Black Feminism and Critical Media Literacy: Moving from the Margin to the Center

The topic grounded in this essay was inspired by the interactions had and stories shared by an intergenerational group of Black women (including the three coauthors) who termed their regular meetings “the Black Women’s Gathering Place.” During meetings, discussions ranged from popular culture and political events to everyday experiences with racism, sexism, and other burning topics that need sisterly advice. Eventually the group became a place where members not only supported and leaned on each other’s shoulders for comfort, but also engaged in practices of everyday activism as described by Patricia Hill Collins (2000) and heeded bell hooks’s (1997) call to critically examine media (re)presentations of Black women. The lesson plan that follows the essay represents an expansion of the learning space created by the Black Women’s Gathering Place. It provides an educational opportunity for students to develop critical media literacy skills grounded in a Black feminist approach.