Research summary
Black women’s performance culture holds considerable power around the globe today. Yet despite the popularity of their cultural expressions, Black women in sports, theatre, popular music and art are often viewed as mere products of the culture industry. As Canada Research Chair in Black Theatre and Performance, Dr. Leticia Ridley is challenging this view, arguing that these artists are not simply operating within dominant power systems, but actively disrupting and reshaping them.
Ridley and her research team are building an archive and analyzing overlooked performance repertoires used by 21st century North American Black women to fight white supremacy, patriarchy and capitalism. By focusing on the work of performers like Carrie Mae Weems, Tina Turner, Donna Summer, Serena Williams and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, they will show how Black women use popular performance as a means of self-definition and liberation.