“For Our Words Usually Land on Deaf Ears Until We Scream”

Abstract

What does it mean to unbind your tongue? Is it dangerous? Liberating? Or somewhere in between? The purpose of this article is to reconceptualize the tongue and the hand as sites of resistance and oppression for women of color scholars. Linking the act of writing with speaking, I explore the process of unbinding one’s tongue rather than biting it for the sake of academic, communal, and familial harmony and happiness. As a result, I examine what it means to break away from traditional standards and approaches to writing to engage fragmented bodies and voices that are rarely represented in the academy. Utilizing women of color and indigenous feminism, queer theorists, and disability studies, I critically engage metaphors of the tongue, issues surrounding voice and violence, and also present a poem showcasing my frustrations and insights.