Eloquent Rage

Brittany Cooper’s Eloquent Rage is a fierce, insightful, and deeply personal exploration of how white supremacy and misogyny work together to marginalize Black women. Cooper’s book is a powerful manifesto, reminding Black women that their existence as both Black and female is neither invisible nor obsolete, despite society’s constant efforts to render them so. In this deeply moving narrative, Cooper urges Black women to embrace their anger—not as something to suppress, but as a source of strength and power.

At the heart of Eloquent Rage is the recognition that white supremacy forces Black women into a suffocating, impossible double bind. On one hand, they are told they should strive to be more like white women—calm, demure, and accommodating. Yet, on the other, they are reminded that no matter how hard they try, they will never measure up to the white standards of beauty, success, or femininity. This creates an exhausting tightrope of exceptionalism, where Black women must constantly prove their worth while knowing the rules are rigged against them. Cooper unpacks this pressure, showing how it serves as a form of oppression, trapping Black women in a straightjacket of unrealistic expectations.

What makes Eloquent Rage particularly poignant is Cooper’s call for solidarity among Black women. She emphasizes that liberation begins when Black women push back against these supremacist expectations and love themselves—and each other—for who they are, rather than what society forces them to be. She also tackles the harsh reality that, under such intense scrutiny, Black women sometimes judge one another for the ways they navigate this white supremacist world and are each other’s harshest critics.

Cooper’s book is a reminder that Black women’s strength lies in their community, in loving Blackness and femininity for all it is, unapologetically. Eloquent Rage is not just a rallying cry against oppression, but a celebration of Black sisterhood and the power that comes from rejecting the lies of white supremacy. It's a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the complexity, resilience, and power of Black womanhood.