Black Womanhood and Empowerment in Sonia Sanchez’s Poems: An Intersectional Study

Authors

  • Asst. Prof. Dr. Rudaina Abdulrazzaq M. Saeed Tikrit University/ College of Education for Women
  • Duaa Jamal Abdul Razzaq Hamoudi Al Taha Tikrit University-College of Education for Women

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25130/Lang.9.4.P1.12

Keywords:

Black Womanhood, Empowerment, Intersectionality, Sonia Sanchez, Feminist Poetics, Crenshaw, resistance

Abstract

Sonia Sanchez’s poetry offers a powerful portrayal of the complexities and resilience of Black women in America. Her work focuses openly on themes of racism, gender, resistance, and self-empowerment. As a central figure in the Black Arts Movement, Sanchez crafts a poetic voice that is both political and personal. This study explores how her poetry embodies intersectional identity and resistance, revealing the overlapping systems of oppression that shape the lives of Black women—such as racism, sexism, and classism—while also celebrating their beauty, strength, and autonomy.

References

Baraka, A. (1994). The LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka Reader. Thunder’s Mouth Press.

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139–167, p. 145.

Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1299, pp. 1245–1253. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1229039. Accessed 21 July 2010.

Giovanni, N. (2003). The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection. HarperCollins.

Madhubuti, H. R. (1996). Claiming Earth: Race, Rage, Rape, Redemption. Third World Press.

Neal, L. (1968). The Black Arts Movement. Drama Review, 12(4), 29-39.

Sanchez, S. (1971). I've Been a Woman: New and Selected Poems. Third Press.

Sanchez, S. (1984). Homegirls and Handgrenades. Thunder’s Mouth Press.

Sanchez, S. (1987). Under a Soprano Sky. Africa World Press.

Sanchez, S. (1995). Wounded in the house of a friend. Beacon Press.

Sanchez, S. (1997). Does Your House Have Lions? Beacon Press.

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Published

2025-12-30

How to Cite

Saeed, R. A. M., & Al Taha , D. J. A. R. H. (2025). Black Womanhood and Empowerment in Sonia Sanchez’s Poems: An Intersectional Study. JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES, 9(4), 213–231. https://doi.org/10.25130/Lang.9.4.P1.12

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