Contradictory Positions, Ambivalent Perceptions: A Case Study of a Black Woman Entrepreneur

Abstract

This article addresses black neo-conservatism and the contradictory position of the black middle class in the matrix of domination systems. The empirical basis consists of an open-ended interview with an African-American business woman, an entrepreneur, about her personal success and her role in relation to the black community. The main focus of the article provides an analysis of the arguments she presents to explain problems of race, class, gender and social inequality in society. The resulting picture of beliefs and opinions about inequality and black progress appears to be more complex than a single label like conservatism can account for.