Ratchet feminism
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Ratchet feminism emerged in the United States from
History
Ratchet definition
The slang term
Ratchet feminism
Ratchet feminism, ratchet womanism, ratchet radicalism, and even hood feminism began to appear in the scholarship of hip hop feminist scholars in the early 2000s. Ratchet feminism comes out of the black feminist/womanist tradition and is closely related to hip hop feminism and hood feminism. Rutgers professor Brittney Cooper describes it as "a refusal of female vulnerability."[6] In 2020, the Journal of Hip Hop Studies published a special issue titled Twenty-First Century B.I.T.C.H. Frameworks: Hip Hop Feminism Comes of Age. The editors and contributors of the issue theorize ratchet feminism and provide an outline of the scholarly conversations around ratchet feminism.[3] According to Elizabeth Fielder, ratchet feminism (radicalism) is a form of activism that may often be seen as inappropriate or "over the top."[7]: 18–19
Derogatory meaning
Several scholars have argued that ratchet as an empowering practice for poor women of color reveals a "shadowy" underground feminism in creating an alternative performance space for black women.[8] There is still a negative meaning attached for many black women, as the term mainly targets them. "There's an emotional violence and meanness attached to being ratchet, particularly pertaining to women of color," says Vibe editor Michaela Angela Davis.[9][5]
Ratchet feminism in music
Originating in the Southern United States, particularly in cities like Atlanta and Houston, the subgenre of ratchet feminist music challenges traditional gender norms and amplifies the voices of female artists. Ratchet feminism differs from Hip Hop feminism in that it specifically looks to subvert notions of respectability while also incorporating aesthetics of black working class culture.
Ratchet feminism has gained popularity within Hip Hop culture especially in the 2010s with artists like Nicki Minaj, City Girls, and Megan thee Stallion. Key components of the subgenre include woman empowerment, sisterhood, sexual autonomy, and financial independence.
In Megan thee Stallion's 2020 hit song Savage she boasts about being "Classy, bougie, ratchet" while also
Scholars have argued that ratchet feminism in music, offers black women and girls a space to be seen and depicted within pop culture. "The presence of black female rappers and the urban, working-class, black hairstyles, clothes, expressions, and subject matter of their rhymes provide young black women with a small culturally reflective public space.” according to Joan Morgan.
Expressions of ratchet feminism also go beyond music. From the flamboyant to the provocative fashion choices of artists, ratchet feminism also acts as a visual manifesto that empowers black women to express themselves unapologetically. The fashion choices of artists like Cardi B and Lizzo, for example, not only make bold statements about individuality but also contribute to reshaping the fashion industry's narrative around inclusivity and self-expression. This form of expression has been characterized as the hoochie mama aesthetic and has it's roots in urban black culture.
Reclamation of the term
Although the term ratchet has had a negative connotation for many decades, in recent years the term has been reclaimed and its meaning recast by not only African-American people, but specifically African-American women. It has been used in songs such as "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion and "Rumors" by Lizzo and Cardi B. The word ratchet has been used by celebrity women of color globally. These artists include Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Cardi B, City Girls, Taraji P. Henson, and Spain's La Zowi.[10] In reference to Tamar Braxton's reality show, Theri A. Pickens says that "ratchet" has also been seen as "a performative strategy that secures a liberatory space for black women."[11]
Ratchet has also used by white celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, who has been called out for acting "ratchet" and accused of appropriating black culture.[12][13][14]
Conversations on the term
As of 2021 the term ratchet had many different definitions, and there was ongoing debate on what is considered ratchet. For some people, the word symbolizes empowerment among women.[9] Rapper and TV personality Cardi B is often cited as an example of a celebrity criticized for being too "ratchet" but who chose to embrace the term.[15][16]
The term was also discussed during an episode of the PBS web series A Seat at the Table titled "Bougie, Ghetto and Ratchet? Stereotypes of Black Women."[17] At the University of Texas, Austin, Christen Smith from the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies created the blog "Redefining Ratchet" with students to encourage conversation on the term.[18] One goal of the project was "to redefine the meaning, implication, and power of the term 'ratchet'".[18]
Several scholars have also engaged in conversations around the performance of ratchet by black women in reality TV.[11][19][20] Some scholars have also connected the image of the ratchet black woman to the sapphire or angry black woman trope discussed by scholars like Melissa Harris-Perry and Patricia Hill Collins.[20]
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-429-94597-7.
- Crunk Feminist Collective. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- ^ .
- ^ OCLC 936219167. This was also published as Brown, Nadia E.; Young, Lisa (2015). "Ratchet Politics: Moving Beyond Black Women's Bodies to Indict Institutions and Structures" (PDF). National Political Science Review. 17 (2): 45–56.
- ^ S2CID 149117733.
- ^ Cooper, Brittney (2016). "#SayHerName: Towards A Gender Inclusive Movement for Black Lives" (Lecture). Atlanta, GA: Emory University.
- ^ Fielder, Elizabeth (2016). "Introduction: Imagining the Radical South". The Radical South: Grassroots Activism, Ethnicity, and Literary Form, 1960–1980 (PhD dissertation). University of Mississippi. pp. 1–25.
- ISBN 978-1-4780-0735-7.
- ^ The Cut. New York. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ^ S2CID 144271841.
- The Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ^ Basill, Ryan (2 August 2013). "Sorry Miley Cyrus, But You're Not Ratchet". Vice News. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ^ Gordon, Taylor (27 August 2013). "The Real Problem With Miley Cyrus as the 'Ratchet White Girl'". Atlanta Black Star. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- .
- ^ Cruz, Lisa De La (27 September 2017). "Cardi B: The Rise of the "Rachet" and Why People Are So Mad". The Wonder Of Anime. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Bougie, Ghetto and Ratchet? Stereotypes of Black Women". A Seat at the Table. Season 1. Episode 115. PBS. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ^ a b Smith, Christen (29 May 2015). "Redefining Ratchet". African & African Diaspora Studies Department, University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- S2CID 212971164.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-78308-938-3.
Further reading
- The Crunk Feminist Collective.
- ISBN 9781558619432.
- Journal Of Hip Hop Studies (2020). Halliday, Aria S.; Payne, Ashley N. (eds.). "Twenty-First Century B.I.T.C.H. Frameworks: Hip Hop Feminism Comes of Age (Special Issue)". .
- Kendall, Mikki (25 February 2020). Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-525-56054-8.
- McEachern, Montinique Denice (1 September 2017). "Respect My Ratchet". ISSN 2333-9489.
- Stallings, L. H. (1 October 2013). "Hip Hop and the Black Ratchet Imagination". S2CID 194069014.
- Toliver, S. R. (2019). "Breaking Binaries: #BlackGirlMagic and the Black Ratchet Imagination". ISSN 1559-9035.