BASICS OF BLACK FEMINISM

After reading this article, you will be able to understand the following points -

1. What is black feminism?

2. How black women thoughts have been manipulated or banished?

3. Meaning of intersectionality?

4. Origin of black feminism?

starting from the definition to the origin of black feminism this article will be helpful in understanding of black feminism ad a whole and as an important concept to remember.

Definitions

"Black women are inherently valuable, that [Black women's] liberation is a necessity not as an adjunct to somebody else's but because our need as human persons for autonomy."

I would say it’s a radical approach towards achieving the liberation of women’s as a result of long term discrimination of African American women’s.

Black feminism is the outcome of women’s oppression on the basis of gender and race. In other words it’s a consciousness of black women’s and realization of their long term oppression.

Western feminism was more focused on women’s oppression as a whole until 1st and 2nd wave era…. But during the time of 3rd wave we can see that the concept of intersectionality has played a vital role in identifying the women’s oppression on an individual basis. On which I will be talking in coming slides in detailed.

The experience of women of different race is different and varies to individual to group of people.

Maria W. Stewart (1803 – December 17, 1879)

Maria Stewart was one of the first U.S. Black feminists to champion the utility of Black women’s relationships with one another in providing a community for Black women’s activism and self-determination.

As in the book of Collins, she mentioned about the Maria Stewart and their hard work for raising and motivating African American women’s to come out of marginalization, to fight against racism and to develop the consciousness of their subordination.

Known for her powerful speeches, Maria Stewart’s was one of the first women to stand for the rights for black women in the public sphere. She has delivered great speeches in Boston (early 1830s).

Suppression / or manipulation of black feminist thought

Oppression of black women’s can be traced back from the 1st wave feminism era where women’s in the capitalist society,  When women’s (African) women’s were brought in America for working as a slave. Their main aim was to oppress them as much as they can in any way possible so that they cannot come out of this vicious circle and always work as a slave.

And for that they have maintained three ways of manipulation of these black women’s.

Exploitation of Black women’s labor

In the first dimension U.S. system exploits their labor and working rights. By maintaining their status low for any economic condition, and symbolizing them as “iron pots and kettles”.

Also all these women’s have been ghettoize so that one’s moral and thought process cannot grow forward and always feel inferior from the white people and continues to work as a slave.

Exploitation of Black women’s political rights

The second dimension of oppression refers to the exploitation of political rights of African American women. In which they doesn’t allow African American women’s to vote.

Exploitation of Black women’s by controlling their image as subordinate or slaves

The third way in which these African American women’s been exploited is by controlling and maintaining their negative image in the society. As a slave as an inferior and as not educated and always discriminated in any sense compare to white people.

Intersectionality

Intersectionality is an “analysis claiming that systems of race, social class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, nation, and age form mutually constructing features of social organization, which shape Black women's experiences and, in turn, are shaped by Black women” (Collins, 2000, p. 299).

Black feminism can be easily understood from the concept of intersectionality or I can also say that intersectionality is the very very important concept of black feminism. So intersectionality basically means the intersection of many factors which when combines together and forms a unique experience of women’s oppression. Which can be felt and experience by that particular group or individual women.

In the context of black feminism we can see that the intersection of sexism, racism has given rise to the oppression of black women. Black women not only have to suffer the discrimination based on gender but racism ethnicity are also additional forms of oppression which black women has gone through.

Ex. #Blacklivesmatters

In 20th century we can see the importance of intersectionality in forming one of the prime anti-racist movements in today’s time like #blacklivesmatters. Founded by three women’s namely opal tometi, Alicia Garza and Patrice cullors.

The main aim of this movement was to stop the brutality of police against people of different race and colors. (Black)

The intersectionality is the main principle on which this movement was built to protect the African American’s living in the county.

The combination all these three dimensions helps to keep American African women’s to a place of subordination in U.S

Black Feminist Thought

Critical social theory- Developed by U.S. African women’s as series of thoughts which are fundamentally designed to oppose women’s oppression.

Again these theory is not based on just imaginary thoughts rather it has been derived from the historical oppression suffered by black women’s on the basis of race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, nation, and religion

This critical social theory by U.S. African women is based on two important factors namely

Racial segregation in housing

In this era, the racial segregation of women was at prime and as we have discussed in previous slides about how ghettoization was a major differentiated factor in black women’s oppression. Because of this the education, relationships and other factors was also ghettoized and remained separated from the whites and remained under political and economic exploitation over larger period of time.

Experience from their job life

Prior to World War II, black women’s main field of work was agriculture and domestic works. Already broken and devastated from the discrimination race and sex. During the time of working in domestic work the motivation of not being able to come at the equal level as the white women become more devastating to black women’s.

The need for such thought arises because African-American women as a group remain oppressed within a U.S. context characterized by injustice. (Collins, 2000, p. 9).

Black women is not the one who suppress but the one who is already oppressed. Even though “critical” social theory aims and committed towards the goal for justice of not only U.S. African American women but also all the other women’s out there who are oppressed.

 

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