Black Feminist in Public is a new collection of conversations between innovative black women and Janell Hobson, a Ms. Student. The latter’s work specializes in the intersections of history, modern lifestyle, and representations of women of African descent.
Tanisha C. Ford is a rising academic celebrity and black feminist public pupil who works at the intersection of African American history and the cloth way of life, especially fashion and style. The writer, critic, and companion professor at the University of Delaware has two books on black beauty and fashion that came out this year: Kwame Braithwaite: Black is Beautiful and Dressed in Dreams: A Black Girl’s Love Letter to the Power of Fashion. Her first book, posted in 2015, is the award-prevailing Liberated Threads: Black Women, Style, and the Global Politics of Soul.
Ford talked to Ms. About feminist style, the energy of centering Black girls and ladies, and the moment her research reached Rihanna.
How does it feel to have a pop star like Rihanna cite your research while discussing the cultural effects behind her newly released fashion line, Fenty Maison?
I was thrilled when I saw that! It becomes humorous because of Kwame Brathwaite: Black is Beautiful, and he’s this photographer that most people have heard of. Still, his circle of relatives has been working only diligently to make his archive public. Because of that, he’s gained traction in the first-rate arts internationally and inside the Black leisure world. I became excited that Rihanna knew who he became. When I noticed her initial submission, I thought, “Oh wow, Rihanna is bringing up Kwame Brathwaite!” And then a pal said: “You too!” Me too? What is she speaking to me approximately?
She then tagged me in her Instagram stories, and I ought to see that Rihanna noted me! I was just astounded. I suppose I needed to stop production for the next two hours. I couldn’t even wrap my mind around it. It just felt like this enormous blessing.
