College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations
Term of Award
Summer 2026
Degree Name
Master of Arts in English (M.A.)
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of English
Committee Chair
Christina Olson
Committee Member 1
Benjamin Drevlow
Committee Member 2
Lisa Costello
Abstract
If Sapphire was a Woman is a collection of poetry that explores Black girlhood, womanhood, and identity across time and space, examining how Black women and girls are shaped by societal expectations, racialized stereotypes, and cultural scrutiny. The collection considers how these pressures are internalized through surveillance and inherited narratives that shape understandings of the Black feminine. Through themes of race, violence, memory, and self-definition, the work reclaims the humanity of the Black monstrous feminine, challenging reductive representations that have historically defined her. In doing so, the collection positions poetry as a space of revision and resistance, where the Black feminine voice can emerge with complexity, vulnerability, and agency beyond limiting cultural scripts.
Recommended Citation
Bacon, Skyya, "If Sapphire was a Woman" (2026). College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations. 3196.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/3196
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
