This course seeks to explore the literaryof North American Black women from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Through their varied and common experiences of being black and female and living in a white-maleculture, we will endeavor to understand the social construction of race and gender, as well as their intersection with class and social-economic dynamics. In the Black cultural and literary traditions oftruth narratives and transparency, these women share their historical, cultural, and contemporary experiences andbold"> with verve and authority. At the heart of theirliterary pursuit is the aspiration to live a more informed, enriched, andlife. In so doing, these writers offer us important lessons about creativity, hope, empowerment, courage, and self-expression.