The author reflects on the ingenuity and improvisation of black women as research methodology. She summarizes the contributions of the special issue to discuss the role and importance of creativity and lived experience in the work of black women researchers.

As co-chairs of a tribute panel for their academic mentors, Carolyn Ellis and Art Bochner, the authors knew what the traditional responsibilities would require, but as a performer and a poet, they were inspired to do something more creative. Something poetic. Something performative. Something different. In this article, the authors present a…