From Practice to Praxis: Advancing Anthropological Practice Through Black Feminist Methods

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-13-2024

Abstract

Black Feminist methods provide a framework for understanding and challenging the intersecting systems of oppression that shape Black women’s lives. By centering Black women’s voices and lived realities, these methods resist dominant narratives and create space for alternative knowledges. Drawing on the work of pioneering Black anthropologists, contemporary scholars use Black Feminist methods to generate knowledge outside of white theory and explore Blackness, womanhood, and multiple truths. The application of Black Feminist methods in anthropology has gained relevance in analyzing cultural phenomena through an intersectional perspective. These methods are essential for practicing anthropologists dedicated to advancing equity. They are performed through centering day-to-day experiences, asking identity-forming questions, advancing Afro-futurism, building solidarity, exploring ongoing imperialistic control of Black American culture, and developing scholarship that counters colonial practices. Expanding methodological practices by including Black Feminist approaches creates a more equitable world. Practicing anthropologists should build on the guidance in the literature and use these methods to detach Blackness from white frameworks and reposition belonging.

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This content will become publicly available on April 2, 2025

Publication Title

Practicing Anthropology

DOI

10.1080/08884552.2024.2346783

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