Political Black Girl Magic

Sharon D. Wright Austin is Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida. She is the author of several articles and books, including The Caribbeanization of Black Politics: Race, Group Consciousness, andPolitical Participation in America and The Transformation of Plantation Politics: Black Politics,  Concentrated Poverty,  and Social Capital in the Mississippi Delta.

“An impressive, well-researched, and thorough look at the complex leadership of Black women mayors. The editor and contributors explore the intersections of race and gender in the elections, administrative styles, and media coverage about Black women in positions of power and offer provocative questions and answers about the nature of politics in the United States. With a depth and scope that recognizes the distinct features of region and location, Political Black Girl Magic is essential reading for anyone interested in leadership and racial justice.”-Marcia Chatelain, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and author of Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America “Sharon Wright Austin has assembled a dynamic team of mostly women scholars to cover an important yet understudied topic: Black women in American state and local government and politics. Thick with carefully detailed demographic data and individual case studies of Black women’s campaigns and governance, Political Black Girl Magic takes readers from the election of the first Black woman mayor through to the politics of today. This book is an outstanding and significant contribution to the discipline.”-Keneshia N. Grant, Associate Professor of Political Science at Howard University, and author of The Great Migration and the Democratic Party: Black Voters and the Realignment of American Politics in the 20th Century (Temple) "The book answers the call for research on Black female mayors in an admirably detailed, comprehensive, and instructive fashion.... The book should serve as a valuable sourcebook for future research on this vital topic."-Ethnic and Racial Studies "[A] trailblazing volume.... Overall, this book is a testament to the resilience, dedication, and power of Black female mayors. It sets the stage for crucial future research, not just with the questions it raises, but as a model for the potential of collaboration in scholarship.... In sum, Political Black Girl Magic is an essential read for anyone interested in American political development, political science, urban studies, and social justice."-The Metropole "[A] thoughtful and careful exploration into the experiences of Black female mayors in some of the America’s key cities.... Political Black Girl Magic is an important work that can increase our understanding of both the obstacles and successes encountered by Black female mayors in U.S. cities. At the same time, this book will likely have a significant influence on the broader race, gender, and politics literatures with its novel in-depth, rigorous analysis of the experiences of Black female mayors."-Perspectives on Politics