Author Dr. Christina Carney meets critics as she discusses her book “Disreputable Women: Black Sex Economies and the Making of San Diego.” The book explores how some Black women in San Diego have used sex work to assert control over their bodies, lives, and economic futures—especially in a city shaped by military presence and attempts to push them out. The book challenges assumptions about “red-light districts” and reveals how these women’s actions complicate the idea that they were simply victims or nuisances. Carney introduces the concept of “disreputability” as a more thoughtful lens for understanding how people navigate hostile environments and reshape the cities they live in.