"Ladies, Now Let's Get in Formation": Understanding Activism, Empowerment, and Feminism of Black Female Popular Artists
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2017-03-08
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en
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This thesis examines the messages of activism and empowerment that are present in the music
of currently popular Black female artists Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj. It analyzes how these
messages of empowerment can be placed in a Black feminist discourse. Furthermore, it
explores if mediated feminism can present new forms of womanhood, and whether the
presence of feminist messages in popular culture aids in the strength of feminism or leads to its
demise. Grounded in theories of feminism by Kimberly Crenshaw, Stacy Gillis, Angela McRobbie, and Anastasia
Valassopoulos, theories of Black feminism by Patricia Hill Collins, Ula Y. Taylor, and
theories of popular culture by Jaap Kooijman and Diane Railton and Paul Watson, the
analysis of instances of female empowerment in personal and performance feminism showed
that both women present different forms of Black feminism. Although Beyoncé and Minaj
show different practices and degrees of activism and empowerment, both presented new
paradigms of womanhood, and their forms of feminism, although mediated, did not show
feminism’s demise.
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