Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference (Lorde)
The writing this week from Lorde is an amazing piece defining the issues that black lesbians go through, both from racism and homophobia, and how these issues interlock to form a unique group of people that don’t have the chance to fit into many groups that claim to be for social justice. She goes into the subject of difference, and how important it is to recognize it, as our differences mean we go through different issues that the people around us should be aware of. She explains this well in her quote, “These accusations, coming from the very women to
whom we look for deep and real understanding, have served to keep many Black lesbians in hiding, caught between the racism of white women and the homophobia of their sisters.” She goes into detail in her piece, explaining that white women do not nearly face the same problems as black women, and often, they turn their backs on women of color to be seen as more agreeable to the patriarchy they want to be liked by. Along with this, being called a lesbian in the Black community is seen as synonymous to being, in her words, “unworthy of the attention or support of the scarce Black male”.
The Combahee River Collective Statement
The Combahee River Collective Statement is a writing that details both that goals and struggles of black feminists. They explain that they realized that white feminist movements sometimes did not apply to them and even, in some cases, were against them. However, they do not believe that they deserve liberation more than any one group; all they ask for in the end is equality. “We reject pedestals, queenhood, and walking ten paces behind. To be recognized as human, levelly human, is enough.” They contend that while difference is important, it does not make one oppressed group more or less in need of help than another. I did find this interesting, because I do tend to find myself thinking like this sometimes. It is a good reminder to readers that no one group deserves help any less than another.
Hair Nah – Game
This is a fun, but also enlightening game. It’s so simple but manages to get its point across fairly effectively. It starts out kind of difficult and only gets harder, the barrage of hands coming toward Aeva getting almost overwhelming. I feel like this is a metaphor for how constant and overwhelming this kind of behavior from other people can be in everyday life. The vocal lines in the background, like “Can I touch it?” and “Is it attached to your head?” also pack a powerful punch, and they’re more than just meaningless dialogue. They illustrate how black women and their hair are seen almost like strange foreign objects to play with and explore rather than just people with their own boundaries.
I feel this game relates to the texts, as it is a good example of something that black women go through that white women will never understand. Their hair has never been seen as strange or bad, it is simply the norm. It is another aspect of black women’s lives that white feminists may be disconnected from.
Keywords: Sexuality/Intersectionality/Difference/Politics/Feminism
Question: Did this week’s texts open your eyes a bit to the experiences black women go through that you didn’t know about? How did it make you feel?
I completely agree with you about the game. I played it and I began to feel so overwhelmed by all the hands that kept popping up as the game continued. I also noticed the comments that were said in the background and I began to think about how this isn’t just a game, it’s something black women have to struggle with today when they shouldn’t.
To answer your question, yes it did open my eyes to things but the one that still is in my head is from the video that we had to watch the first 25 mins of. How she said that black people will talk about race to say what’s harming them and who and someone who’s nonblack will talk about race but to say that they aren’t the one’s doing it and it’s not them that’s causing the harm. With that I wasn’t aware that some people do that to take themselves out of the problem even though they will be because of basically the group their in if that makes sense?
This week’s text made me realize that the feelings that I’ve had about some things were not wrong and that this has gone on longer than I imagined. As a black woman, I was relieved and happy to see this literature.
I loved this week’s texts! I’m glad we are talking about the experiences, racism, oppression, and sexism Black women go through. It needs to be talked about more and more until there’s a change. Society has a long way to go, but conversations like these are a great way to start. Reading everyone’s blog posts made me realize that people are listening and understanding a little more about the lives of Black women. It’s refreshing to see.
This week’s text did open up my eyes to the experiences black women go through. I think it opened my eyes to how many systems, including workplace systems, are made to fit white women. It made me feel bad because I did not realize how colored women are judged as unprofessional for their hair or skin color. This text also made me feel glad that authors are writing these texts to inform society.
I also felt an overwhelming feeling through all the creepy hands! Not to mention it was lagging on my tablet a bit so they were touching her hair quite a few times and it was all red. This week’s texts opened my eyes to the everyday discrimination black women face, just by existing they can be discriminated against for their hair, the way the dress, talk, etc.
I think the texts provided me with more information about their struggles. It did make me feel a little ashamed that I didn’t realize some of this stuff before now, but conversation is the key to advancing as a society and understanding one another.