Over the last few decades, Christian publishing has worked to catch up to talks about race and diversity in their yearly catalogs about Black people. And with that has come significant missteps.

Bad and Boujee: Toward a Trap Feminist Theology by Jennifer M. Buck–a Program Director and Associate Professor in the Department of Practical Theology at Azusa Pacific University– is one of the latest books published. A product of Cascade, an imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers, the book by Buck claims to not only define trap feminism, a term coined by journalist and author Sesali Bowen 8 years ago but talk about the experience of Black women. Trap music is where one turns to understand trap feminism.

Trap music, as Sesali describes, does not reflect the luxury rap of Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and counterparts that glorifies the wealthy lifestyle of the 2%. It is not a reflection of the earthy conscious rap of Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and Common. Trap music, as can be exemplified in the music of Migos, particularly their song “Bad and Boujee,” is youthful and fun. The male-dominated genre of rap music is often the anthem of drug dealers and the backdrop to urban strip clubs. It does not, however, lack perspective on the importance of women’s agency of their own bodies. That is where Sesali Bowen coined the term trap feminism.

Bad and Boujee was released in February of this year and caught major attention on Wednesday, April 13th. Jo Luehmann –a well-known Christian writer and podcaster–flagged the title in her Instagram story highlighting the book and pointing people toward Sesali Bowen’s Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes on Trap Feminism, published by Amistad Books in October 2021. The news grew on Twitter when Candice Benbow, author of Red Lip Theology, tweeted about Buck's book. Wipf and Stock has since released a statement on the next steps with the book on their Twitter account. Ultimately, Wipf and Stock agreed to pull the title.

For far too long, the publishing industry has stifled and left out the voices of Black women on topics they have researched, studied, and coined terms. And when Black women are published, they’re often tokenized and underpaid for their expertise compared to their white counterparts. In this case, a white woman can pay a staff of Black women to do the work for her and not only have her name on that work but place a Black woman as a footnote in a conversation her voice has no place in. 

No book is a good book that minimizes or causes the voices of, in this instance, Black women to be left out. It is not notable or of high esteem. This book is simply appropriation and disrespect toward Sesali Bowen, who coined the term trap feminism and wrote her book on trap feminism titled Bad Fat Black Girl, which was released months before Buck’s. Buck's book and Wipf and Stock's decision to publish it dishonors Black women.

When it comes to Christian publishers, white men and women often produce work without considering views held outside of their white, Western lens. This book, Bad and Boujee, shows a long history of erasure and ignoring groups of people that don’t fit the mold of whiteness. 

Hopefully, the calling out of this title will cause Wipf and Stock and many other Christian publishers to more carefully consider what is written and published and who writes it.

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Writer Bio:

Shonette Reed is the founder and editor of Resolute Magazine. The South Central Los Angeles native enjoys cooking, exploring, expansive conversations, and reading a good book when she's not working or planning for work.

Photo by Ralph Rabago on Pexels.