“In every culture in the world, female sexuality is about shame. Even cultures that expect women to be sexy−like many in the West−still do not expect them to be sexual.” — Chimamanda Ngozie Adiche

Shame and censorship hover around much of the public and intraracial discourse surrounding Black women and sexuality. When contextualized within slavery’s legacy of sexual violence, in relation to the construction of sex stereotypes & social patterns of sexual objectification, efforts to safeguard and/or moderate sexual narratives for Black women make sense. Consequently, popular dialogue often dismisses Black women as autonomous sexual beings & endorses rigid ideals for their sexual conduct. In this context, how do Black women navigate these nuanced sexual politics and negotiate their sexual identities alongside prescriptive expectations for their sexuality? What variations exist for Black women with sexual desires beyond the contours of heteronormativity?

Body Language: Black Femmes in the Digital Age leverages popular culture as a subversive cultural site to explore how Black feminine-presenting women in early adulthood (ages 20-40) craft sexual agency, command visibility, and destabilize prescriptive expectations for their sexuality. Additionally, this work also aims to interrogate overarching social forces that limit & inform Black feminine women’s individual sexual expression.