what the writer was writing in response to would have been extremely helpful. I also wish that the authors had footnoted sources linked to in the original blog posts.
In a collection like this, it is inevitable that readers won't find every essay to be equally good, however, I found most of the essays insightful and/or illuminating, and overall I found Cooper, Morris, and Boylorn to be engaging writers and thinkers. If you are interested in hearing from the current generation of Black feminist academics, then you should read this collection.
I enjoyed this compilation of blog posts originally published between 2010-2015 at the Crunk Feminist Collective website (https://www.crunkfeministcollective.com/). Most of the short essay pieces are written by Brittney Cooper, Susana Morris, or Robin Boylorn, although there are also contributions from other writers throughout. The three authors/editors have grouped the essays by subject, so the collection includes sections on gender and the patriarchy, race and racism, love and sex, family, pop culture, hip hop generation feminism, sisterhood, and more. I found the essays very readable (but I also work in academia like Cooper, Morris, and Boylorn), and the authors have helpfully included a glossary at the end of the collection to define terms a general reader may be unfamiliar with (e.g. intersectionality, misogynoir, neoliberalism) and terms coined by CFC members like Blackgirl, disrespectability politics, crunk feminism, and ratchet respectability.
I agree with some other reviews stating that it would have been nice to have the original date of the blog posts for context, and in some cases, 2-3 sentences of cultural context as to what the writer was writing in response to would have been extremely helpful. I also wish that the authors had footnoted sources linked to in the original blog posts.
In a collection like this, it is inevitable that readers won't find every essay to be equally good, however, I found most of the essays insightful and/or illuminating, and overall I found Cooper, Morris, and Boylorn to be engaging writers and thinkers. If you are interested in hearing from the current generation of Black feminist academics, then you should read this collection.
May 9, 2020
This is a collection of essays and blog posts by women of color who call themselves the Crunk Feminist Collective modeling their flavors of activism after crunk, the southern styled rap music that they love. I picked this up because one of the contributors is Brittany Cooper who wrote Eloquent Rage which I deeply admired. The pieces are all short and are organized around different topics, but have repeated themes of sisterhood and support for their fellow blackgirls and sisters of color, as well as addressing current events in their local churches and cultural bad takes. All of the ladies are angry, but also just so tired of repeating themselves in pointing out the many ways that their own communities and people fail women of color. Lest you think it's all a slog through discomfort, there are plenty of selections that uplift and amuse. I loved their frankness about adapting their sex lives for their changing bodies, and how they hold each other down, a term they used repeatedly with love for their sisters. It took me a long time to read this because I suck at reading essay collections, and I wished that I could have dragged it out longer (it was a library book and I'd already had to renew it) so I could dip in and out and really chew over each essay, letting its message of activism and support sink into my bones.
July 13, 2020
Adding to my recent jag of Black feminist literature, this book came on the heels of my reading Eloquent Rage by Brittney Cooper. Ms. Cooper is part of a larger group of women she has known since she did her undergrad work, who refer to themselves as the Crunk Feminist Collective. They, and their online presence, were mentioned often in Eloquent Rage and I was happy to find a digital copy of this collection of their essays available at the library.
Since the Collective is made up of many women of color, the differing perspectives were an added pleasure--most of my previous nonfiction has come from the point of view of a single author. That added to the range of subject covered but also to the opinions offered. It was encouraging to read so many different women with different experiences and backgrounds could exist in the same space and share the same core beliefs.
The essays here range several topics and I think what I liked most about them was their easily digestible presentation. The subject matter was sometimes difficult, but each piece took only 5-10 minutes to read, making it a book that was easy to pick up for a short session and then put down in order to ruminate. I think I would have taken more time with this book if it wasn't a library loan. I'm definitely going to buy it in hard copy just for that purpose.
Since the Collective is made up of many women of color, the differing perspectives were an added pleasure--most of my previous nonfiction has come from the point of view of a single author. That added to the range of subject covered but also to the opinions offered. It was encouraging to read so many different women with different experiences and backgrounds could exist in the same space and share the same core beliefs.
The essays here range several topics and I think what I liked most about them was their easily digestible presentation. The subject matter was sometimes difficult, but each piece took only 5-10 minutes to read, making it a book that was easy to pick up for a short session and then put down in order to ruminate. I think I would have taken more time with this book if it wasn't a library loan. I'm definitely going to buy it in hard copy just for that purpose.
November 21, 2019
Loved this read! Lots of essays but helpfully categorized by themes. I read this bit by bit over the course of several months — it was super easy to jump in and jump out of it between other books. Each essay is written in a short blog style and didn’t feel too dense (read: overly academic) even though the topics were heavy — I mean, as heavy as real life. It was so educational and helped to refine, challenge and shape my thinking in many ways but also felt really honest, accessible, and ultimately... freeing. Each essay approached the topics with so much fierceness and boldness but it still felt like there was room for dialogue, which can be hard to do! Oh and it’s hilarious! These crunk feminists are so so smart which means they are also pretty damn funny.
Read
October 9, 2020a smartly arranged anthology of what now feels like a bygone moment on the feminist/academic internet. it’s always challenging to figure out the “why” when translating blog posts to a print object — this collection negotiated it with grace by arranging the chapters into conversations. for a feminist collection, it would have been nice to see more development of Black queer and trans perspectives and discussions on sex work. remains a very engaging read with helpful and generative political lessons.
August 3, 2017
"Intersectionality is not an account of personal identity, but one of power." Brittney Cooper.
Using "crunk" like I use "punk" the women of this collection offer fresh takes, insights, and demands. Showing why the personal is political is a slogan that never doesn't apply, the various authors use their everyday lives to explore systemic problems and their effects on (queer) women of color.
Highly recommended.
Using "crunk" like I use "punk" the women of this collection offer fresh takes, insights, and demands. Showing why the personal is political is a slogan that never doesn't apply, the various authors use their everyday lives to explore systemic problems and their effects on (queer) women of color.
Highly recommended.
January 10, 2020
This collection of essays from CFC is a refreshing look at Black feminism through the perspective of a younger generation that builds from the foundational theory and criticisms of our Black feminist foremothers. I enjoyed the exploration of the joys of Black womanhood, feminist self-care, anger, and respectability -- among several other topics.
June 5, 2020
A good overview of fairly modern feminism
I love a good black feminist book and this one is no exception. It touches on
a variety of feminist issues, perhaps too many, but it's a good overview. I found Ms Cooper's book, Eloquent Rage, to be a more compelling and cohesive read, but Crunk Feminism is still quite good.
I love a good black feminist book and this one is no exception. It touches on
a variety of feminist issues, perhaps too many, but it's a good overview. I found Ms Cooper's book, Eloquent Rage, to be a more compelling and cohesive read, but Crunk Feminism is still quite good.
August 7, 2018
One thing that would have really helped me with this one was if they would have put the original date of publication on each essay. I don’t know if that was readily available or not, but it would have provided better context for each piece.
April 7, 2019
i loved reading about feminism from an intersectional viewpoint... especially on topics that may be uncharted territory for first and second wave feminists! i completely identify with hip-hop feminism :).
November 9, 2019
It was pretty much what I expected. Its sad but not surprising that what is covered in this book is still so painfully prevalent. This book just barely feels dated. I could relate well to the authors and their experiences.
September 3, 2017
I read this book because Solange talked about it in her BUST magazine cover story and I am very glad I did, thanks for the book rec, Solange!
November 27, 2017
A series of blog post that come together to highlight the journey of a generation of Crunk feminist. It is very insightful and a good read.
January 15, 2019
Thoughts? Just that I love this book and it’s become my survival guide. There’s so much in here to dissect and reflect with. It felt both like a hug and a firm hand from an older sister.
June 11, 2019
Highly recommend! Added this text to my hip hop course, and the students really responded well to the essays!
July 20, 2019
if for no other reason, this book was dope for telling stories that wouldn’t have otherwise been told.
October 8, 2020
I will read anything and everything that Brittney Cooper writes or is associated with. The best.
November 29, 2020
It was very interesting but I was somewhat confused.
November 30, 2023
An honestly great collection of feminist essays
March 12, 2017
Wonderful, thought-provoking essays on the intersections between feminism, race, class, pop culture, and more.
February 21, 2018
This was a weighty but powerful read. Culled from the CFC website and covering a range of topics and voices, it is 330 pages of insight, controversial views and unabashed feminist thought. For young women of color who may not have called themselves the 'f' word, but should proudly do so.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews