Volume VI Special Issue VI September 2026

Name of Author : Sandhya Rani B, Dr. Ancy Liyana A

Title of the paper : Wombs of Resistance: Disruption, State Violence, and the Politics of Black Maternal Subjectivity

Abstract: This paper looks at how African American women writers portray motherhood in their books. White feminism has long framed motherhood as a trap that keeps women stuck at home. But for Black women writers, motherhood is a powerful form of resistance to racism and unjust laws. This paper does not just summarize stories. Instead, it looks at how these writers use distinct writing styles to show the ways the state has systematically fragmented Black families, from the era of slavery to carceral systems. The paper unveils that these authors use special narrative techniques when writing their books. Broken timelines are used to show the deep pain of losing a child. In one story they use polyvocality to show how Black women support each other in raising children. Gothic elements and vernacular languages are also used to defend their culture. This paper argues that, for Black women, motherhood is not simply a matter of having children. Resisting an unjust system is a political decision.

Keywords : black maternal subjectivity, womanism, state violence, other mothering, and African American narrative mode

DOI :

Page Number : 34-39