London-based black feminist punk band Big Joanie takes a page out of the book of Melissa Harris-Perry, literally.

The band which describes themselves as “The Ronettes filtered through 80s DIY and riot grrrl with a sprinkling of dashikis” recently released a new single, ‘Crooked Room.’ The song takes its title from a talk by scholar Melissa Harris-Perry, who uses the metaphor of a crooked room to explain the harmful stereotypes that black women have to navigate just to exist in society. The talk is was also included in Harris-Perry’s 2013 book, Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America.

Big Joanie’s “Crooked Room” is the first release from the groups newly formed Sistah Punk Records.

The song is about how difficult it is for black women to find confidence in themselves and exist in a world that hates and tells them so on every advert, TV show or magazine.

The single includes Big Joanie’s songs Crooked Room, Baby Rust, sung by bassist Kiera, and our cover of TLC’s No Scrubs.