A History of Black Feminism in the United States

A History of Black Feminism in the United States

But Some of Us Are Brave

The Beginnings

Ø Black Feminism/Black Feminist Movement grew out of, and in response to, the Black Liberation Movement & the Women’s Movement

Ø The intersecting impact of systematic racism & sexism rendered Black women & the issues impacting their lives, invisible

Ø Black = men; Women = white

Ø Focus (of movement) on confronting racism & sexism

Ø Black Feminism/Black Feminist Movement, as a philosophy or lived experience began with the institution of slavery

Ø The role of Black women within the institution of slavery impacted their lived experience

The Institution of Slavery

Ø Racist

Ø Impacted kidnapped Africans, and later, US born Black people

Ø Based on concept of white supremacy

Ø No protection for Black people within society

Ø Even free Blacks weren’t free

Ø Sexist

Ø Black women forced to produce labor supply

Ø Birth right & One drop rule

Ø No protections for Black women within society

Ø Seen as property as Black & women

Role of Capitalism

Ø The institution of slavery fit perfectly into the economic & political system of capitalism

Ø Free labor; less cost to owners

Ø Free labor supply (Black women provided the labor and labor supply)

Ø Consumer benefit; cheap products (rice, cotton, sugar, tobacco, etc.)

Ø U.S. supported, funded, & perpetuated the institution of slavery and the systematic oppression of Black women

Ø Louisiana Purchase

Ø Gold Rush

Ø Westward Expansion

Ø Industrial Revolution

Early Examples of Black Feminism

Ø Although Black Feminist Movement, as a movement, officially begins during the 1960s & 70s, Black Feminist Thought & Black women advocating for their freedoms as both Black people & women, has been around since the institution of slavery

Ø Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)

Ø Harriet Ann Jacobs (1813-1897)

Ø Harriet Tubman (1820-1913)

Ø Anna Julia Cooper (1858-1964)

Ø Ida B. Wells ( 1862-1931)

Ø Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954)

The Founding of the Black Feminist Movement

Ø Black women participating in Black liberation and Women’s liberation faces sexism and racism within those movements

Ø Many issues directly impacting Black women were ignored or diminished within these movements

Ø Black women were expected to take a subordinate role

Ø Black liberation meant Black male liberation (rhetoric & actions)

Ø Women’s liberation meant white women’s liberation (rhetoric & actions)

Ø Black feminist movement grows out of this invisibility

Building a Black Feminist Movement

Ø Difficult – Many Black women did not identify as feminists

Ø Exposed the myths of of feminism (Myths to “divert Black women from our freedom” – Barbara Smith)

Ø The Black woman is already liberated

Ø Racism is the primary (or only) oppression Black women have to confront

Ø Feminism is nothing but man-hating

Ø Women’s issues are narrow, apolitical concerns

Ø PoCs need to deal with the ‘larger’ struggle

Ø Feminist are just lesbians

Key Issues

Ø Reproductive rights

Ø Sterilization abuse

Ø Equal access to abortion

Ø Health care

Ø Child care

Ø Disability rights

Ø Violence against women

Ø Social welfare rights

Ø Sexual Harassment

Ø LGBTQ rights

Ø Police Brutality

Ø Labor Organizing

Ø Environmental sustainability

Ø Nuclear disarmament

Organizations & Advancements

Ø National Black Feminist Organization (NBFO), 1973

Ø Black Women Organized for Action (BWAO), 1973

Ø Combahee River Collective, 1974

Ø Black Women’s Self-Help Collective, 1981

– 1st National Conference on Third World Women & Violence (Washington D.C.), 1980

– 1st National Conference for Black Women (New Zealand), 1980