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by Sherice Janaye Nelson (Author)
Visibly Invisible: The Black Women of the Congressional Black Caucus offers a groundbreaking exploration of the systemic barriers faced by Black women in the United States Congress. This incisive study places the experiences of the women of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) at the forefront, analyzing how race and gender intersect to create unique challenges within a legislative body historically dominated by White males.
Through the innovative theoretical framework of "radical imagination" the book examines how Black women fight through intersectional challenges to be effective legislators. These women are presumed incompetent and irrational because their choices as legislators do not reflect the choices of their White male counterparts. From Shirley Chilsom to Jasmine Crockett, the work unpacks legislation sponsored and co-sponsored by these women, which displays self-sacrifice and bullish sophistication.
The text debuts resolute legislative activism: Black women's determination not to allow their intersecting oppressions to hinder the visibility and viability of their legislative agendas. This is an extension to the legislative activism practiced by the entirety of the Congressional Black Caucus. These women's persistence is evaluated with qualitative and quantitative measures to display their unparalleled commitment to community advocacy and democracy.
Designed for political scientists, operatives, educators, and students, this work fills critical gaps in Black politics, feminist political theory, and legislative studies, offering an essential resource for courses on African American history, Black feminist thought, and American government. These Black women and their legislative effectiveness remain undermined by structural racism and sexism. Therefore, this work and its comprehensive analysis positions Black women as central figures in advancing American democracy.
