In 'Beyond Respectability,' A History of Black Women As Public Intellectuals
Brittney C. Cooper's history of black women thinkers traces decades of struggle against racism and misogyny. It's a crucial cultural study and a dense, serious read that rewards close attention.
You know what a performative utterance is, even if you've never heard the term before. "I now pronounce you" at a wedding is one; "I christen this ship" is another. Performative utterance carries a particular power — it's the thing you want to make true.
And performative utterance is at the heart of Brittney C. Cooper's , which profiles several black feminist intellectuals who not only fought against the idea of "respectability" as a
