To Build a Nation: Black Women Writers, Black Nationalism, and the Violent Reduction of Wholeness.

African American women; Black nationalism; Racial identity of Black people; Political participation of Black people; African women authors; Domestic violence; Abused women; Black women; Women in literature

The article examines the work of a number of African American women writers from the era of Black Nationalism who wrote about black men doing harm to the bodies of black women. The Black Nationalism movement celebrated the revolutionary power of the African American community but focused on a community that is centered on black men. It is shown how physical and verbal abuse have caused black women to become battered and silent objects. Resistance and healing is possible but it is essential that women speak publicly regarding this kind of harm inflicted on their bodies.