We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful (w)ratchet Studies. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with (W)Ratchet below.

(W)Ratchet , appreciate you joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

As Black gworls, we are no strangers to being called ratchet. But we have come to know there is power in renaming— power in words. (W)ratchet Studies is an intentional space of disruption, community, radical possibility, and love. It is a dream project—a space we’ve longed for, but never truly had. We wanted our name to speak back to power, demand historiography, and maintain our scholarly position as Black women in constant resistance to respectability politics as the pre- requisite for intellectual engagement. Our naming is a coded call to community—so let it be known, there has never been anything arbitrary about our (w)ratchetness.

The (W) is a gendered critique of Frantz Fanon’s seminal text, The Wretched of the Earth. In this text, Fanon uses only he/him pronouns to describe the psycho-social effects of colonialism on the colonized subject. Absent from his work, is any comprehensive exploration of gender. As Black Feminist Caribbean scholars, we aim to construct revisionist histories and legacies that reinsert Black women into conversations about colonial violence.

We chose to include the word “Ratchet” in order to reclaim a word that is often used to denigrate Black women for their behavior, language and appearance. We wanted to reframe “Ratchetness” as something that we’re unapologetic about. If being “ratchet” means existing as an unspoken, confident, liberated Black womxn, then so be it. Our ratchetness is at the core of navigating harmful institutions and places that do not prioritize our lives. Rejecting respectability in favor of troublemaking and disruption is central to being a (W)Ratchet gworl. (W)Ratchet keeps us rooted, forever connected to the badass Black womxn that have lived and dreamed before us.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

(W)Ratchet Studies was born to incubate community, love, study, and personal reflection.We locate community spaces in New York City that value Black Feminist thought, and table conversations about Black feminist texts. We organize our study around the most pertinent issues that impact Black womxn (aesthetics, desire, rage, sexuality, etc). Free copies of all Black Feminist readings and materials are made easily available in a variety of formats to all who attend. In addition, we provide one free physical copy of a Black feminist text for every member of each cohort.

Our courses follow a cohort model to foster both community and continuity of space. We are in the process of developing more courses beyond (W)Ratchet Studies 101 to address the gendered silences around our very real lives and personal experiences.
Considering both accessibility and interdisciplinary Black feminist contributions, our syllabus contains texts, media, poetry, and other forms of expression. We hold space for different ways of knowing by encouraging the exploration of embodied knowledge and in conversation with Black feminist texts and teachings.

One of our biggest accomplishments to date was our very first “Sip, Swap and Scheme!”. This was a mixer held at our favorite scheme spot (Shout out to Lips Cafe), where cohort members and friends were invited to swap books by Black womxn/nonbinary authors, make friendship bracelets and sip on delicious coffee together.

As women raised by communities of Black women, we deeply value the importance of political education in the most radical sense of the word and commit ourselves to bringing Black Feminist thought to our communities. (W)Ratchet Studies actively re-imagines where learning can happen and with whom.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

It’s funny because we have actually been in each other’s lives since elementary school. We attended the same elementary school and danced together. Never really losing contact, we both studied drama in high school and pursued a background in Black Studies in undergrad. Ironically, we have been on the same trajectory for much of our lives, crossing paths without being hyper aware of it. We also live 5 minutes apart in Canarsie, right off the L train.

It’s important for us to note that we have existed in the same community for our entire lives. Our childhoods were both shaped by our Caribbean backgrounds AND a passion and investment in creative storytelling and expression. So we have always been connected through dance performances, fetes, mutual friends, chosen family and our neighborhood.

Amidst the unpredictable nature of teaching as an adjunct (Maya) and as a youth workshop facilitator and dance teacher (Lee) postgrad, we had been thinking (and dreaming) about the transformative possibilities for learning beyond the classroom. We connected, shared our writing and made plans to see what we could do with our degrees and experiences to collaborate intellectually but also serve our people. (W)Ratchet Studies was born over coffee at what became our regular spot, and blossomed into a deeper sense of love and camaraderie for both of us. So in short, our relationship isn’t anything new, but it started in the classroom.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Honestly, we both hate social media so that’s the real tea. We knew that we wanted to find our community—bring the gworls and comrades to a space of Black Feminist exploration and thought, but we really wrestled with the how. First, we went the old fashioned way, in-person and directly in contact with our own community. From word of mouth, to business cards, to flyers, we spent our days speaking of (W)Ratchet Studies before we had any social media presence. After deciding Instagram was the least daunting of platforms, we decided that if we had to “create content” we wanted to be authentic to ourselves, our values, and personalities. Naturally, our first project and course, (W)Ratchet Studies 101: The School of Black Feminist Thought was born. Pink composition notebook, stickers, bold statements, and declarations became our brand quickly and easily, a sign that we had found our intended community. Rather than filling our page with random content and images, we wanted no questions about who we were and what we stood for. Our social media presence is true to ourselves, the roots of (W)Ratchet Studies, and our visions for the world. Black Feminist AF. Queer. Bookish. Radical. Liberatory. Our first post was a message to our community but also a declaration of strategy. It’s always best to be your authentic self, stand tall in your beliefs, and never bend for the sake of building something.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @wratchetstudies
• Other: Email: wratchetstudies@gmail.com

Image Credits

Lee Peterson: @leesworld.nef