"But I'm not allowed to be mad" : how writing helps black women cope with the angry black woman stereotype and microaggressive experiences

Abstract

This qualitative study examined how Black women use writing as a coping strategy after experiencing gendered racial microaggressions. Results showed that Black women did not confront perpetrators of microaggressions because they feared being stereotyped as an angry Black woman. Writing helped Black women avoid this stereotype because they could express what they did not feel comfortable saying in a face-to-face interaction. Some of the gendered racial microaggressions Black women experienced were the angry Black woman stereotype, work and/or classroom microaggressions, colorism, comments about hair, and other negative stereotypes of Black women. Some participants thought it was useful to share their writing while others kept their writing private. Regardless of whether Black women shared or kept their writing private, they felt better because they were able to express their true emotions about their microaggressive experiences.