First Published Essay Collection by a Black Lesbian Author in the United States "Black Lesbian in White America"

LGBTQ, Intersectional Feminism

First Edition

[African American][LGBTQ] [Inrtersectional Feminism] Cornwell, Anita. Black Lesbian in White America. Tallahassee: Naiad Press, 1983. First edition. 129 pages. Photographic wrappers featuring a high-contrast portrait of the author, designed by fellow LGBTQ artist and writer Tee A. Corinne. The first published collection of essays by an out Black lesbian in the United States, Black Lesbian in White America is a watershed moment in both LGBTQ and African American literary history. In this intersectional work, Anita Cornwell—writing in a climate of erasure and exclusion—unites autobiographical reflection, political critique, and feminist thought to articulate the lived experience of Black lesbian identity in a society structured by white supremacy and heteropatriarchy. With a foreword by poet and activist Becky Birtha, the book offers a radical, uncompromising perspective that remains vital for Black feminist and queer discourse today.

Contents include original essays and revised pieces previously published in outlets like The Ladder, The Black Lesbian in White America, and The Gay Alternative, tackling topics from sexism in the Black liberation movement to media representation and personal identity. Cornwell’s powerful voice challenges both white-dominated feminism and the homophobia of Black political spaces, creating a text that is as personal as it is political. The publisher’s note emphasizes the historical importance of making Cornwell’s voice available to a wider audience at a time when Black lesbian narratives were largely inaccessible or actively suppressed. Mild surface wear to the wrappers; binding sound, interior clean. Overall very good condition. A cornerstone title in both Black feminist and lesbian literature, and one of the rarest early volumes from Naiad Press.

Item #22130

Price: $185.00