The Women of the Foundation

Abstract

The authors examine the spaces, cultural practices, and relational possibilities that exist in one particular context of community hip-hop, the Foundation. Arguing that it offers Black girlhood studies forms of political action through cultural production, the authors draw on four years of ethnographic work. After explicating key connections that the Foundation shares with Black girlhood studies, the authors showcase a sample of the cultural production that Foundation artists create. In performance and reflection, the authors reveal how Foundation artists theorize the perilous pressures and uplifting pleasures of Black girlhood.