Text

theses

This thesis challenges ideas about gentrification and queer economic power by examining the oral histories of queer women of color who are engaged in entrepreneurial endeavors in the city of Newark, New Jersey. Centering the experiences of black lesbian entrepreneurs complicates the dominant conception of queer market capitalism as a negative where the focus tends to be on the contributions of white gay men and, to a lesser extent, white lesbians. Through the use of oral history as a member of the Queer Newark Oral History Project at Rutgers University, Newark and drawing on the scholarship of historians such as David K. Johnson, Jeffrey Escoffier, Rochella Thorpe, Mark Krasovic, Kath Weston and Lisa B. Rofel, among others I place the contributions of black queer women within the historical context of queer economies and consumerism as well as within Newark’s economic history. Positioned astride these intersecting black, queer, and urban histories, black lesbian entrepreneurs are currently occupying leadership roles within economic networks that challenge the model of gentrification in a city that is experiencing immense economic development. Whether the city’s redevelopment will benefit Newark residents without displacement remains to be seen. Not only are these women shaping a new era of the city’s economic history to be more inclusive, but they are also solidifying a queer culture landscape wherein queer black women are accumulating power amidst the corporate giants rising up around them.

ETD_8172

M.A.

Includes bibliographical references

by Kristyn Scorsone

doi:10.7282/T37P929F

ETD graduate

The author owns the copyright to this work.