This chapter unpacks key literature that shaped the narratives of the Black women in this book and their representationrepresentation. The chapter is divided into sections containing vital pieces of literature that hold important significance in helping to voice the narratives of the Black women in this book. The chapter begins with an in-depth look at existing literature on imprisoned Black women in both the UK and the US. Following this, discussions of systemic racismracismand powerpower dynamics in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) are examined before moving onto microaggressionsmicroaggressions, a consequence of the imbalances of power. Microaggressions are defined and specific genderedgenderedand racialisedracialised microaggressions are considered. Black women’s experiences in society, specifically the beautybeauty ideals and expectations forced on them are also discussed. The literature on beauty ideals is important because the book goes on to detail several stories of Black women’s bodiesbodies being disregarded whilst EurocentricEurocentric beauty beauty ideals are prioritised. Impression Management (IMIM)Impression Management (IM) is another key section. Previous literature on IMIMand self-presentationself-presentation are reviewed, and the gaps in existing literature are noted. Lastly, the chapter draws on resilienceresilience and collective resilience literature. Each section is vital to understanding the themes presented in Chapters 4–8.