Pleasure as Resistance: How Black Women are Reclaiming Body, Choice, and Pleasure in the Hot Girl Movement

Book Launch Presented by the Department of Human Sexuality

This book talk situates contemporary expressions of “hot girl” praxis within longer traditions of Black feminist thought, resistance, and creativity, highlighting perspectives often absent from health, sexuality, and social justice curricula. Dr. Clarissa E. Francis (“The Real Hot Girl Doc”) will explore how pleasure, sexual freedom, and self-definition serve as tools of empowerment for Black women, challenging dominant narratives of control, respectability, and normative sexuality.

Participants will engage in a dynamic dialogue about reclaiming bodily autonomy and desire as pathways to collective liberation and holistic healing. By centering Black women’s narratives and examining cultural, historical, and social contexts, this talk bridges scholarship, practice, and advocacy, offering insights relevant for students, clinicians, activists, and community members invested in health, sexuality, and social justice.

More information about Black Women’s Bodily Autonomy, Sexual Freedom, and Pleasure: Explorations of the Hot Girl Movement (Routledge, 2026) is available here.

Faculty Host: Dr. Nathalie Huitema

Meet the Author

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Dr. Clarissa Francis is a sexuality educator, scholar-activist, and consultant who advocates for the sexual liberation of Black women. For over a decade, Dr. Francis has collaborated with universities, community organizations, and national initiatives, including projects with the CDC, SAMHSA, SisterLove Inc., and Planned Parenthood, to advance sexual liberation, health equity, and healing for Black women and marginalized communities. Her expertise bridges academia and healing arts, with training in massage therapy, Reiki, and erotic embodiment practices. A nationally recognized voice, Dr. Francis was named AASECT’s Sexuality Educator of the Year in 2021 and serves on the AASECT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and the WoCSHN Leadership Collective. Through lectures, workshops, writing, and consulting, she continues to champion Black women-centered sacred spaces, pleasure activism, and holistic healing practices that empower individuals and communities. Learn more: Website | Email

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