Black Feminist Theory Paper

Black feminist is about sexism, class, gender and racism. It has various group by addressing role of black women like gay, lesbian etc. Black Feminist theory has reached a woider in 2010 as the result of social media. Black feminist argue that black women has different way to get power then white women. Against patriarchy. Black women has struggle radical redistribution of social wealth and political power. Women’s life-worlds and lived-experiences on women-centered are opposite from man. “Women’s Liberation Movement” it discussed about class, gender and feminist.

so that all of the knives that are lunged at our backs, will bend on contact and break off

Similarly, Patricia Hill’s work “Black Feminist Thought” explains the need for black feminism. For Hill U.S. black feminism is needed in order for black women to survive, cope with, and resist their differential treatment in society. Black feminist thought creates a collective identity among this marginalized group of African-American women. Hill provides several features that make U.S. Black feminist thought different than any other set of feminism. The first feature Hill speaks about is ‘blackness’ it is this concept that makes U.S. black feminist a different group that suffers a “double oppression”. Thus, U.S. Black women collectively participate in a dialectical relationship which links African American women’s oppression and activism. Hill speaks on the U.S. black feminist thought and the dilemma they face in American society. During the women’s right movement there was a tremendous difference between black and white women’s experiences, “while women of color were urged, at every turn, to become permanently infertile, white women enjoying prosperous economic conditions were urged, by the same forces, to reproduce themselves”. It is this difference in attitudes that demonstrate why there is a need to focuses on the linkage of experiences and ideas experienced by the black women in America. Consequently, Davis analyzes the hypocritical differences of the government of the

The United States prides itself on being a land of opportunities, and in many ways it is. We look at countries like South Africa, which not long ago was segregated through the laws of Apartheid, and we are glad that we are so much further along than the land of Mandela. However, every now and then we need to stop and ask ourselves just how far along we really are, and we have to wonder if many of the once oppressed countries we helped free are not passing us up in the area of civil rights and opportunity.

In an attempt to define Black Feminism, Collins clarifies that it must “avoid the idealist position that ideas can be evaluated in isolation from the groups that create them (Collins 385).” In reality, this forms her basis for why Black Feminism is necessary, and who it serves. Thinking about feminism historically, the concerns of black women were pushed aside in favor of fighting sexism, most notably during the Suffrage movement. And even when feminism began looking at other social injustices, such as racism and class issues, only prominent feminists were invited to the discussion. What resulted was, and often continues to be, a problem of white women speaking for oppressed people. It’s impossible, Collins argues, to have Black Feminist thought without examining the experiences and positions of African American women. Therefore, Black Feminism must be a movement that “encompasses theoretical interpretations of Black women’s reality by those who live in it (Collins 386).” However, such a definition brings about many questions: who’s experiences are valued, how do black women take their voice back, and how can they center feminist thinking on their own unique standpoint?

Part II: Core Themes in Black Feminist Thought tackles five themes: 1) a legacy of struggle, 2) treatment of the interlocking nature of race, class, and gender, 3)

If one was to search for the definition of the term “African American Woman” they would find nothing. Although there are definitions of the words African-American and woman; one cannot define the two words together. This is just it, to actually define what it is to be an African American woman would be the equivalence of rescuing the United States from its trillion dollar debt. It’s impossible. An African American woman can be defined by her confidence, drive and knowledge. All those components define not just her, but her character, her mindset and ultimately the other women of her race.

This research aims to discover the motives of black women and their hair/hairstyles they choose. In an attempt to answer this question, I observed a salon that dealt with a predominantly black female clientele. While there, I noted the dynamics between the hairdressers and the clients: whether the stylist have an input/impact on what hairstyles are chosen, what are the intentions or goals of the women when they choose a style?, and what the style the majority of them gravitate towards? It was a very friendly atmosphere so I was able to interact with both the customers and the clients and obtain more information beyond the physical/visual aspect of the environment.

I am writing to apply for the position of instructor for ETHS 150: Black Feminist Theory, for which Dr. Ajuan Mance suggested I apply.

In an attempt to define Black Feminism, Collins clarifies that it must “avoid the idealist position that ideas can be evaluated in isolation from the groups that create them (Collins 385).” This clarification forms her basis for why Black Feminism is necessary, and who it serves. Thinking about feminism historically, the concerns of black women were pushed aside in favor of fighting sexism; a notable example occurs within the Suffrage movement, where votes for white women were prioritized over women of color in order to push such legislation through. And even when feminism began looking at other social injustices, such as racism and class issues, often only prominent feminists were invited to the discussion. What resulted was, and often continues to be, a problem of white women speaking for oppressed people. It’s impossible, Collins argues, to have Black Feminist thought without examining the experiences and positions of African American women. Therefore, Black Feminism must be a movement that “encompasses theoretical interpretations of Black women’s reality by those who live in it (Collins 386).” However, such a definition brings about many questions:

Looking through a Black Feminist Critical Lens, Toni Morrison’s characters in Sula resemble Mary Helen Washington’s definitions of African American female characters. Specifically, Sula, Nel, and Eva; Sula is a Liberated Woman, Nel is a Emergent Woman, and Eva as a Suspended woman.

Black feminist thought has gained popularity in recent years and remains a noteworthy matter in view of the fact that in the United States black women form an oppressed group. Inequality entails a complex situation, in which oppression cannot be identified as one type, for example, race, gender, class or sexual preference. In this particular situation, we will acknowledge the challenges from the standpoint of black feminists. Patricia Hill Collins educates us through the four tenets of black epistemology, in addition to the contradictions against the scientific methods of social science; positivistic knowledge. Beyond the characteristics of epistemology, there are several key implications for black feminist thought.

Many factors contribute to the displacement of black women. “Black women are seen as “hot in the pants,” tough and strong, able to withstand a lot of physical and emotional abuse, unfeeling... I find this to be demeaning, degrading, and unproven. Yet I find myself constantly trying to disprove them.” (Cecelia) Within our society black women lack unity with black me, recognition as being a female, and higher up advancement. Throughout this paper I will point out ways in which black women are still placed at a disadvantage. These placements are done through television, music videos, poverty, the work field and etc.

These explanations analyze factors such as fear of dividing the minority community, lack of knowledge of feminism, the focus on male liberation in the black social movement in the 60’s, and the idea of matriarchy (Simons). Overall, black feminist, on the other hand, believe that racism, the major factor, hinders the development of feminist awareness among minority women and other problems that seem to arise within the feminist movement and community (Simons).

Women have won the right to do as much as men do. Although feminist activists have fought for women's legal rights such as rights of contract, property rights, and voting rights while also promoting women's rights to bodily integrity and autonomy, abortion rights, and reproductive rights. They have struggled to protect women and girls from domestic violence, sexual harassment, and rape. In the article “ Through the Lens of Race: Black and White women’s perceptions of womanhood” discussed how both, black and white women experience of sexual harassment in the community, concerns about their safety and fears of rape as woman are being approached or groped by strangers. Also black and white women have similar experiences of