Sugar-Coated Subjugation: The Sugar Sphinx as a Commentary on Black Women and Labor Histories

Authors

Praise Lundgren, University of Washington TacomaFollow

Author Biography

Praise Lundgren is a recent graduate of the University of Washington in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. She uses a unique mix of cultural studies and textual analysis to investigate the intersecting facets of history and oppression.

Document Type

Undergraduate Research Paper

Abstract

This textual analysis essay explores Kara Walker’s enormous sugar sculpture, The Sugar Sphinx, as a critical lens through which we examine the historical and ongoing exploitation of Black women’s labor in the United States. Oriented at the intersection of race, gender, and labor, the sculpture invokes the enduring legacy of the “mammy” archetype and the systemic devaluation of Black women’s work, both physical and emotional, from slavery through the post-emancipation era. Drawing on scholarship in labor history, Black feminist theory, and art history, the paper argues that Walker’s work critiques the sexualization, control, and socio-economic marginalization of Black women, while also highlighting their continued resistance and resilience. The installation's materiality, form, and location collectively challenge viewers to confront the enduring impacts of white supremacy and question whether Black women are truly seen as autonomous individuals or still burdened by exploitative societal expectations.

University

University of Washington Tacoma

Course

TWOMN 345 WOMEN AND WORK

Instructor

Dr. Ariana Ochoa Camacho

Recommended Citation

Lundgren, Praise (2025) "Sugar-Coated Subjugation: The Sugar Sphinx as a Commentary on Black Women and Labor Histories," Access*: Interdisciplinary Journal of Student Research and Scholarship: Vol. 9: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/access/vol9/iss1/4