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Imprisonment Without Bars: Racism And Sexism Holding Women Back

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Imprisonment Without Bars: Racism and Sexism Holding Women Back

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.

It seems that a long forgotten fact in the Black community is …show more content…

White women and Black people were all considered property and disallowed basic dignities award White men including property ownership, the right to vote and the right to inherit both wealth and land. This patriarchal system, where White men dominated White women, created male-dominated financial and political spheres that barred women from participation. The results of this are evident in the fact that Black men were allowed to vote before White women were and a Black male was elected president before a White female. This translates to a particularly dire reality for Black women. Because White women had access to resources (healthcare, money, education, etc.) through their White male counterparts, the effects of this affront to basic rights would not have had the same egregious effects as it would on Black women. Today, Black women are struggling to not only play catch-up after decades of disenfranchisement, but they are also battling to enter typically male-dominated spaces that are not particularly open to female participation. Black women are hardly ever seen in higher up work field. As a woman, she has to work and push herself …show more content…

Black women are 2.5 times more likely to be victims of intimate partner violence than their White counterparts and experience intimate partner violence 35 percent more. It is estimated that 29.1 percent of Black women are victimized by their partners — which is approximately every 3 in 10 women (Taffanie). According to Time magazine statistically speaking, Black women experience sexual assault and DV/IPV at disproportionate rates and have the highest rates of intra-racial violence against us than any other group. Black women are also less likely to report or seek help when we are victimized (Feminista). As Black people, we don’t always feel comfortable surrendering “our own” to the treatment of a racially biased police state and as women, we don’t always feel safe calling police officers who may are partners instead of helping us. Furthermore, according to Masked Racism: Reflections on the Prison Industrial Complex more than 70 percent of men in prison are Black males. When Blacks do speak out or seek help, we too often experience backlash from members of our communities who believe we are airing out dirty laundry and making ourselves look bad in front of White people (Feminista). Which brings to my attention that the white man or woman opinion is still so valuable and put into

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