The Crunk Feminist Collection

I first heard about Crunk Feminist Collective through the NPR podcast The Remix with Dr. James Peterson. Dr. Brittney C. Cooper, author of many of the essays in this book, was speaking about "crunk feminism" and she was absolutely brilliant. I looked her up online and immediately started to read everything she and her Crunk sisters wrote. I love their writing so much that I pre-ordered this book as soon as I heard of it, as a Christmas gift to myself.This collection of essays is fantastic. The Crunk Feminists are down-to-earth, but still able to break down some of the most complex, intellectual issues in intersectional black feminism so that regular, non-academics like me can understand them (I'm a queer, white cis woman, btw). That is no easy feat. The essays are deeply authentic, full of personal stories and anecdotes from women of color that helped me to empathize with them. While reading it, I experienced several "aha" moments. I feel lucky to have been able to read it, honestly.I also really love how humble these women are--in their writing, they often question whether their feelings are influenced by their own biases and privilege (while still allowing themselves to rightfully express anger and pain regarding the oppressive structures they've labored under their entire lives). There is so much to learn from this book, not the least of which is how to be more reflective and more aware of our own privilege.I'm considering buying more copies as gifts for the other feminists in my life.

I love a good black feminist book and this one is no exception. It touches ona 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.

This collection of essays is powerful and timely. The Crunk Feminist Collective writers are highly informed and acknowledge the foundations of the theoretical frameworks they build upon while adding something new and fresh to existing conversations on race, feminism, and intersectionality.Whether you are a black woman or consider yourself an ally to black womanhood, you should read this book. As a white female ally and student/scholar of African American lit, I found this book personally challenging at times, and THAT IS A GOOD THING.If you don't want to grow as an individual, be challenged in any way, or hear about others' experiences, then this is not the book for you.

One of the biggest challenges about intersecting popular culture, 'taboo' subjects like race and gender, and criticism is striking a balance between being overly rigorous and accessibility (language, personal experience, etc.). This collection beautifully and masterfully throttles the challenges of striking a happy medium between analysis seen in traditional academic settings and kitchen table talk. The Crunk Feminist Collection is the table, and Cooper, Morris, and Boylorn are the conductors on a crunk and fantastic voyage of what it means to have a little crunk in your system, to speak to the challenges of the world while making a place to speak one's self into it.

This collection of essays were everything. I found myself in quite a few of them. Was forced to face truths and challenge my own line of thinking in others. I know I will be coming back to revisit many of the essays in this read and discussing topics with friends later.

Incredible book. Anyone who wants to learn more about intersectionality and modern day feminism should get a copy.

I came across this book after reading Dr Brittney Cooper's other book "Eloquent Rage" which left me wanting to read more of her work. "Eloquent Rage" discussed the merits of well-placed, focused and productive anger and its power to deconstruct prejudice, discrimination and micro aggressions. By contrast, this book is a series of essays organized by topic - family, politics, hip hop, etc - written by the CFC (Crunk Feminist Collective), a group of academics writing on intersectional feminism through the lens of pop culture, entertainment, and personal experience. The tone of the essays ranges from hopeful, to hard-hitting, to somber - with topics ranging from Beyonce, Trayvon Martin, mental health, the challenges of dating as a well-educated professional woman. Despite the broad range, the book fits together in a way that is difficult to articulate in a review; it is a book that was 'easy to read' in the sense that it captured my attention but full of many truths, some of them hard to swallow. This book is truly a group effort, and it shows in the variety but also the cohesiveness of the writing. One thing I love about Cooper's work in particular is that it references other work so well, that it always keeps me striving to read and learn more. I am not typically one for anthologies, but I'd give this one five stars easily.

CFC was a game changer for critical young feminists. The essays included in this book are but a fraction of the practical, accessible feminist praxis that CFC has produced over the years. The contributors tackle inherent tensions of inclusive populist theory that refuses to be divorced from material conditions. It is a wonderful teaching resource.

I dont even know what to say but amazing book and amazing shipping time frame!

WONDERFUL!!! a must read