Sexuality in "the Coldest Winter Ever"

Sister Souljah, in her novel The Coldest Winter Ever, formulates controversial political, cultural, and social arguments, one of which involves the sexuality of young Black women. I found Sister Souljah's critique incredibly interesting because it contrasts the ideals of the commercial hip-hop culture. Sister Souljah argues against hip-hop's encouragement of capitalistic habits and disrespect and abuse of women. That said, Sister Souljah uses hip-hop music to reach out to impoverished Black youth, and her character Winter symbolizes the youthful Black women who do not heed warnings and succumb to societal expectations and preconceived notions.

In a role promoted by the artificial culture of hip-hop, a sexual Black woman becomes enslaved to sexuality and capitalism. “Rap music and hip-hop have had a large role in shaping representations of black women, their bodies, sex and sexuality” (Copeland 185). Women are objectified, especially in hip-hop. As M. Shawn Copeland contends, “Slavery aimed to disassociate black women from their humanity, to objectify them and subordinate them…to a pornographic gaze” (Copeland 185). The over-sexualized relationship between impoverished African American individuals and society renders disadvantaged African American women as slaves, thus perpetuating the roles of master and slave along with the corresponding identities. As quoted by M. Shawn Copeland, bell hooks reaffirms: “Representations of black female bodies in contemporary popular culture rarely subvert or critique images of black female sexuality which were part of the cultural apparatus of 19th century racism and which still shape perceptions today” (hooks, as quoted in Copeland 185). The image of the submissive Black woman has not been contested, and is still a societal perception.

The young Black woman loses her identity in hopes of ascertaining any kind of wealth. Men are seen as dollar signs, and to get more money, woman just exploit their femininity. “Now the money man might not be ringing any bells sexually, but if he has ends-if his pockets are heavy-a bad bitch will moan like this nigga is the original Casanova. When he's sexing her, she'll shake, pant, and cry out like he's creating orgasms as strong as ocean waves” (Souljah 5).

Through sexuality, Winter and her female peers are able to obtain financial wealth, status, and safety. However, these luxuries are short lived because the women who rely on their bodies as powerful tools in controlling men become sexual slaves or are soon discarded.

These young women have false senses of security because when everything boils down, they are easily disposable to men and to a culture that thrives on capitalism. “Positioned at "the nexus of America"s sex and race mythology,' once again, the black woman finds it "most difficult" to escape the disfiguring representation of her body, her sex, and sexuality” (Copeland 185). When a woman who is only appreciated for her physique is kicked to the curb, she has no other method of survival because she lacks an education, a positive self-image, and a benevolent environment in which to grow. Sister Souljah identifies the need for young, disadvantaged women to gain power in other ways-a nice body can't save your life.

Sister Souljah states in an interview that she sought to redefine the identity of Black women. The portrait of Black women that Winter represents foils that which Sister Souljah represented herself. “I wanted to shake up the backwards notions of womanhood pushed by the American money machine…In marketing Sister Souljah as a character, I hoped to show that the possibility exists that you can be from the projects, drug free, paid, political, popular, cultural, pretty, productive, married, motherly, powerful, feminine, intelligent, beautiful, and loved” (Souljah 469). The “American money machine” pushes the image of the highly erotic Black woman; hip-hop also promotes the image of the highly erotic Black woman. Black women become slaves to American capitalism because hip-hop is just an extension of the “American money machine.”

Every woman in the novel employs sexuality as a means of gaining power and control. However, the control they seek is false, and the women unconsciously end up as slaves to the men whom the once lured. An example is as follows: “We rushed his crew, bumping into all of them, rubbing our titties them, using the excuse that the club was crowded. Of course it only took a second before my girls had his boys distracted. I stepped up, licking my lips real slowly, and said rough and sexy-like, "What"s up Midnight, haven't seen you in a while.' I said this line with sensual power” (29). Winter's sensual power is futile because she lowers herself to a desperate, degrading, and inferior position. In a way, Midnight also foils Winter because he recognizes the need for social changes and justice. Winter and women like her become slaves to men. Black women become slaves to Black men, resulting in their low ranking on the rungs of the social ladder.