Feels Right: Black Queer Women and the Politics of Partying in Chicago

Kemi Adeyemi's ethnography "Feels Right" explores how black queer women in Chicago use dance to assert their physical and affective rights to the city, challenging expectations of a good night out. Their practices complicate our understanding of feeling as a complex right.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 01 September 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

In her captivating ethnography, "Feels Right," Kemi Adeyemi delves into the profound ways in which black queer women in Chicago utilize dance as a powerful tool to assert their physical and emotional rights within the city. Through a series of queer dance parties staged in gentrifying neighborhoods, Adeyemi creates a vibrant tapestry of experiences where good feelings translate into successful ventures. However, the pursuit of happiness proves elusive for these marginalized women, as their nightlives are often overshadowed by white supremacy, heteronormativity, neoliberal capitalism, burnout, and a myriad of other obstacles.

Adeyemi meticulously documents how black queer women navigate these challenging conditions, employing a range of strategies such as dismantling DJ booths, engaging in heated arguments, slowing down their dance movements, and even choosing to forego partying altogether. Their practices complicate our preconceived notions about the joys of life on the queer dance floor or within the black queer community, as they challenge us to reexamine the complex interplay of emotions and experiences that shape their lives.

In contrast to prevailing frameworks that prioritize mere "feeling good," Adeyemi offers a fresh perspective by proposing "feeling right" as a more intimate and embodied approach to understanding the complex rights of black queer women in cities that violently restrict their movements and energies. Through this lens, she unveils a sensorial portrait of the critical, black queer geographies and collectivities that emerge in social dance settings and within the broader neoliberal urban landscape.

"Feels Right" is a groundbreaking work that not only sheds light on the experiences of black queer women but also contributes to the broader discourse on the politics of emotion, social justice, and urban spaces. It is a testament to Adeyemi's exceptional scholarship and her commitment to documenting the lives and struggles of marginalized communities.

This captivating ethnography is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, and urban life, as it offers a nuanced and empathetic understanding of the complexities faced by black queer women in contemporary society.

Weight: 294g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478018698