Brief Summary
The first marches in support of black women transpired in the aftermath of the growing prominence of the Black Liberation Movement and the Women’s Movement. The main subject of the readings is black feminism. Black feminism, or anti-racist feminism, is a part of feminist theory that was created by black women. One of the main priorities of black feminism is the fight against racism and inequality of women, interconnected with each other. The historical context of the pieces is 1989 when the first marches in support of black women took place (Smith, 2016). Although Sharon Smith’s work was written later, it focuses on ideas laid down in the 90s, when the black equality movement and the struggle for women’s rights began to actively interact.
Identification of Problem
The problem that authors are identifying is gender and racial inequality. It is based on socio-cultural factors prescribing female and male, as well as white and colored races roles specific behavior that people of a certain gender and color should demonstrate (Defining terms, n. d.). The problem relates to the restriction of the rights and opportunities of people (Collins et al., 1989). For example, these are the rights to education, equal career opportunities and personal security.
This topic is important not only for black women, but also for society as a whole. Collins (1989) references a 1984 article, which asserted that white women also faced stigmatization due to prejudices against African American women, thus highlighting that infringement of the rights of one social stratum negatively affects others. Relevant evidence and examples that Smith (2016) gave to support their justification include court cases such as DeGraffenreid v. General Motors. In this case, the legal issue did not fall under a separate category of racism or a separate category of sexism. This particular example is proof of a combination of these negative social phenomena.
Personal Thoughts
The thing I liked and appreciated about the readings is tracking the historical roots of the problem, and how exactly it appeared. I would like to have more of pathos in the article by Smith (2016), which extensively relies in emotional appeal to convey the message regarding discrimination. Although the articles allowed me to find out a lot of factual data, I would like them to be presented not so dryly, and also to encourage action with the help of stylistic techniques. In regards to what I have read, I would like to get clarification on how the fight for black feminism is progressing today, since the article by Collins was written in 1989. In particular, I am interested in studying examples of modern court cases, and the percentage of cases positively resolved in favor of black women.
Connections to Course Learning/Materials
What I have read is different from what I already know, because at the moment black feminism is well-known and is often used in court proceedings. Collin’s (1989) article claimed that the term was not fully formed (Smith, 2016). This difference might exist because of the significant time gap between these sources. At the moment, it is 2023, and substantial social changes have taken place since the publication of both articles. New ideas for me to consider include what a long and difficult historical path has been done to achieve the level of rights of black women that exists at the moment. The readings by Smith and Collins connect to the course and provide a better understanding of the course topic. It shows how serious social problems studied in the course were formed, and the reasons why they are so deeply ingrained into modern society.
References
Collins, P. H. (1989). The social construction of black feminist though. Signs, 14(4), 745-773. Web.
Defining terms: Introduction to black feminism. (n. d.) [PowerPoint slides].
Smith, S. (2016). Black feminism and intersectionality. International Socialist Review. Web.