Candice C. Robinson

The Dark Side of Reform: Exploring the Impact of Public Policy on Racial Equity contains nine chapters on the development of social policies with the potential to advance racial equity. In addition to studying these policies and their implications, the chapters in this volume demonstrate how lessons from the past can be used to inform the direction of current discussions. At the heart of these conversations are concerns about whether Black people, in particular, will receive the full benefit of transformative laws that may emerge in the coming years. The volume also offers recommendations on implementing policies that address the unique concerns of structurally disadvantaged communities with particular emphasis on Black and Latinx people.

The Dark Side of Reform: Exploring the Impact of Public Policy on Racial Equity contains nine chapters on the development of social policies with the potential to advance racial equity. In addition to studying these policies and their implications, the chapters in this volume demonstrate how lessons from the past can be used to inform the direction of current discussions. At the heart of these conversations are concerns about whether Black people, in particular, will receive the full benefit of transformative laws that may emerge in the coming years. The volume also offers recommendations on implementing policies that address the unique concerns of structurally disadvantaged communities with particular emphasis on Black and Latinx people.

This powerfully written and co-authored book creatively engages with the topics of Black and Latinx femininity, motherhood, sexuality, racial and ethnic identity, and political engagement through the life and artistic work of hip hop artist Cardi B. The authors highlight examples from Cardi's lived experiences and artistry using a trap feminist framework as a starting point for sociological conversations about Black women and the trap. The authors weave foundational histories of Black Sociology, Black feminism, and institutional inequalities along the lines of race, class, and gender. Drawing from moments in Cardi B’s public life—her rap lyrics, her behavior at New York Fashion Week, questions about her racial and ethnic identity, the unveiling of her pregnancy, her engagement with politicians, and her responses to social media comments and critics—this book argues for the merits of addressing Black feminist theory from the bottom up—that is, to take seriously the knowledge production of Black women by attending to and creating space for hood chicks, ghetto girls, and ratchet women. By centering the lived experiences and social positions of the Black women Cardi represents, the authors expand Black feminist discourse and entrust Black women to define themselves for themselves. This book is an important contribution to scholarship for students, scholars, and readers interested in sociology, hip hop, pop culture, and women's studies.

This powerfully written and co-authored book creatively engages with the topics of Black and Latinx femininity, motherhood, sexuality, racial and ethnic identity, and political engagement through the life and artistic work of hip hop artist Cardi B. The authors highlight examples from Cardi's lived experiences and artistry using a trap feminist framework as a starting point for sociological conversations about Black women and the trap. The authors weave foundational histories of Black Sociology, Black feminism, and institutional inequalities along the lines of race, class, and gender. Drawing from moments in Cardi B’s public life—her rap lyrics, her behavior at New York Fashion Week, questions about her racial and ethnic identity, the unveiling of her pregnancy, her engagement with politicians, and her responses to social media comments and critics—this book argues for the merits of addressing Black feminist theory from the bottom up—that is, to take seriously the knowledge production of Black women by attending to and creating space for hood chicks, ghetto girls, and ratchet women. By centering the lived experiences and social positions of the Black women Cardi represents, the authors expand Black feminist discourse and entrust Black women to define themselves for themselves. This book is an important contribution to scholarship for students, scholars, and readers interested in sociology, hip hop, pop culture, and women's studies.