A Black Feminism Syllabus For FLOTUS Doubters

Melissa Harris-Perry's list of books to read up on.

The 411 on Black Feminism - Politico's article entitled “Leaning Out: How Michelle Obama Became a Feminist Nightmare,” by Michelle Cottle ignited a firestorm among Americans, in particularly African-American political expert and author Melissa Harris-Perry. Harris-Perry penned an open letter to Cottle, “ripping her a new one” for her racial connotations which inferred that Obama was steering clear of the "Angry Black Woman" stereotype. Aside from shutting down more of Cottle's theories about the first lady, Harris-Perry promised to draft a syllabus of reading materials on African-American feminism and BET.com has it here for you. — Dominique Zonyéé(Photos from left: Heidi Gutman/NBC, Jason Reed/Reuters)

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The 411 on Black Feminism - Politico's article entitled “Leaning Out: How Michelle Obama Became a Feminist Nightmare,” by Michelle Cottle ignited a firestorm among Americans, in particularly African-American political expert and author Melissa Harris-Perry. Harris-Perry penned an open letter to Cottle, “ripping her a new one” for her racial connotations which inferred that Obama was steering clear of the "Angry Black Woman" stereotype. Aside from shutting down more of Cottle's theories about the first lady, Harris-Perry promised to draft a syllabus of reading materials on African-American feminism and BET.com has it here for you. — Dominique Zonyéé(Photos from left: Heidi Gutman/NBC, Jason Reed/Reuters)

Photo By Photos from left: Heidi Gutman/NBC

Private Politics and Public Voices: Black Women’s Activism From World War I to the New Deal — Nikki Brown - (Photo: Indiana University Press)

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Private Politics and Public Voices: Black Women’s Activism From World War I to the New Deal — Nikki Brown - (Photo: Indiana University Press)

Sisters in the Struggle: African American Women in the Civil Rights-Black Power Movement — Bettye Collier-Thomas and V.P. Franklin - (Photo: NYU Press)

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Sisters in the Struggle: African American Women in the Civil Rights-Black Power Movement — Bettye Collier-Thomas and V.P. Franklin - (Photo: NYU Press)

Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment — Patricia Hill Collins - (Photo: Routledge)

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Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment — Patricia Hill Collins - (Photo: Routledge)

A Voice From the South — Anna Julia Cooper - (Photo: Oxford University Press)

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A Voice From the South — Anna Julia Cooper - (Photo: Oxford University Press)

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Women, Race, & Class — Angela Y. Davis - (Photo: 1st Vintage Books)

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Women, Race, & Class — Angela Y. Davis - (Photo: 1st Vintage Books)

Ida: A Sword Among Lions — Paula J. Giddings - (Photo: Harper paperbacks)

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Ida: A Sword Among Lions — Paula J. Giddings - (Photo: Harper paperbacks)

When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America — Paula J. Giddings - (Photo: William Morrow Paperbacks)

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When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America — Paula J. Giddings - (Photo: William Morrow Paperbacks)

Words of Fire: An Anthology of African-American Feminist Thought — Beverly Guy-Sheftall - (Photo: The New Press)

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Words of Fire: An Anthology of African-American Feminist Thought — Beverly Guy-Sheftall - (Photo: The New Press)

Sister Citizen by Melissa Harris-Perry - With thoughtful grace and sharp insight, MSNBC television host, professor and writer Melissa Harris-Perry tackles the complicated issue of African-American women’s identity in politics in her second book, Sister Citizen. This important read is a must-have for those grads interested in learning more about American politics. (Photo: Yale University Press)

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Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes and Black Women in America — Melissa V. Harris-Perry - (Photo: Yale University Press)

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 Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism — bell hooks  - (Photo: South End Press)

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 Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism — bell hooks - (Photo: South End Press)

Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center — bell hooks - (Photo: South End Press)

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Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center — bell hooks - (Photo: South End Press)

Photo By Photo: South End Press

To ‘Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women’s Lives and Labors After the Civil War — Tera W. Hunter - (Photo: Harvard University Press)

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To ‘Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women’s Lives and Labors After the Civil War — Tera W. Hunter - (Photo: Harvard University Press)

Photo By Photo: Harvard University Press

Still Brave: The Evolution of Black Women's Studies — Stanlie M. James, Frances Smith Foster and Beverly Guy-Sheftall - (Photo: The Feminist Press at CUNY)

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Still Brave: The Evolution of Black Women's Studies — Stanlie M. James, Frances Smith Foster and Beverly Guy-Sheftall - (Photo: The Feminist Press at CUNY)

Some of Us Did Not Die — June Jordan - (Photo: Basic Civitas Books)

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Some of Us Did Not Die — June Jordan - (Photo: Basic Civitas Books)

Photo By Photo: Basic Civitas Books

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Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches — Audre Lorde - (Photo: Crossing Press)

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Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches — Audre Lorde - (Photo: Crossing Press)

Photo By Photo: Crossing Press

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name — Audre Lorde - (Photo: The Crossing Press)

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Zami: A New Spelling of My Name — Audre Lorde - (Photo: The Crossing Press)

Photo By Photo: The Crossing Press

Twice as Good: Condoleezza Rice and Her Path to Power— Marcus Marby - (Photo: Rodale)

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Twice as Good: Condoleezza Rice and Her Path to Power— Marcus Marby - (Photo: Rodale)

Photo By Photo: Rodale

When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down — Joan Morgan - (Photo: Simon & Schuster)

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When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down — Joan Morgan - (Photo: Simon & Schuster)

Photo By Photo: Simon & Schuster

Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision — Barbara Ransby - (Photo: The University of North Carolina Press)

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Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision — Barbara Ransby - (Photo: The University of North Carolina Press)

Photo By Photo: The University of North Carolina Press

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Compelled to Crime: The Gender Entrapment of Battered Black Women — Beth Ritchie - (Photo: Routledge)

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Compelled to Crime: The Gender Entrapment of Battered Black Women — Beth Ritchie - (Photo: Routledge)

Photo By Photo: Routledge

For colored girls who have considered suicide, when the rainbow is enuf — Ntozake Shange  - (Photo: Bantam Books)

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For colored girls who have considered suicide, when the rainbow is enuf — Ntozake Shange - (Photo: Bantam Books)

Assata: An Autobiography — Assata Shakur - (Photo: Lawrence Hill Books)

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Assata: An Autobiography — Assata Shakur - (Photo: Lawrence Hill Books)

Photo By Photo: Lawrence Hill Books

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired: Black Women’s Health Activism in America, 1890-1950 — Susan Smith - (Photo: University of Pennsylvania Press)

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Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired: Black Women’s Health Activism in America, 1890-1950 — Susan Smith - (Photo: University of Pennsylvania Press)

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks — Jeanne Theoharis - (Photo: Beacon Press)

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The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks — Jeanne Theoharis - (Photo: Beacon Press)

Photo By Photo: Beacon Press