This Black History Month, I’m sharing art, songs, movies, and other creative expressions from and about Black women that spark joy for me. Because Black women are often not remembered for their contributions, I thought this would be one way to give flowers to those who inspire me.
For Day 22, I’d like to honor author, sociologist, and MacArthur Fellow Tressie McMillan Cottom.
I’m late to being part of the Tressie fan club. I started following her on social media and was blown away by how on point she always was. I picked up her book, Thick, and I was hooked.
Tressie McMillian Cottom was born in Harlem and grew up in North Carolina. She had an unconventional path to becoming a tenured professor. She dropped out of college for a bit before returning to complete her degree and make her way to graduate school. She chose to study sociology because she likes thinking about public problems.
“When I say that I write stories to make problems for power, I mean that I rewrite the metaphors we use to rationalize big inequalities in the small decisions that make up our everyday lives—how we go to school, how we work, how we consume and how we love. My life’s creative challenge is wielding the tension between powerful narrative and compelling data to center Black intellectual lives as craft and method. Radically better metaphors for a radically better public life.”
Tressie can write about anything. In this interview with Oprah about the obesity penalty, Oprah asks Tressie how she was able distill an idea into one concise sentence.
Tressie is a weaver of words. Reading her writing can sometimes be like doing intellectual gymnastics - your brain gets stronger by engaging with her work. She often centers Black women’s experience and wisdom in her work in ways that perfectly describe a socialized experience
“Kiese [Laymon] has a quote floating around right now about how black women use their sense of authority to protect themselves. One of the primary ways he says black women protect themselves is by building up a very good barrier between themselves and the world because you almost never actually see black women. We are masters of being seen, but not letting you actually see us.”
Woo. Tell the truth and shame the devil!
Thank you, Tressie McMillan Cottom for sharing your ideas and wisdom to help us see the world clearly so we can challenge power and change the world.
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