New Directions in African American Women’s History

This book examines the development and emerging directions of African American women’s history by highlighting the scholars, texts, and theoretical approaches that have shaped the field while demonstrating how the study of Black women has transformed understandings of the American past.

From early America to the long nineteenth century and the social movements of the twentieth century, scholars have developed work that amplifies the lives of Black women and girls while sustaining engagement with broader historical narratives. At times historians challenged prevailing ideas about the past and in other instances they transcended them when accepted ideas about the American past were not capacious enough to account for the experiences of Black women. Exploring histories of Black women and girls often requires new approaches and points of inquiry to grapple with the complexities of their lives and contexts. Thus, Black women’s history has served as a model for other subfields where scholars struggled with limited sources or frameworks. New Directions in African American Women’s History explores these developments, covering a range of vital topics and key texts in a clear and accessible way. The volume features trailblazing scholars, more recent cohorts of historians, and emerging voices in the field, offering diverse insights into methods, key themes, and theories connected across time and geography to the growing field of African American women’s history.

New Directions in African American Women’s History is a valuable resource for students, researchers, educators, and general audiences interested in African American women’s history, African American history, women’s history, and American history.