- Keywords: oppression, women, race
The Combahee River Collective Statement
Keywords: sex, oppression, sexuality
In this week’s text for the Combahee River Collective Statement, something that was mentioned that stood out to me; “we are actively committed to struggling against racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppressions and see as our particular task the development of integrated practice.” I believe this was the most highlighted piece of text throughout this article because it shows that so many groups in today’s society is still oppressed no matter the race, religion, sex, sexuality, etc.
Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference
In Age, Race, Class and Sex: Women Redefining Difference says, “For us, increasingly violence weaves through the daily tissues of our living, – in the supermarket, in the classroom, in the elevator, in the clinic and the schoolyard…” The text explains how black women and men are oppressed. The questions, the odd looks, the deadly traffic stops. We as black women have to go through so much in this society because of racism and sexism.
Connection
For my connection, I used Tupac’s Keep Ya Head Up. In this song, he stated “and if we don’t, we’ll have a race of babies that will hate the babies. And since a man can’t make one, he has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one.” I love this quote because it speaks volumes to society about how black women should stay positive throughout the things life throws at us. Never allow the world to change or alter us just because we are oppressed.
Question:
How do you go about your everyday life dealing with oppression?
This is a great question! I think it starts with understanding that you are being oppressed and how. I am a black woman. I have experienced people attempting to treat me as a servant, and I have experienced a company pause a high scholarship because another black person and I were the only people who qualified for it. I know my value. I am a kind and relaxed person, but I do not hesitate to speak up in situations that are unfair to me or the people around me. I am strict with myself because I know I have to work 10 to 100 times harder to reach my goals, but I am also finding my balance.