Sisters in the Statehouse: Black Women and Legislative Decision Making

Abstract

This book argues that identities based on race and gender affect how Black women legislate. Unlike other studies that only analyze intergroup variances, this book examines intragroup differences among Maryland’s African American women legislators. It develops representational identity theory to examine when and why Black women state legislators will behave similarly or have divergent policy preferences and uses intragroup analysis to compare and contrast the political behavior and policy preferences of Black women elected to the Maryland state legislature. Due in part to common experiences with racism and sexism, it becomes clear that Black women in the Maryland state legislature have developed mechanisms for deciding when collective interests should become stronger or weaker than their individual interests. In political contexts where race and gender intersect, African American women are likely to cite their race and gender identities as factors in their legislative decision making. Thus, Black women form a cohesive bloc in the legislature when policies specifically impact minority women, and at other times they employ divergent legislative strategies and policy prescriptions to address issues.