Aretē: "We As Black Women"

Studies of Black US women servicemembers too often depict their stories as replete with post-war trauma and transition difficulty. However, crisis is not their only, or most salient, story. As warriors, as women perceived as invaders on male military turf, and as Black women who have persistently fought against racist discrimination, they occupy perhaps the most complicated position in the US military. Grounded Theory analysis allows us to hear their authentic voices and explore their stories of origin: their aspirations, trials, and successes. Using this material as foundational, this analysis will show that Black US servicewomen possess a standpoint all their own, i.e., a perspective on their experience that affords them, and their audiences, deeper insight into their civilian and military contexts than typical and stereotypical inquiries allow. The evidence is clear—Black US servicewomen have developed strategies of perseverance and cohesion that distinguish them as the group most likely to survive and resolve the crises they endure.