Blessed Positionality : Reimagining Intersecting Subjectivities Between Black Women and Girls as Researchers and the Researched

This book introduces Blessed Positionality as a theoretical and methodological approach to capturing Black Womanhood. It draws on Black feminist theory, Africana epistemologies, and decolonial and ceremonial research traditions. It weaves together theory, praxis and reflection, in an invitation into a conversation of liberation.

What might research become if it began with reverence for Black women’s lives? This book explores how Black women and girls—when centered as both researchers and the researched—reshape the norms, ethics, and methodologies of qualitative inquiry. Blessed Positionality (BP) is introduced as a relevant approach to the theoretical and methodological possibilities for better capturing Black Womanhood. The approach employed in this volume is deeply interdisciplinary, drawing on Black feminist theory, Africana epistemologies, and decolonial and ceremonial research traditions. While grounded in qualitative research, the book resists rigid disciplinary boundaries, weaving together theory, praxis, and reflection through essays, thought pieces, and applied research contributions from scholars across education, counseling, health, and cultural studies. Rather than offering a prescriptive model, the book invites readers into a long-standing conversation.