A Brief Summary of the Readings
“The Woman Who Created #MeToo Long Before Hashtags”
Nowadays, a lot of minorities struggle despite the changes that have been made and the justice and equal opportunities being requested. The first article, by Sandra E. Garcia, which was published in The New York Times in 2017, focuses on Tarana Burke, who has been supporting abused black women for three decades. The author identified the problem of inequality and how the victims of abuse rarely had much support, providing examples of how Burke later established a non-profit organization and started the MeToo movement (Garcia, 2017). This problem is significant for minorities who must continue voicing their concerns in terms of abuse.
“Black Women, the Forgotten Survivors of Sexual Assault”
Similar to the previous reading, Jameta Nicole Barlow, in her American Psychological Association article published in 2020, focuses on the 1940s and the experience of Recy Taylor, who was raped by seven white men raped. At this time, there were no movements aimed at providing safety for black women, which is the problem that the author wants to emphasize. With time, Rosa Parks, investigating the issue, started a movement that could protect black women and their autonomy (Barlow, 2020). The discussed issue is relevant to everyone since it demonstrates the prevailing injustice.
“Legendary Activist Angela Davis at Women’s March on Washington”
Likewise, the video released in 2017 by Democracy Now demonstrates Angela Davis giving a speech on the strength of racial minorities. The main issue outlined by the speaker is that of claiming power and resisting patriarchy. In her speech, she refers to examples of oppression, slavery, and other moments that cannot be erased from history (Democracy Now, 2017). Being set during a Women’s March on Washington, Davis concentrates on the need to stop racism, anti-semitism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination. This is important for all audiences since it shows the necessity of kindness and resistance to oppressors.
“Andrea Ritchie: Invisible no More Preview”
Furthermore, a 2017 video by Barnard Center for Research on Women shows a speech given by Andrea Ritchie, who focuses on racial profiling and police brutality in the 20th and 21st centuries. The woman speaks about the injustice faced by racial minorities, which is an acute issue. Among the examples are Eleanor Bumpurs, killed by the police in 1986, and Latanya Haggerty, killed in 1999 (Barnard Center for Research on Women, 2017). Such an issue is relevant, given the police brutality that continues to exist.
In Our Names
Moreover, platforms such as In Our Names provide a timeline of all the victims who died due to police brutality. The timeline starts at the time of slavery and colonization and continues to the present time, with women of all ages dying of violence. The message of the authors is to show that racism and brutality aimed at racial minorities have persisted for hundreds of years and must stop. To support justification, the timeline shows children who were killed as young as twelve years old (In Our Names, n.d.). This message is essential for all audiences by demonstrating the violence toward not only adults but also children.
Black Feminisms
Finally, the website Black Feminisms introduced an article on black feminism and abuse in 2015. The author focuses on the fact that traditionally, literature has focused on the violence against black women, while it is more important to focus on their autonomy. The idea is that the narrative must be changed, and the evidence on which the assumption is based is that diaspora studies must be used to recognize the changes in the post-modern world (Black Feminisms, 2015). Consequently, the Black women’s community must understand how to promote body autonomy.
Personal Thoughts on the Readings
Overall, I appreciated the presence of history in the readings since they compare modern times with the past and what has changed. I would like to have more firsthand accounts in the readings to understand people’s perspectives. However, no further clarification is needed since the materials are elaborate. In the context of course learning, the new readings gave a more in-depth analysis of the black women’s movements that originated in the 20th century. The new ideas to consider are the ones concerning black women’s autonomy. Lastly, the materials are connected to the course since they show the struggles of groups of people.
References
Barlow, J. N. (2020). Black women, the forgotten survivors of sexual assault. American Psychological Association. Web.
Barnard Center for Research on Women. (2017). Andrea Ritchie: Invisible no more preview [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Black Feminisms. (2015). Joan Morgan on moving towards a black feminist politics of pleasure. Web.
Democracy Now. (2017). Full speech: Legendary activist Angela Davis at women’s march on Washington [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Garcia, S. E. (2017). The woman who created #MeToo long before hashtags. The New York Times. Web.
In Our Names. (n.d.). Movement timeline. Web.