Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African American Freedom Struggle

Subversive Habits by Shannen Dee Williams is a groundbreaking book that sheds light on the forgotten history of Black Catholic nuns in the United States.

This comprehensive and well-researched volume provides a detailed account of their experiences, challenges, and contributions to the fight for racial justice and gender equality.

Through vivid oral histories and previously sealed Church records, Williams reveals how these unsung heroines resisted white supremacy and sexual terrorism, while pioneering religious leadership, education, healthcare, desegregation, Black Power activism, and womanist theology.

By challenging dominant narratives of women's religious life and Catholic commitments to racial and gender justice, Williams offers a powerful critique of the Church's complicity in systemic oppression.

This book is an essential read for anyone interested in American religious history, race relations, feminism, and social justice.