ABSTRACT
Sexual violence perpetrated against Black women remains an omnipresent symbol of their sociopolitical status in the United States. Addressing sexual violence perpetrated against Black women becomes even more complex when the harm-doer is a Black man. The White feminist approach of examining sexual violence from a strict gender lens is not applicable when the violence is intraracial. Black Feminist theory is defined as a political and social explanatory framework aimed at addressing the impact that intersectional oppressions like race, class, gender, and sexuality have on Black women’s overall wellness. The earliest recorded incidents of sexual violence perpetrated against Black women can be traced back to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Upon their arrival on African soil, White enslavers were reportedly taken aback by the Africans’ outward performances of gender and sexuality. Alice Walker’s critically acclaimed novel, The Color Purple, is arguably the first mainstream representation of intraracial sexual and physical violence against Black women.
