My guest for this episode is Dr. Aneeka Ayanna Henderson, Associate Professor in the Sexuality, Women’s and Gender Studies Department at Amherst College. Dr Henderson and I discuss the historical, political, and cultural context of Black marriage in the U.S. primarily through the lens of Black American popular culture. We focus heavily on her first book, Veil & Vow, in which she critically analyzes how the popular fiction of Black women writers like Terry McMillan and Sister Souljah, Black films, and popular music frame the concept of marriage in the late '90s & early 2000s.

We also talk about marriage in more contemporary pop culture, including the Black Housewives reality TV shows and Black social media gender discourse.

Her book: Veil and Vow: Marriage Matters in Contemporary African American Culture:  ...