Book Title: The Motherhood Aesthetic in Contemporary Black American Plays

Book Description

This collection introduces the “Black female Motherhood Aesthetic” (also known as the “Motherhood Aesthetic”), as a theoretical framework that elucidates the multifaceted experiences of Black motherhood within contemporary American drama. The authors contend that through “response writing,” contemporary Black female playwrights deploy their work to articulate and interrogate the complexities of their characters’ lived realities, and sometimes their own. This aesthetic foregrounds the full spectrum of Black womanhood, revealing varying degrees of self-determination, trauma, resilience, and joy.

The plays, including works by Suzan-Lori Parks, Cheryl West, Aishah Rahman, Dael Orlandersmith, and Velina Hasu Houston, address critical themes such as racialized marginalization, intersectional identity, and familial disruption. The emergent Black Female Motherhood Aesthetic challenges the historically prevalent, idealized portrayals of the upwardly mobile Black family by instead presenting a diverse and authentic representation of maternal experiences. It asserts the heterogeneity of Black families, acknowledging both the positive and challenging aspects of Black motherhood while affirming Black mothers’ inherent validity.