Chapter 3: I’d Rather be Harriet: A Counterstory of Two Sister Scholars

The history of African American women is full of figures that show what is possible to achieve in American¹ society. Likewise, we also have many stereotypical depictions of African American women—Mammy, Sapphire, Amazon, Welfare or Bad Mother, Video Vixen, and Angry Black Female (Collins, 2005; hooks, 1981; Wallace, 1990)—that dictate our limitations and inspire deficit thinking. Everyday Black women are faced with the decision on how to react to adversity. We could submit to these sexist and racist notions with our heads blooded and bowed, or we can protest the constant devaluation of Black womanhood and rise by rewriting historical and contemporary narratives of African American women.