This book represents the first comprehensive exploration of ‘the Captive Maternal’, synthesising over a decade of thought-provoking content and incisive analyses.
Expanding on her influential 2016 essay ‘The Womb of Western Theory’, Professor Joy James delivers a revolutionary contribution to Black feminist/masculinist studies, radicalism, political philosophy, and the fabric of US national and international politics.
The book delves into the intricate lives of those ‘feminised’ into caretaking and consumption. It uncovers the histories, struggles and resolute strengths of Captive Maternals—be they self-identified females, males, trans individuals or those who transcend gender—a group integral to the tapestry of resistance against oppression.
From domestic upheavals through cultural revolutions to families impacted by police violence in the Americas, Professor James excavates hidden layers beneath seemingly ordinary narratives, revealing the profound impact of the Captive Maternal on every facet of existence. It intersects with renowned figures such as Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison, and the indomitable Black Panther movement.
As the past converges with the present to shape the future, The Captive Maternal navigates the intellectual terrain where Black/feminist/socialist studies converge to infuse political theory and freedom movements, reshaping our understanding of power dynamics, resilience, and the enduring struggles for liberation and justice.
Table des matières
Preface: Family Training Grounds
Introduction: “The United Front Against Fascism”
Americana Runaways
1. Antebellum Austin Reed and the Contemporary Traumatized Child
2. (After)Lives of Sally Hemings, Michelle Obama & Deborah Danner within the 2021 Capitol Siege
3. Imperial State Feminism Disciplines Impacted Black Mothers
Renegade Culture Refuses Integration
4. Domestic Disturbance Oscars: Mammy, Leticia Musgrove, Mary
5. (Counter)Revolutionary Storytellers: Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison & Black Panther
6. Embattled Black Entertainment: Aretha Franklin and Dave Chappelle
Anti-Fascist Rebels in War Resistance
7. Ida B. Wells Anticipates Fanon’s “Hence Forward” Moment
8. Blood in My Eye: Georgia Jackson’s Sons
9. Abort or Birth?: Guerrilla Womb Theory
Conclusion: Womb Theory’s Black Matrix Confronts White Boss Theory: A Captive Maternal View of Kojeve’s Introduction to a Reading of Hegel
Bibliography
Index
A propos de l’auteur
Joy James is the Ebenezer Fitch Professor of the Humanities at Williams College. She is the author of The Captive Maternal, In Pursuit of Revolutionary Love, New Bones Abolition, Contextualizing Angela Davis and the editor of the Angela Y. Davis Reader.