Introduction
Black women in the 1970s encountered various prejudices, which the black feminist movement sought to end. Maya Angelou’s Interviews with Black Scholar is instrumental in understanding some of the challenges Black women experienced. The conversation provides insight into different topics such as Black women, racism, and feminism. Conversation with Audre Lorde is a range of interviews and letters that focus on the work and experiences of Lorde. The 1970s was a period where liberal feminism took root as art became a tool for showing the oppression of women. The 1970s Black feminist politics had a profound influence on Black women’s poetry, and their poetry, in turn, helped to push the Black feminist forward. These politics influenced both Angelou and Lorde to address discrimination, black women’s rights, and black feminism and through their shared experiences they helped shape the ideologies of the movement and enhance Black women’s solidarity.
Discrimination
In the years preceding the 70s, the civil rights movement had created a strong debate on the need to end discrimination against all minorities. The mobilization affected all sectors of society and poetry was not left behind. The need to end prejudice against black people motivated African Americans to use different avenues to achieve this objective (Clarke 19). Audre Lorde exposed sexism, racism, and homophobia as the three forms of discrimination that black lesbians faced (Lorde 73). Lorde described herself as a Black lesbian feminist poet warrior mother as a way of fighting against stereotypes that hindered her existence as an individual (Lorde 1).
The poet was against the need to drop some aspects of her identity to please other people or to be accepted by society. Lorde notes that it would be a destructive way to live (Lorde 23). By striving to fight the discrimination against black lesbians and embracing her identities, Lorde helped African Americans to accept their full individual characteristics.
Maya Angelou was instrumental in talking about prejudice against African Americans using poetry. Discrimination against Black people was a subject that was crucial to the Black feminist movement. The Black feminist politics of the 1970s brought more focus on the issues that African American women were facing (Clarke 13). Of particular interest was the need to end patriarchal tendencies that had prejudiced women. Angelou was of the view that Black women were constantly being victimized and being treated as inferiors by the rules imposed on them through patriarchy (Hagen 35).
Having endured some of the prejudices that most African American women underwent, Angelou was best placed to expose the problems that needed to be addressed to enhance equality. The Black feminist movement benefited from the poetry of Angelou as they had an individual whose experiences resonated with the people (Clarke 21). In the Interviews, Angelou indicated that experiencing prejudice influenced her writing style significantly (45). Both Lorde and Angelou were motivated by the need to address the discrimination they had undergone, which helped add energy to the fight for better rights for black women.
The Rights of Black Women
The rights of black women was another topic that became prominent following the politics of the 1970s. Black women had been defined using stereotypes that enforced negative identities on them (Clarke 11). In the interviews, Angelou notes that the 1970s Black feminist movement inspired more women into the arts, which helped bring focus to the rights of black women (Angelou 45). Poetry by Lorde and Angelou helped change the negative perceptions about Black women. Lorde was significantly influenced by the Black feminist movements in her poetry (Clarke 102). Lorde indicates that “the Black power and the civil rights movement of the late ’50s and ’60s was the prototype of every single liberation movement in the country that we are still dealing with today” (54). This indicates Lorde’s poetry was dedicated to advancing the rights of Black women through the feminist movement.
Another aspect of the influence of the Black feminist movement on the poetry of both Angelou and Lorde is that both advocated for lesbian rights for black women. The feminist movement of the 1970s used art to advocate for equal treatment of all people regardless of race or sex (Clarke 9). Underground theaters were used to display works by different artists (Hagen 21). Black women who had struggled with their identity joined the push for equal rights for Black lesbians. Lorde indicates that it was important to be involved in the Black feminist movement (Clarke 10). The author used poetry to help raise awareness of the issues that queer women faced. This was crucial because Black women understood the need to speak about issues they were facing. Therefore, the Black feminist push for women’s rights appealed to the women poets because of their experiences.
Shared Experiences
Both Angelou and Lorde had experiences that were similar to what the Black feminist movements were pushing to change. In Conversations with Audre Lorde, the author indicates that poetry was a way to discuss some of the issues that were forbidden at home. Lorde indicates that her parents could not discuss issues of race because of fear that had been instilled by years of violence towards Black people (Lorde 117).
The need to silence Black people was based on the assumption that without shared experiences it would be impossible for them to develop and advance. Access to books that educate people about their culture and experiences enhances their growth. Lorde shows how poetry was an important tool for providing other Black women with a way within which they could hope and dream. “Your silence will not protect you”, shows Lorde‘s belief that speaking was the only solution for advocating for a better America (Lorde 81). This can also be seen in the poetry of Maya Angelou.
Angelou was also motivated by the need to change the way people perceived Black women. In the poem Still I Rise, Maya indicates that nothing and no one can oppress her (Hagen 35). Black feminist politics involved the fight for equality for females. The oppression of Black people had a significant effect on the poetry of Angelou. In the Interviews, Angelou notes that Black people needed to have a voice to be heard and this was possible through poetry (Angelou 46). In this reference, Angelou indicates that poetry was a way of turning the shared experiences of Black people into something powerful. The view that poetry was an influential tool for Black women is also shared by Lorde. The Black feminist movement provided an impetus for both Angelou and Lorde to represent the experiences of Black women.
As a result of the influence of the Black feminist movement of the 1970s, Lorde saw poetry as a tool to push for better rights for women and other oppressed people. The main goal of Lorde was to use poetry to create a society that was not affected by differences. Clarke indicates that women poets in the 1970s and later focused strongly on advocating for the end to discrimination (31). As an individual who had encountered a difficult childhood that resulted in silence, Lorde preferred to talk about the different issues and experiences. The Black feminist movement contributed to more women writers being confident. In the Conversations with Audre Lorde, the author highlights that pushing for an end to oppression would be successful through the use of poetry (Lorde 34). This is because poetry gave the writers a platform that ensured they could share the real experiences of Black Americans.
Angelou also used poetry to push for issues that had been brought into focus by the Black feminist movement. One of the issues is the perception of women in society, which is well discussed in the poems. Hagen indicates that Angelou focuses on the perception that women cannot be successful (56). This is because of the experiences Angelou had encountered during the start of her career. Most of the women poets encountered difficulties because of the belief that women could not become successful.
The feminist movements helped raise awareness that females have equal opportunities in society. This influenced the poetry of the time and impacted the themes that the authors used. In most of the works by Angelou, the focus is on fighting for an end to racism and women’s oppression. Therefore, the Black feminist politics of the 70s impacted the topics that poets such as Angelou and Lorde undertook.
Search for an Identity
Another aspect that can be used to show the influence of Black feminist politics on poetry is the search for identity for Black queer people and Black women. The main motivator for the feminist movement was the need to create an identity that was acceptable to people. This led to the emergence of art that focused on creating a society that accepted queer people. Both Angelou and Lorde focused on how these issues were interconnected with other issues such as race. Lorde in particular paid attention to the experiences of gay and lesbian African Americans. Lorde notes that wherever oppression manifests Black people are potential victims (35).
The poet also indicated that there was no hierarchy of oppression in the Conversation with Audre Lorde (Lorde 21). This shows that the use of poetry to create an acceptable identity for Black queer people enhanced the advancement of the Black feminist movement in the years that followed.
Angelou also focused on redefining the black woman as a way of ending the prejudices that existed. Hagen notes that in the Phenomenal Woman, Angelou notes that “but when I start to tell them, they think I am telling lies” (102). This illustrates that women tend to receive disapproval or hatred when they indicate they have succeeded in something. Angelou depicted the Black people as caged because of the oppression they had encountered and continue to encounter (Hagen 58). The author notes that the Black woman needed representation in a way that was different from the past. For Angelou, poetry was a critical tool for creating the identity of a Black woman.
Black Feminism
Lorde and Angelou helped define who a black feminist is through their writing. The 1970s Black feminist politics involved addressing the position of African American women in society. Black feminism was a concept that Lorde contributed to because of her poetry. In Conversation with Audre Lorde, the author indicates that Black women had to change their perception and fight for better representation (Lorde 56). Lorde used poetry to depict what a Black feminist represented. The author views speaking as a powerful tool because it helped raise awareness on different issues. Lorde challenged African American women to stop being silent in times of oppression (12).
This was essential because it portrayed the essence of the Black feminist movement. It was aimed at ensuring that Black women silenced their oppressors. Poems by Lorde spoke about the myths that had been perpetuated by white people about Black women. The stereotypes had helped shape the way other people viewed African American women and affected their ability to be heard (Clarke 67). Therefore, Lorde played an integral role in helping black feminists get a voice by encouraging them to speak up and fight against oppression.
Maya Angelou was instrumental in positioning black feminists as influential in issues that concerned women. The Black Feminist politics of the the70s created a platform for Black women writers to be heard. Angelou used her experiences to talk about the issues that Black women faced, which made the poems powerful and insightful. Hagen indicates that personal experiences of Angelou inspired the feminist voice that the author used during her writing (18). In the poem Phenomenal Woman, Angelou addressed the traditional norms of beauty and the effects they have on Black women’s idea of their beauty (Hagen 97).
Angelou’s poetry proclaimed the ideals that African American women should strive to have. Self-confidence was one of the major aspects, that the author indicated was essential. Therefore, the poetry of Lorde and Angelou helped advance the Black feminist movement by encouraging more African American women to be feminists and communicate their experiences to the world.
Shaping the Ideologies of the Movement
The poetry of Lorde and Angelou was essential in shaping the ideologies that the Black feminist movement adopted. Lorde’s poetry was focused on the issues that Black women, lesbians, and mothers faced in America (Clarke 15). In Conversations with Lorde, the author indicates the need to address barriers of race, class, nationality, sex, politics, and the gap between the sick and the healthy (101).
The Black feminist movement that preceded the 70s had a platform that they could use to achieve their objectives. Lorde was involved in different ventures that were created to enhance women’s lives (Lorde 117). Lorde’s poem provided the impetus to the Black feminist movement and shaped the discussion on Black women. This can explain why Lorde is considered an important poet for African American women. Having experienced prejudice, Lorde was best placed to create the issues that would drive the movement forward. Therefore, the poetry of Lorde helped advance the Black feminist movement forward by shaping the issues that were to be discussed.
This is similar to the poetry of Maya Angelou, which also provided insight into the issues that Black women faced. In the Interviews, Angelou notes that Black women have been defined by aspects that have been advanced by the patriarchal society (46). The author explained how issues of race, gender, class, sex, and nationality interlink to hinder Black women from succeeding (Angelou 47). To prove these assertions, Angelou used her past experiences to show how stereotypes affect the development of a community. The Black feminist politics of the 70s came at a time when women were fighting to be treated equally (Clarke 9).
The emergence of Black poets who discussed and shared their experiences helped expand the movement to the national level (Clarke 17). This is because the experiences of poets resonated with most Black women. This ensured that women understood how the patriarchal society had a system of oppression for women. Therefore, both Lorde and Angelou were instrumental in shaping the ideologies of the Black feminist movement in the years that followed the 70s.
Black Women Solidarity
Both Angelou and Lorde’s poetry was crucial in enhancing women’s solidarity across different identities. The Black feminist was supported by writings from influential Black women poets. Lorde reinforced her identity and beliefs through her poems, which opened avenues for Black women to relate to the writings (Lorde 42). This is because the author shared her experiences, and strived to explain that Black women are valuable.
In Conversations with Lorde, the poet noted the importance of listening to the feedback of Black feminists and lesbians, “I existed in a vacuum for so many years” (117). The quote shows that Lorde viewed reactions to her works as crucial because such discussions enhanced the solidarity between African American women. Black women’s unity was essential as it ensured that they would be heard and not wished away like in the past.
Angelou also used poetry to bring Black women together and to advocate for equality. Black feminist politics enhanced the need to talk about the issues that African American women faced. Hagen notes that Angelou identified with most Black women because of her experiences (87). Women from African American households could relate to the issues that Angelou highlighted in her poems (Clarke 78). The ability to understand the aspects that the author was raising ensured that more Black women were able to voice their challenges. This was crucial because it increased the solidarity between women. The unity was helped by the presence of Black women poets who created a common understanding of the prejudices that Black women faced (Hagen 67). Therefore, through their poems, Angelou and Lorde helped increase women’s solidarity by sharing their experiences. This then contributed to the growth of the Black feminist movement in the years that followed.
In summary, the Black feminist movement of the 1970s was crucial in shaping the poetry of Angelou and Lorde. Discrimination of African American women motivated both Lorde and Angelou to speak up against the oppression of Black women. Through shared experiences, the authors were able to highlight major issues that affected Black women. The search for an identity and women’s rights were two aspects that resulted from Black feminist politics. Angelou and Lorde used poetry to push for an end to oppression, which helped advance the Black feminist movement. Their poems created the platform for the movement to advance the quest for equality.
Works Cited
Angelou, Maya. “Interviews: Maya Angelou.” The Black Scholar, vol. 8, no. 4, 1977, pp. 44-53.
Clarke, Cheryl. ” After Mecca”: Women Poets and the Black Arts Movement. Rutgers University Press, 2005.
Hagen, Lyman B. Heart of a Woman, Mind of a Writer, and Soul of a Poet: A Critical Analysis of the Writings of Maya Angelou. University Press of Amer, 1997.
Lorde, Audre. Conversations with Audre Lorde. University Press of Mississippi, 2004.