By Lily Caldwell
November 6, 2024

Candice Robinson, assistant professor of sociology at Washington and Lee University, recently co-authored a book alongside four other Black women sociologists: Aaryn L. Green, Maretta Darnell McDonald, Shantee Rosado and Veronica A. Newton. The book is a product of their successful panel at the 2018 Association of Black Sociologists.

The book, titled "The Sociology of Cardi B: A Trap Feminist Approach," investigates topics such as Black and Latinx femininity, identity, motherhood and political engagement through the lens of hip-hop artist Cardi B. The authors explore experiences from Cardi's own life and work coupled with foundational histories of Black feminism to argue for the importance of recognizing the knowledge production of Black women and the advancement of Black feminist scholarship. The authors contend that the Black women Cardi B represents must be entrusted to have their own space to define themselves and share their sociological perspectives.

"Our book is about taking very seriously the knowledge and experiences of some of the most marginalized people in the U.S. - poor Black women," says Robinson. "While we use examples from Cardi B's life that many of us watched unfold, our book truly emphasizes that the people we deem, often in demeaning ways, as 'hood chicks, ratchet women and ghetto girls' matter. Their experiences with feminism, their motherhood and politics, and so much more deserve respect without needing to fight for that space. My favorite thing about this work being published is that it reminded me and my colleagues, and will hopefully let my students know, that we all should proceed in research on topics that we're intellectually curious about and that matter to our lives whether or not it is seen as profitable and popular."

Robinson, who also serves as a DeLaney Center Faculty Scholar, is in her first year as a faculty member at W&L. She previously worked at the University of North Carolina Wilmington as an assistant professor of sociology and was an AAUW American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellow. Robinson earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Hampton University, a Master of Studies in sociology from the University of Iowa, and a Doctor of Philosophy in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh.

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