I found the Combahee River Collective article very interesting. I always find it very empowering to see Black feminists groups like this one who are not only interested in empowering Black women but who also set working and uplifting definitions as to what it means to be a Black woman. I also appreciated that they considered their politics to be struggling against not only racism and sexism but also class and homosexual oppression as well. Being a Black feminist means not only fighting against these oppressions but understanding that they interlock and that it is important to be a support system to your sisters who are fighting against oppressions you have never expierenced. I think it is important to realize that you don't have to consider yourself a feminist to speak out toward such oppressions, even if you don't like the F word, it doesn't mean that someone is going to look past the fact that you are Black and a woman, you will still try and be silenced and the powers of patriarchy will still be tried and used against you. That's why the power of the feminist movement is so important, it gives Black women a chance to come together as a collective and share experiences and struggles.
I love the quote by Michele Wallace on page 315; "We exist as women who are Black who are feminists, each stranded for the moment, working independently because there is not yet an environment in this society remotely congenial to our struggle- because, being on the bottom, we would have to do what no one else has done: we would have to fight the world."
I feel like 30+ years later we are still fighting the world, and now it seems like we are fighting our brothers and each other, because during the 70's Black was beautiful and women were fighting as one cohesive unit, but now it seems that being a feminist automatically means your a lesbian and many women are afraid to identify as such because of the stigmas of our society. The only way we will have an environment that is conducive to the empowerment of women, is if we create one.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Oppression... More Forms Than One
Oppression… in one form of another has always hindered the success of African American women and unfortunately mostly likely will continue. Even if our dreams come true and an African American man is elected to office… we cannot celebrate the joy of that possible victory because we have to worry about his safety and if someone assassinate him as his wife Michele Obama worries. While reading A Black Feminist Statement in approximately the end of the second paragraph it saddened me and tying in with what I said above that even though women collectively as a whole are trying to get ahead by participating in a feminist movement there still had to be racism and elitism within the movement that would not allow Black Women to have a voice. Just as the Combahee River Collective said… they felt that they needed to develop politics that was antiracist, unlike those of white women, and antisexist, unlike those of Black and white men. I have never understood politics? I just don’t understand why a group would come together to combat one form of racism, sexism, any kind of oppression in general and place another someone else such as women coming together to combat sexism but being racist at the same time?!?
I greatly respect the Combahee River Collective for the values they use. Disagreeing with SCUM Manifesto by trying to hinder one sex in order to bring up another I greatly agree with the notion of politics coming directly out of their own identities rather than working to end somebody else’s oppression. Expanding on this they are not seeking to be compensated as most do for oppression. They just want to be treated as the humans they are. Rather than using resentment against Black men in relation to sexism they remember that they also struggle with Black men in relation to racism. This reading brought about a good point… how are we to struggle against both sexism and racism? We in a sense as Michele Wallace put it bottom feeders. We are about as minority as a person can get. The paragraph that read “The reaction of Black men to feminism has been notoriously negative. They are, of course, even more threatened than Black women by the possibility that Black feminists might organize around our own needs.” Doesn’t that make you think of the MOREHOUSE MAN that gets defensive and often says negative things about a class they know nothing about in reference to African Diaspora and the World (ADW) calling it a man hating class etc…
In the end I still wonder because I agree with every notion, thought, and perspective they mentioned; but, 30 years later we’re still fighting for that same equality. What has to be done? Will we as Black women ever overcome? It makes me think of just as in the reading when I was growing up I was told by my parents, grandparents, aunts, etc. how to act and be a lady. When I think about when I have children and how I am going to raise them I do intend on telling them the same things. I do intend on and letting them know that we are African American and this is what you’re going to have to do in order not to be seen this way by the White man. I wonder should we stop doing that and say screw it and just be “us.” But anymore after we’ve been so socialized and brainwashed who are we collectively as a people anymore. Also did anyone else notice how the Combahee River Collective capitalized Black Man but kept White Man in lowercase letters… ?!?
I greatly respect the Combahee River Collective for the values they use. Disagreeing with SCUM Manifesto by trying to hinder one sex in order to bring up another I greatly agree with the notion of politics coming directly out of their own identities rather than working to end somebody else’s oppression. Expanding on this they are not seeking to be compensated as most do for oppression. They just want to be treated as the humans they are. Rather than using resentment against Black men in relation to sexism they remember that they also struggle with Black men in relation to racism. This reading brought about a good point… how are we to struggle against both sexism and racism? We in a sense as Michele Wallace put it bottom feeders. We are about as minority as a person can get. The paragraph that read “The reaction of Black men to feminism has been notoriously negative. They are, of course, even more threatened than Black women by the possibility that Black feminists might organize around our own needs.” Doesn’t that make you think of the MOREHOUSE MAN that gets defensive and often says negative things about a class they know nothing about in reference to African Diaspora and the World (ADW) calling it a man hating class etc…
In the end I still wonder because I agree with every notion, thought, and perspective they mentioned; but, 30 years later we’re still fighting for that same equality. What has to be done? Will we as Black women ever overcome? It makes me think of just as in the reading when I was growing up I was told by my parents, grandparents, aunts, etc. how to act and be a lady. When I think about when I have children and how I am going to raise them I do intend on telling them the same things. I do intend on and letting them know that we are African American and this is what you’re going to have to do in order not to be seen this way by the White man. I wonder should we stop doing that and say screw it and just be “us.” But anymore after we’ve been so socialized and brainwashed who are we collectively as a people anymore. Also did anyone else notice how the Combahee River Collective capitalized Black Man but kept White Man in lowercase letters… ?!?
I really enjoyed the two readings on Black feminism and Black feminist activists this week. The simultaneous oppressions that Black women experience afford us a valuable and unique standpoint to view world. Though our view isn’t the only that can offer insight on fighting against oppression recognizing that we as Black women are able to offer valuable contribution to this movement is important to note because we have been devalued as a group for so long. I understand why we feel as though by ending the oppression against others we would be helping ourselves but it’s no wonder this is a movement that is difficult to begin and sustain, being that we must “fight the world” to secure their own liberties.
Feminism as a Collective
I really enjoyed reading the Combahee River Collective statement. The Feminism that the authors' embrace is a Feminism which is all inclusive. This inclusivity breaksdown the barriers that holds up the walls of division which exist in many activist organizations. We are allowed to be who we really are and not who we think the organization thinks we should be. for this very reason the word "Collective" was added to the title of their statement.
The authors believed that a collective negated the institution of a hierarchy within their organization. They believed in the need to share in the fight against the interlocking oppressions faced by all. Their concept of Feminism would share in the fight against racial opression with African American males as well as fighting against sexual opression of women of all races.
Their "Identity Politics" helped incorporate their collective concept. Identity politics allowed the members to enter the organization without having to undress the layers of their identity. It also allowed a voice for each identity. Whether heterosexual, lesbian, homosexual, male female, atheist, or religious. everyone had a voice. The "Identity Politics" concept made it harder for the opposition to divide and conquer. "A house divided against itself can not stand."
The authors believed that a collective negated the institution of a hierarchy within their organization. They believed in the need to share in the fight against the interlocking oppressions faced by all. Their concept of Feminism would share in the fight against racial opression with African American males as well as fighting against sexual opression of women of all races.
Their "Identity Politics" helped incorporate their collective concept. Identity politics allowed the members to enter the organization without having to undress the layers of their identity. It also allowed a voice for each identity. Whether heterosexual, lesbian, homosexual, male female, atheist, or religious. everyone had a voice. The "Identity Politics" concept made it harder for the opposition to divide and conquer. "A house divided against itself can not stand."
My thoughts
This readings have to be some of my favorite to date as a Women's Studies major at Spelman College. Patricia Hill Collins short reading definitely did not mean that it was by any means lacking content. She shared some similar views that my classmates have expressed earlier this academic school year. When speaking about an Afrocentric feminist philosophy she made sure to speak about scholars, artists, and everyday people who live in this world and can vocalize their feeling as well. She quoted Alice Walker speaking about Zora Neale Hurston despite her education refused to abandon "common' people (505). This leads me to think about some of the language of the articles we have read in class, who are they for and who do they benefit?
Working with the theory that only a Caucasian male epistemology is valid in our culture, who are these reading for? Even though I personally believe it is politically incorrect to dismiss thoughts because of the gender and race of a person, our Euro-centric society still gets to decide which black thinkers are the exception rather than the rule. Not to say that because black women have an ideology that they should automatically be over valued, which is why I loved this article. Sometimes I feel in classes I get only one side of the story and feminism is about looking at ALL different perspectives. After reading the first piece on feminism and biology, we determined that in our society science is regarded as an absolute truth, but Collins argue there are know absolute truths in feminism because of the diversity within any group or term.
Working with the theory that only a Caucasian male epistemology is valid in our culture, who are these reading for? Even though I personally believe it is politically incorrect to dismiss thoughts because of the gender and race of a person, our Euro-centric society still gets to decide which black thinkers are the exception rather than the rule. Not to say that because black women have an ideology that they should automatically be over valued, which is why I loved this article. Sometimes I feel in classes I get only one side of the story and feminism is about looking at ALL different perspectives. After reading the first piece on feminism and biology, we determined that in our society science is regarded as an absolute truth, but Collins argue there are know absolute truths in feminism because of the diversity within any group or term.
The
Knowledge is Power…Black Feminist Thought
Combahee River Collective is a political group of Black feminists who have been meeting since 1974. The Collective wrote A Black Feminist Statement as a declaration that black feminists will combat racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression. This statement acknowledges that oppressions are interlocking. The Combahee River Collective explain Black women’s contribution to politics through civil rights and Black nationalist demonstrations and activism. The Collective assert that Black women have influenced the dominant view of white males to alter their politics to anti-racist and anti-sexist (273). The Collective’s primary focus is on identity politics with the belief that is the most radical. They also believe that personal is political because life experiences determine what we believe and advocate. Their goal is to destroy the “political and economic systems of capitalism and imperialism as well as patriarchy” (274). They have a socialist political background because they believe that there should be a collective contribution for the workers and not for the profit of the bosses. Although they are promoting a socialist state, Combahee River Collective is not convinced that the social revolution will guarantee Black women’s liberation. Why does the Combahee River Collective promote a socialist nation when most socialist countries have men serving as the dictators?
The Combahee River Collective has the goal of uplifting Black women by the use scholarship and activism on issues such as abortion rights, battered women, welfare, daycare, healthcare, and rape. Combahee River Collective will develop a publishing company and distribute articles to Black women all over the nation to begin the liberation. The Combahee River Collective acknowledges that Black women’s liberation will be a life-long struggle as well. I would like to know, if the Combahee River Collective still exists? What impact have they made on Black women?
Collins asserts in “Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment” that Black Feminist thought displays “Black women’s power as agents of knowledge” (473). I believe this article was very empowering. Collins states that black women in academia or who have obtained academic degrees may not produce Black Feminist Thought because they had to adhere to the “Eurocentric, masculinist epistemologies”. Not only do they perpetuate the hegemonic epistemology, they also revere the Eurocentric pattern of thought over the Afrocentric feminist thought. Collins gives Black feminist scholars who desire to produce their material a few guidelines in order to be effective scholars. She states that scholars must live or experienced their work/material, be accountable for their publications, be prepared to combat Eurocentric, masculinist thought, be accepted by other Black women writers, be willing share their work through dialogue and discussions with others (474). Black women’s scholarship should translate to different crowds. Even if the material does not translate, Black women feminist must rearticulate and reshape their points for their audience. Collins also describes different types of knowledge as situated, subjugated, and partial. Afrocentric feminist thought is characterized as subjugated knowledge (476). Afrocentric feminist thought reveals that Eurocentric masculinist epistemology favors the interests of white men and therefore discredits their scholarship for other groups.
When I think about how the Collins article is linked to the Combahee River Collective statement I came to the conclusion that Collins article serves as a critique of the Combahee River Collective. Collins talks about how Black feminist scholars exceed in relaying their message to their audiences. Collins explains the struggle Black feminist undergo in academia and scholarship. Perhaps the Combahee River Collective could use some of Collins suggestions, such as advocating for their material and engage in dialogue, to become a more effective group.
The Combahee River Collective has the goal of uplifting Black women by the use scholarship and activism on issues such as abortion rights, battered women, welfare, daycare, healthcare, and rape. Combahee River Collective will develop a publishing company and distribute articles to Black women all over the nation to begin the liberation. The Combahee River Collective acknowledges that Black women’s liberation will be a life-long struggle as well. I would like to know, if the Combahee River Collective still exists? What impact have they made on Black women?
Collins asserts in “Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment” that Black Feminist thought displays “Black women’s power as agents of knowledge” (473). I believe this article was very empowering. Collins states that black women in academia or who have obtained academic degrees may not produce Black Feminist Thought because they had to adhere to the “Eurocentric, masculinist epistemologies”. Not only do they perpetuate the hegemonic epistemology, they also revere the Eurocentric pattern of thought over the Afrocentric feminist thought. Collins gives Black feminist scholars who desire to produce their material a few guidelines in order to be effective scholars. She states that scholars must live or experienced their work/material, be accountable for their publications, be prepared to combat Eurocentric, masculinist thought, be accepted by other Black women writers, be willing share their work through dialogue and discussions with others (474). Black women’s scholarship should translate to different crowds. Even if the material does not translate, Black women feminist must rearticulate and reshape their points for their audience. Collins also describes different types of knowledge as situated, subjugated, and partial. Afrocentric feminist thought is characterized as subjugated knowledge (476). Afrocentric feminist thought reveals that Eurocentric masculinist epistemology favors the interests of white men and therefore discredits their scholarship for other groups.
When I think about how the Collins article is linked to the Combahee River Collective statement I came to the conclusion that Collins article serves as a critique of the Combahee River Collective. Collins talks about how Black feminist scholars exceed in relaying their message to their audiences. Collins explains the struggle Black feminist undergo in academia and scholarship. Perhaps the Combahee River Collective could use some of Collins suggestions, such as advocating for their material and engage in dialogue, to become a more effective group.
The Personal is Political
Patricia Collins thoroughly delineates the the knowledge consciousness and the politics of empowerment as it relates to black feminist thought. The epistemologies, as she explains, must be examined closely by a variety of black feminists to prioritize our specific needs, concerns, and oppressions as they are experienced by individuals differently. Research for our own struggles must be accessible and valid to the everyday woman as they are indeed unique and different from that of the Eurocentric masculinist standpoint. Without the accessibility to women outside of the scholastic category, the battle cannot be won and remains undefined. Traditionally, our issues have been "identified" and analyzed for us which is problematic for so many reasons. As agents of knowledge, truth must meet personal beliefs in an attempt to understand and transform our conditions. Collins describes the types of epistemologies of feminist thought and how they are personally demonstrated in the different arenas of life. For example, Zora Neale Hurston, Billie Holiday, and Bessie Smith were mentioned as they are three women who held their own philosophies as it related to their personal lives and expressed such theories and trials (without separating from the common people) through their works without assimilation. Often times, feminism and more basic black representation is lost in the public eye to gain academic credentials and therefore unable to use the Afrocentric feminist epistemology that is more relative to the "groups" in the women's movement. Collins does however point out that some epistemologies can have paralleling values between other members that are oppressed as well. The personal being political is stressed throughout the entire text that scholars introducing or validating their theories must be personal advocates for all of their material. This reminds me of the chapter in Gender Talk where both Jonnetta B. Cole and Beverly Guy-Sheftall reveal their personal testimonies and interactions that have framed their beliefs. As both authors assert their philosophies and identify the injustices perpetuated by those institutionalized by patriarchal gender politics, they thoroughly show how the personal affects their own epistemologies and scholarly research much like Collins' standpoint on how black feminist thought should be defined.
fighting the good fight..but where does that leave me?
When I entered the world of women studies, I found some of the major themes and concepts hard to grasp. It wasn’t until after learning about the different interconnected systems of oppression that I realized that why I was not able to grasp it previously. I had not been given the tools to break through the film of oppression to even realize there was one. It wasn’t until then that I proceeded to dive further into the ways women struggle to see ourselves. One of the quotes I liked the most was the general statement given by the Combahee River Collective on page 232. It said, “The most general statement of our politics at this present time would be that we are actively committed to struggling against racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression and see as our particular task the development of integrated analysis and practice based up on the fact that the major systems of oppression are interlocking.” I felt that this quote discussed how crucial it was to unlocking some of these systems of oppression, instead of standing up for one type of oppression. I feel as though this was very relevant to me during this political campaign. I have felt as though my whole life I have been brought to choose between my race and my gender, especially now that the democratic election is between a black man and a white female. I have been personally attacked because I have “betrayed my race” for supporting a white woman.
I believe what Patricia Hill Collins talks about concerning the black feminist theory is very true, about how it gives black females a voice, and an understanding. “One distinguishing feature of Black feminist thought is its insistence that both the changed consciousness of individuals and the social transformation of political and economic institutions constitute essential ingredients for social change” (504). Through social and political means, black women can become visible within our communities, especially within the contexts of the United States. This piece I felt was a call to action for black women. I felt as though it charged us to aspire to learn, adapt, and take hold of the black feminist ideology so that we too may have a voice among the many.
Acknowleding Women's Lived Experiences and Embracing Our Different Identities as Marginalized People
The two readings for this week were wonderful, in my personal opinion. Both writings captured the essence of the black feminist struggle and were able to articulate it with clarity. In addition, I was able to comprehend them without difficulty, as opposed to other readings. In fact I actually read the entire book from which the excerpt by Patricia Hill Collins was taken, Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. The article itself simply examines the significance of the black female experience in regard to feminist theory. The focus of her book and the main idea of the excerpt was the development of a more humanistic epistemological standpoint from which black feminist theory contribute and build upon. One page 504, Collins states, “One distinguishing feature of Black feminist thought is its insistence that both the changed consciousness of individuals and the social transformation of political and economic institutions constitute essential ingredients for social change.” An important point in the article was the grounding of feminist theory in the actual lived experience of black women. This is especially important because for many years black women have been silenced. They were voiceless and practically invisible. Using black women as the foundation for black feminist thought provides them with a voice. It is also important to note that in the actual book Collins incorporates the voice of many women, not just scholars, but everyday women. The women were domestic workers, teachers, housewives, etc. She strategically placed them in her novel to show that the only ones with meaningful knowledge to contribute are not the academia and researched scholars. Their lived experiences are in fact vital to the research and to black feminist thought. In Collins’s book she dedicates a section to the examination of the interlocking system of oppressions but her excerpt in the book did not cover this to a large extent, however the Black Feminist Statement by the Combahee River Collective does.
In the opening paragraph of the Black Feminist Statement the main goal of the collective is stated: “The most general statement of our politics at this present time would be that we are actively committed to struggling against racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression and see as our particular task the development of integrated analysis and practice based up on the fact that the major systems of oppression are interlocking” (Combahee River Collective 232). The statement did a good job of illustrating the importance of a black feminist movement in light of the other major movements, especially in the United States of America. Too often women are forced to decide between what is of greater importance to them: their gender or their race. These think about the upcoming presidential campaign this year. In just the primaries black women were faced with the question of whether they would vote for Hilary Clinton because she was a woman or for Barack Obama because he was a black man. The question itself is absurd. I’m sure any reasonable woman would vote for the person with their best interest in mind. The same thing goes for black feminist theory and epistemology. Black women have been involved in a variety of movements, the suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, the second wave of feminism movement, etc. Eventually black women who were feminist realized that none of these movements represented them and their interests and as a result organizations like the National Black Feminist Organization, the National Council of Negro Women, and the Combahee River Collective were created by and for women to promote their own issues. It is not an issue of ranking the importance of race, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation. All of these categories are equally important and it is important to acknowledge this and find a movement that embraces people who embrace all aspects of their identity. This is what the Combahee River Collective sought to achieve in its Black Feminist Statement.
In the opening paragraph of the Black Feminist Statement the main goal of the collective is stated: “The most general statement of our politics at this present time would be that we are actively committed to struggling against racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression and see as our particular task the development of integrated analysis and practice based up on the fact that the major systems of oppression are interlocking” (Combahee River Collective 232). The statement did a good job of illustrating the importance of a black feminist movement in light of the other major movements, especially in the United States of America. Too often women are forced to decide between what is of greater importance to them: their gender or their race. These think about the upcoming presidential campaign this year. In just the primaries black women were faced with the question of whether they would vote for Hilary Clinton because she was a woman or for Barack Obama because he was a black man. The question itself is absurd. I’m sure any reasonable woman would vote for the person with their best interest in mind. The same thing goes for black feminist theory and epistemology. Black women have been involved in a variety of movements, the suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, the second wave of feminism movement, etc. Eventually black women who were feminist realized that none of these movements represented them and their interests and as a result organizations like the National Black Feminist Organization, the National Council of Negro Women, and the Combahee River Collective were created by and for women to promote their own issues. It is not an issue of ranking the importance of race, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation. All of these categories are equally important and it is important to acknowledge this and find a movement that embraces people who embrace all aspects of their identity. This is what the Combahee River Collective sought to achieve in its Black Feminist Statement.
A Call to Action
The Combahee River Collective wrote, “We are not convinced, however, that a socialist revolution that is not also a feminist and anti racist revolution will guarantee our Liberation.” Collins and The Combahee River collective articles discuss the race and gender dichotomy that African-American women face throughout their lives. It seems unfair to try to separate these systems of oppression, as both are equally as damaging to the forward movement of the Black women. It seems unfair to question; are Black women more oppressed because they are Black or are Black women more oppressed because they are women. In my feminist theology class we recently read A Voice from the South by Anna Julia Cooper in which she wrote “Only the Black woman can say “when and where I enter…then there the whole Negro race enters with me.” This statement attests that Black women are the most oppressed people in America, as their race and gender places them at the bottom of the white-male-patriarchal totem pole, and by uplifting Black women, not only is the entire Black race uplifted, but also all groups of oppressed people in America. Collins is exactly right in stating that “Black feminist thought demonstrates Black women’s emerging power as agents of knowledge”. When more Black women become respected theologians and share their perspectives on the American experience as Black women, more people will see the uniqueness of the struggle of Black women in a White and male dominated society. Black women have a lot to contribute to discussions on race and gender because “Black women’s ideas have been suppressed, this suppression has stimulated African-American women to create knowledge that empowers people to resist domination,” (Collins). It seems that Collins was correct in her idea that Black women will “create knowledge that empowers people to resist domination” because it seems that is what the Black Feminist Statement discusses in its totality. The tone of the statement is very urgent to direct, which relates a sense of “feed-up-ness” (yes I made up a word) within the Black female community. Perhaps we, as young Black women, should receive this as a call to action. “We know that we have a very definite revolutionary task to perform and we are ready for the lifetime of work and struggle before us.” It seems our for-mothers were. I hope we are too.
Mules of the Earth
The majority of the feminist theory works that I have been exposed to have been authored by middle-aged white women. Of course my intention is not to take away from what they have to say about their experience as women in a male dominated patriarchal system. Much of what they have had to say has been valid. Yet their theories and beliefs are not necessarily tenets or facets of the foundation of the type of feminism I hope to exercise in my own life. In both the Combahee River Collective Statement as well as the Patricia Hill Collins piece, we are introduced to a new type of feminism; a feminism which recognizes that we cannot simply isolate our oppressions one at a time because they are indeed interlocking. Black feminism, as stated in the Combahee River Collective Statement, is the logical political movement to end the systems that cooperatively serve to oppress women of color. There are so many parts of this particular reading that resonated with me but I will try to limit my response to just a few.
One of the first things we learn as students at Spelman College, is about the concept of interlocking systems of oppression. But looking back, it was not until someone had introduced me to this theory that I had, myself, been able to articulate to others my experience as a young black woman. Since this idea has been engrained in me since my first days at Spelman, I believe I take for granted how heterosexism, racism, classism, and sexism all hold black women back. Or rather, I take for granted that this fact may not be obvious to those who do not have access to such knowledge or those who are not a part of this particular special population of black women.
Reading the Combahee River Collective Statement again made me realize that the battle is not in honing in on the issue, as it often is. Instead, the battle is to make others truly and fully understand and then to convince them to compassionately care about the struggle that is a black woman’s life. Black women are often pitted between black men and white women as allies but again issues of race and sex fail to make either partnership fully cohesive.
Another statement that made me think about myself as a black woman and the scope of the damage done to me by my surroundings was a quote from an early group member: “We are all damaged people merely by virtue of being black women.” This made me think of Zora Neale Hurston’s critique that black women are the mules of the earth. The authors go on to assert that if black women were free, it must mean that all people are free. Our freedom, in other words, cannot be secured until all forms of oppression cease to exist. That is a daunting task. My question then is, is the only solution to eradication of black women’s oppression to make white men understand our pain?
One of the first things we learn as students at Spelman College, is about the concept of interlocking systems of oppression. But looking back, it was not until someone had introduced me to this theory that I had, myself, been able to articulate to others my experience as a young black woman. Since this idea has been engrained in me since my first days at Spelman, I believe I take for granted how heterosexism, racism, classism, and sexism all hold black women back. Or rather, I take for granted that this fact may not be obvious to those who do not have access to such knowledge or those who are not a part of this particular special population of black women.
Reading the Combahee River Collective Statement again made me realize that the battle is not in honing in on the issue, as it often is. Instead, the battle is to make others truly and fully understand and then to convince them to compassionately care about the struggle that is a black woman’s life. Black women are often pitted between black men and white women as allies but again issues of race and sex fail to make either partnership fully cohesive.
Another statement that made me think about myself as a black woman and the scope of the damage done to me by my surroundings was a quote from an early group member: “We are all damaged people merely by virtue of being black women.” This made me think of Zora Neale Hurston’s critique that black women are the mules of the earth. The authors go on to assert that if black women were free, it must mean that all people are free. Our freedom, in other words, cannot be secured until all forms of oppression cease to exist. That is a daunting task. My question then is, is the only solution to eradication of black women’s oppression to make white men understand our pain?
Stop Prioritizing
Oppression is Oppresion and it's as simple as that. Why are certain oppresion fighting movements given priority over others. If one individual is oppressed then that affects everyone.
Both of the articles "A Black Feminist Statement" and "Defining Black Feminist Thought" looked at two related yet different perspectives of the black feminist community. Patricia Hill Collins addressed the issue of knowledge within the black community, how important it is for black women to seek that knowledge and the beautiful truth that more and more women are securing it. Despite the fact that "more African-American women [are] earn[ing] advanced degrees"(505), I can not help but think that those achievements will be overshadowed and disregarded because of the many systems of oppression that effect women, as the Combahee River Collective addresssed in their article.
In "A Black Feminist Statment" the collective discussed the numerous systems of oppression that affect the black female community. "We are actively commited to struggling against racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression and see as our particuar task the development of intergrated analysis and practice based upon the fact that the major systems of oppression are interlocking"(312).
In this article they touch on the sad truth that:
**In the fight for black liberation, it is really the men they are seeking to liberate. So it should really be the black liberation FOR MEN. Black women's issues in this case are put on the back burner as race issues are given priority to gender issues.
**Similarly in the fight for women's rights it is actually the fight for white women's rights that they are concerned about. So it should really be the WHITE women's rights movement, as the issues of black women are once again seen as secondary as far as importance.
You would think that a movement attempting to fight for black liberation would include ALL BLACK PEOPLE. You would also think that a movement attempting to fight for women's rights would include ALL WOMEN. Unfortunatly that is not the case.
It is really upsetting, because a lot of black women may think that by being a part of these movements that they are helping the greater cause of all black people or all women, but just as in slavery times, black women are at the bottom of the barrell. Hopefully the knowledge that Collins talks about can be used as a tool to shatter these systems of oppression that the Combahee Collective is fighting against.
Both of the articles "A Black Feminist Statement" and "Defining Black Feminist Thought" looked at two related yet different perspectives of the black feminist community. Patricia Hill Collins addressed the issue of knowledge within the black community, how important it is for black women to seek that knowledge and the beautiful truth that more and more women are securing it. Despite the fact that "more African-American women [are] earn[ing] advanced degrees"(505), I can not help but think that those achievements will be overshadowed and disregarded because of the many systems of oppression that effect women, as the Combahee River Collective addresssed in their article.
In "A Black Feminist Statment" the collective discussed the numerous systems of oppression that affect the black female community. "We are actively commited to struggling against racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression and see as our particuar task the development of intergrated analysis and practice based upon the fact that the major systems of oppression are interlocking"(312).
In this article they touch on the sad truth that:
**In the fight for black liberation, it is really the men they are seeking to liberate. So it should really be the black liberation FOR MEN. Black women's issues in this case are put on the back burner as race issues are given priority to gender issues.
**Similarly in the fight for women's rights it is actually the fight for white women's rights that they are concerned about. So it should really be the WHITE women's rights movement, as the issues of black women are once again seen as secondary as far as importance.
You would think that a movement attempting to fight for black liberation would include ALL BLACK PEOPLE. You would also think that a movement attempting to fight for women's rights would include ALL WOMEN. Unfortunatly that is not the case.
It is really upsetting, because a lot of black women may think that by being a part of these movements that they are helping the greater cause of all black people or all women, but just as in slavery times, black women are at the bottom of the barrell. Hopefully the knowledge that Collins talks about can be used as a tool to shatter these systems of oppression that the Combahee Collective is fighting against.
had to take my time...
In response to the Patricia Hill Collins excerpt from Black Feminist Thought… Whoa. For such a short reading, it demanded a lot of my mental strength and focus. I am not sure if I was confused by the reading, if I was in the wrong mind-set while reading, or if it was just too much major information clumped into 4 pages. I was able to understand that the focus was Black Feminist Thought and how it developed throughout our history with strong black female leaders like Billie Holiday, Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker, and Nikki Giovanni. Although these women stem from more than one era, their combined impacts influenced what we currently recognize as Black Feminist Thought. Each of these women used her personal gifts and talents to express and share their stance as it related to Black Feminist Thought. The struggle was more than getting the message across, it was a process of mastering “white male epistemologies...[and] resisting the hegemonic nature of these patterns of thought in order to see, value, and use existing alternative Afrocentric feminist ways of knowing” (505). In order to express these messages, these Black Feminists and scholars had to also master the art of translating their ideas into “Standard English” (506) because it was heavily believed that they could only communicate using “Black English” (506). “Although both worldviews share a common vocabulary, the ideas themselves defy direct translation” (506). We eventually learn that it is “fruitless” (506) and pointless to attempt this translation.
The section that I most understood was the concept on page 506 first column. “In an attempt to minimize the differences communities and the expectations of social institutions, some women dichotomize their behavior and become two different people. Over time, the strain of doing this can be enormous. Others reject their interests by enforcing the dominant group’s specialized thought. Still others manage to inhabit both contexts” (506). It was interesting to learn how different women choose to internalize how they relate to their communities. It was also interesting to try to mirror it with personal experiences or events. Like Lorraine Hansberry stated… “Eventually it comes to you” (506).
I truly think I misunderstood this reading. Think I will re-read. Looking forward to the presentation for clarification.
The section that I most understood was the concept on page 506 first column. “In an attempt to minimize the differences communities and the expectations of social institutions, some women dichotomize their behavior and become two different people. Over time, the strain of doing this can be enormous. Others reject their interests by enforcing the dominant group’s specialized thought. Still others manage to inhabit both contexts” (506). It was interesting to learn how different women choose to internalize how they relate to their communities. It was also interesting to try to mirror it with personal experiences or events. Like Lorraine Hansberry stated… “Eventually it comes to you” (506).
I truly think I misunderstood this reading. Think I will re-read. Looking forward to the presentation for clarification.
Monday, March 3, 2008
A Black Feminist Thought !!!
When reading the Patricia Hill Collins article and trying to take it apart for my understanding I realized that it was not only an eye opener for me but it inspired me to start thinking in another way. Now as a women studies major I was aware of the Black Feminist movement and what it entailed, although as far as African American women and history went I knew a little but not enough to say I knew it all.
I agree highly with what Collins was trying to get across she made it evident that it was important not only as women but as African American women it is a necessity that we produce Black feminist with a reference in a particular group being community, historical, material etc.
It was sad but yet good to know that as Black women their were very little of us getting advanced degrees who had the resources, family and community support behind them to strive in their educational advancements.
As I look at the world now and the state that we are in especially when it comes to the war and voting in the presidential election it is a must that us women whether, black, white, Latino or Asian pacific islander have to stand up for what we believe in a press towards that mark. Often times I feel that as women we look down upon or ourselves and do not even think about giving the situation or even ourselves the benefit of the doubt. " Those Black women who are feminists are critical of how Black culture and many of its traditions oppress women ." (505) I believe that the problem lies when we as Black women lack to speak up and fight for what we believe is wrong but instead remain silent. It is important that we take our ideas and put them to work. For we must know that " Re- articulating a Black women's standpoint refashions the concrete and reveals the more universal human dimensions of Black women's everyday lives".(506) In order for Black women to understand to fight for what they believe they have to be willing to change and be a feminist at work to change what is needed for this approach will allow" Afrocentric feminist thought allows African -American women to bring a Black women's standpoint to larger epistemological dialogues concerning the nature of the matrix of domination."(508)
I agree highly with what Collins was trying to get across she made it evident that it was important not only as women but as African American women it is a necessity that we produce Black feminist with a reference in a particular group being community, historical, material etc.
It was sad but yet good to know that as Black women their were very little of us getting advanced degrees who had the resources, family and community support behind them to strive in their educational advancements.
As I look at the world now and the state that we are in especially when it comes to the war and voting in the presidential election it is a must that us women whether, black, white, Latino or Asian pacific islander have to stand up for what we believe in a press towards that mark. Often times I feel that as women we look down upon or ourselves and do not even think about giving the situation or even ourselves the benefit of the doubt. " Those Black women who are feminists are critical of how Black culture and many of its traditions oppress women ." (505) I believe that the problem lies when we as Black women lack to speak up and fight for what we believe is wrong but instead remain silent. It is important that we take our ideas and put them to work. For we must know that " Re- articulating a Black women's standpoint refashions the concrete and reveals the more universal human dimensions of Black women's everyday lives".(506) In order for Black women to understand to fight for what they believe they have to be willing to change and be a feminist at work to change what is needed for this approach will allow" Afrocentric feminist thought allows African -American women to bring a Black women's standpoint to larger epistemological dialogues concerning the nature of the matrix of domination."(508)
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Does My Freedom REALLY equate to the destruction of other oppressed groups?
I am going to have to say that I am on both sides of the fence. It is important to take a look into history and see that Black women have made strides, particularly so in the work force and other domains. Granted the strides haven't been more progressive than the other groups. Hmm, this then makes me think, did other racial and disenfranchised groups make these strides because of the social progression of Blacks or was it just a time in society, where there was a sense of racial and minority uplift? That is not for me to decide, but only ponder. Patricia Hill Collins points out that the importance in Black feminist thought is that knowledge is the bread of empowerment. Now, I had to think about this and after doing so I figured that yes this is true. Knowing about your oppression, living your oppression are far greater points of reference that just hearing about it from an oppressed individual. Being educated by those who have been oppressed will provide a higher level of enlightenment because they are speaking from the heart, they are speaking from the position of "being tired of being sick and tired." Such a standpoint is important to move away from this Euro-masculinist thinking in order to form our own concept of reality and make assertions to produce a state of mind and social inclusion that is free of discriminatory practices. How can such strides be made by a group who is regard as plank in the bottom of the sea? It is going to take the political activism, heart, strength, and commitment of other Black women who have had similar experiences and are just tired of being subjugated to basic levels of society. We as Black women have to be able to challenge these Eurcoentric notions of existence and create our own in order to move forth to a greater place of racial equality. I am happy that women such as Patrica Hill Collins and the Cohmbahee River Collective take iniative to create a universal human dimension of Black women. Each group has only a partial perspective, therefore, why wouldn't Black women have their niche as well? It only makes sense. We need to be represented by those who have experienced or are living it now! I do not want to read about myself from a white male point of view. He has no idea what it means to be a Black woman. The things that experience because of my race and gender. Only another Black woman could tell the story of my life through her black feminist lens. This sharing of a common dialogue is essential to transcending differences.
Do You Understand the Words That Are Comin Outta My Mouth/Off My Page?!?!?!
According to Black Feminsit Thought, "the dilemma facing Black women scholars engaged in creating Black feminist thought is that a knowledge claim that meets the criteria of adequacy for one group and thus is judged to be an acceptable claim may not be translatable into the terms of a different group" (506). In other words, scholars attempting to inform the masses about Black feminist through have difficulty doing so in language that translates. I think this is an important issue facing all scholars but can be particularly stressful in regards to Black Feminist Thought. Many African-American women, among others, who don't have access to education (whether higher or otherwise) know only what they "hear" about feminism such as feminists are bra-burning, hairy, butch lesbians. As a result, they decide feminism is not helpful or related to their struggle because they do not fit into that category. In addition, those who seek to learn about feminism may not be able to understand and comprehend the material becuase of the language used by scholars. Even those who do have access to higher education may have difficulty (ie: our class with the Butler and Halberstam pieces). However, for these scholars to write material in "Black English" or use language that may be more universally understood, the world of academia may disregard the validity or importance of the argument. Such a dilemma reflects, in my opinion, the interlocking systems of oppression. Black women in academia have to defend their intellect as both women and as African-Americans by using "sophisticated language" yet in doing so are potentially denying their race and possible class (if they grew up in a lower class environment) because they are excluding groups of people.
A Better Understanding
It is fuuny to me that when I first read an article by the Combahee River Collective, I was immediatey turned off because the name sounded boring. Then I actually read the footnote and found out why this was the name of the group, and I felt so ignorant! Anyway, this reading was very to the point and I really enjoyed it. It gave me a better understanding of the purpose of the women in the Combahee River Collection, and a better understanding of the need for a seperate Black Feminist Movement. When I first started getting into women's studies, I guess I didn't understand why there was a need for a Black Feminist Movement, but now it is clearer. The White Feminist Movement indeed left out Black women because they were fighting for different things. White women wanted the opportunity to work outside of the house, while Black women were already granted this "right". One question that I simply cannot find the answer to is why do people think that they deserve certain freedom and rights while they are at the same time oppressing others and leavig other people out? I just dont get how, for example, I can think I deserve to be able to do everythig that a white man/woman can do, but I don't think black lesbians should be granted this equality.
I like the idea of the Combahee River Collection because they are coming together to address the issues of the Black Feminist Movement. They understand the value of Black women, and really understand that nobody really cares about us, but us. There words are so empowering, and it really just goes to show that if we, as Black women, want to change or value and worth in this society, we have to take initiative.
I like the idea of the Combahee River Collection because they are coming together to address the issues of the Black Feminist Movement. They understand the value of Black women, and really understand that nobody really cares about us, but us. There words are so empowering, and it really just goes to show that if we, as Black women, want to change or value and worth in this society, we have to take initiative.
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