Womanist thought remains of critical importance given contemporary issues of social justice and advocacy. Womanist Ethical Rhetoric centers discourses of religious rhetoric and its influence on Black women's aims for voice, empowerment, and social justice in these turbulent times. The chapters utilize womanism, in conjunction with other frames, to examine how Black women incorporate different aspects of their identities into struggles for empowerment and celebrations of who they are in holistic ways that center love and community. This approach embraces both the commonalities and differences between womanists through theoretical and applied contexts. It advances the work of womanist predecessors and pays homage to them, most notably Rev. Dr. Katie Cannon's work on womanism and religion. Topics analyzed include Black women's spiritual and professional identities in religious organizations, the role of Black churches in Black Lives Matter, and the inclusion of all Black women in racial academic achievement gaps. Chapters also examine Black women's leadership and activism, including church leaders and representations in popular culture, and women's inclusion in the beloved community. This collection centralizes the plurality of Black women's lives, which is key to advancing their voices.
Dr. Annette. Madlock Gatison is ordained minister and chaplain, independent scholar, community, and women's health advocate. Dr. Cerise L. Glenn is associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Contents Introduction Voicing A Womanist Ethic of Liberation and Social Justice Among the Religious Right By Annette Madlock Gatison, PhD A Womanist Response to Black Lives Matter and American Nationalism By Kimberly P. Johnson, PhD Examining Grace Greenleaf: Black Women's Activism and Spirituality By Cerise L. Glenn, PhD The Beloved Language Community: A Call for Womanism and Language to Address the Racial Academic Achievement Gap By Kami J. Anderson, PhD Is There Room for the Ratchet in the Beloved Community? If You're Not Liberating Everyone, Are You Really Talking About Freedom? By Michelle Meggs, PhD "Women, Step Forward!" Doing Rhetorical Histography by Exploring Womanist Leadership in the AME Church By Natonya Listach and Andre E. Johnson, Ph.D. I AM My Sisters Keeper: Invitational Rhetoric and Womanist Theology By Ahava Nahala Yasharahla and Michelle Rhnea Yisrael Conclusion
