Houston, TX - February 1, 2024 — As we usher in the first day of Black History Month, it's imperative to commemorate the invaluable contributions of Black women to history, culture, and the ongoing struggle for justice. The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAH) is dedicating this month to the celebration of "the art of resistance." In alignment with this theme, a standout book from this year takes center stage—BLACK WOMEN TAUGHT US: An Intimate History of Black Feminism by the esteemed Jenn M. Jackson, PhD, released on January 23, 2024, under Random House.

In their inaugural book, Dr. Jackson embarks on an exploration of the profound legacy of Black women writers and leaders. From historical figures like Harriet Jacobs and Ida B. Wells to the influential Combahee River Collective and Audre Lorde, Jackson sets the record straight about the extensive history of Black women's involvement in movement organizing, theorizing, and coalition building. This groundbreaking work spans racial, gender, and sexual justice efforts both in the United States and abroad.

Across eleven compelling essays, Dr. Jackson presents a mix of critical analysis and deeply personal insights, shedding light on how Black women have consistently occupied the central space in modern liberation movements. Despite historical erasure and misrecognition, BLACK WOMEN TAUGHT US illuminates the vital role Black women have played in shaping the fight for justice.

On the NMAAH website, it is stated, "Through art, important issues and figures in African American history are exalted, and underrepresented stories are preserved." In this context, Jenn M. Jackson's work stands as a powerful piece of art, ensuring that the crucial narratives of Black women are elevated and preserved.

Praise for BLACK WOMEN TAUGHT US:

"Black Women Taught Us is a powerful and hopeful love letter to the Black feminist thinkers, writers, activists, and organizers who have fought for our liberation. It is an essential, life-affirming text."

—George M. Johnson, author of All Boys Aren't Blue

"Jenn M. Jackson is a beautiful writer and excellent scholar. In this book, they pay tribute to generations of Black women organizers and set forward a bold and courageous blueprint for our collective liberation."

—Imani Perry, author of South to America

"Perceptive and engaging… Galvanizing appraisals of Black women’s enduring search for freedom."

—Kirkus

"Jackson’s love letter to Black women and girls, past, present, and future, is a balm for weary souls, a reclamation, a psalm, a grounding, centering, deeply erudite book that uses the intellectual legacy of Black feminists to remind us of the stuff we are made of."

—Brittney Cooper, author of Eloquent Rage

"With their clear, deliberate prose, Jackson takes everything that makes their Teen Vogue column and academic writing special and elevates it to new heights. Each chapter is a coming-of-age vignette that offers a vital lesson in Black feminist theory."

—Evette Dionne, author of Lifting as We Climb

"In their enlightening new book, Black Women Taught Us, Jenn M. Jackson celebrates the iconic Black feminists who built a movement, and also shares their own personal story of growing and learning with these brilliant canonical thinkers. It is intimate and essential reading, a beautiful bridge connecting ancestral and contemporary Black women activists."

—Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

Celebrate Black History Month by recognizing the invaluable contributions of Black women and exploring the profound insights offered by BLACK WOMEN TAUGHT US.