Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity

Really important book from a severely underrepresented perspective. Required reading.

I was drawn to C. Riley Snorton’s Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity due to my interest in archiving and its usefulness for Black trans studies. Some of the questions taken up by the work are: What are the possibilities of archives and what narratives emerge from them? How does one engage with transness, particularly racialized trans subjects, in an archive? How does one define transness in the confines of Blackness and vice versa? By dissecting Snorton’s work, one notes that he provides a ruttier for how to engage in critical archival studies for research on Black individuals.Black on Both Sides traces Black “trans” subjectivity in the 19th and 20th century; each chapter takes up an event in history such as the nonconsensual gynecological testing of Black women in the 19th century or mid-twentieth century newspaper articles on individuals whose gender expression does not align with their assigned gender. He utilizes “trans” subjectivity to investigate moments where Black individuals become ungendered or transgress racialized gender boundaries. Snorton argues, that this work, “is not a history per se so much as it is a set of political propositions, theories of history and writerly experiments.”(6) He draws upon on a deep and varied archive of materials—early sexological texts, fugitive slave narratives, Afro-modernist literature, sensationalist journalism, and Hollywood films.

Al amazing book that details the pain, indignities and suffering many of our African-American forebearers endured in order to be seen not only as human, but for some of us to be recognized as transgender. Definitely a book that should be added to all LGBTQ+ libraries.

I finished this book, after a couple of months, in the wee hours of Trans Day of Visibility. Couldn't believe it came to a close when it did. I thought it would be full of academic jargon but it was not impossible to glean all sorts of wisdom and a wonderful articulation on Black trans experience.

This book is an amazing, simply put.

Great read, read the entire thing in two days! Every time I've gone back to reread I find new connections and hone in on new insights.

I wasn't expecting much from this book but after about 30 minutes I couldn't put it down. An extreme eye opener for everyone, especially those that are closed minded and ignorant.

Timely, intersectional, complex and deftly written work that doesn't read like a 'straight' history, instead like a book you want to sit down, spend time with, and learn from.

An excellent history of trans identity and race. Perfect for essay writing and research. Detailed case studies and a superb history of 'passing' allow for academics to draw their own conclusions. A definite must read.