Resilient Hearts: Literary Portrayals of Lauryn Hill’s Self-Love and Resistance Against Intimate Consequences

10:20-10:35am, UC 312

Maia Turman Cooke
Mentor: Earl Brooks, English

This study examines Lauryn Hill’s work through feminist and rhetorical criticism to explore the essential balance African American women maintain to survive—a balance rooted in the interplay of self-advocacy, self-love, and resilience. This is critical because African American women navigate a world that challenges their worth, silences their voices, and tests their endurance. Survival, in this context, means thriving in a society designed to diminish them, all while holding onto their optimism, power, and individuality. Through Hill’s work, this balance becomes a metaphor for a deeper truth: the constant negotiation between speaking out against oppression and nurturing well-being. Hill’s words reflect a path for African American women to simultaneously fight systemic injustices, preserve inner strength, and cultivate spaces of peace and sisterhood. This delicate equilibrium allows for survival that isn’t just reactive but transformative—creating empowerment and fostering love amidst adversity. Further research will go beyond Hill’s work to explore other manifestations of this balance in Black women’s lives. This includes gathering further data to uncover how rhetoric interacts with other factors influencing self-preservation and community care, ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of how Black women safeguard their energy, resolve racial trauma, and build lives rooted in self-love and resilience.

URCAD is Wednesday, April 16, 2025