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The published social science research on interracial marriages has burgeoned considerably over the

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AimsTo identify sexually-related themes of the sexuality of older African American women.Study DesignMixed method.Place and Duration of StudyDepartment of Psychology, California State University Northridge, between July 2009 and June 2011.MethodologyWe included 13 African American older women (57 to 82 years of age), 11 of whom self-identified as heterosexual, one as bisexual, and one as lesbian. We used a semi-structured interview protocol through which we explored some aspects of the respondents’ sexuality (assessed at a superficial level, to be as tactful as possible). Moreover, we collected information on demographics and self-rated physical health. Two co-authors served as coders, and used content analysis to identify the most salient sexuality themes.ResultsEmerging themes were (in order from most to least endorsed): having sexual desire (often unfulfilled); engaging in less sexual activity in older age; experiencing changes in one’s sexual life as a function of absence of a spouse; and exercising control over how one’s sexual life is conducted. Motivated by the paucity of our sexuality data, we have also provided suggestions to scholars interested in conducting more in-depth further research on this topic with older African American women.ConclusionOur findings indicate that the common notion that older women are asexual is a myth, while lack of a suitable sexual partner is a problem reported by many African American older women who would otherwise enjoy sexual interaction.

Since the emergence of hip-hop in the early 1980s, African American women’s sexuality and its correlation to their search for self-identity and self-control have been at the forefront of the genre’s discourse. Using a multidisciplinary theoretical framework (objectification theory, scripting theory, and Black feminist epistemologies), this article explores the fashion aesthetic, imagery, and celebrity culture of two major African American female hip-hop megastars, Nicki Minaj and Missy Elliott, to examine how the sexual politics of hip-hop culture has helped to define their sexuality, agency, and subjectivity. By examining the style and professional choices that fashioned their careers in hip-hop media, we explore the extent to which they have refuted, or submitted, to the distorted view of African American female sexuality, and thus contributed to their objectification or empowerment.