Ageism through Omission: The Obsolescence of Black Women’s Sexuality

Abstract

This article, utilizing an exploratory methodological approach, examines to what extent historical materialist theory can explain the omission of Black senior women from discourse on sexuality in the United States. Employing a historical materialist methodological framework, this study analyzes the relationship between the obsolescence of Black senior women's sexuality and the historical superexploitation of Black women’s sexuality in the United States. This research examines: (1) The ways in which the analysis of Black senior sexuality differs from that of the current hegemonic discourse on White sexuality. (2) The ways in which the use of negative propaganda have affected the image of Black female sexuality, and in turn Black senior women’s sexuality. (3) The ways in which Black senior women’s sexuality is affected by the unique relationship Black women have historically maintained with the state, as both producers in the wage-labor force and reproducers of the wage-labor pool. (4) The current state of Black senior women’s sexuality, including: practices; taboos; health; freedom of sexual expression; and the sex ratio imbalance. This exploratory analysis reveals that, as scholars often analyze a generic sexuality in the United States without regard for the unique social, political, and economic contexts of Black American life or the senior experience, little attention has been paid to Black senior sexuality. This leaves an astounding gap in the literature. Adequate analysis of the state of and oppression of Black senior sexuality must take into consideration the larger structural and institutional framework, notably, the economic, political, and social framework, i.e., historical materialist theory. Such a perspective would help reveal the structural factors associated with Black sexuality, Black senior sexuality, and more specifically Black senior women's sexuality.