The Oppressed

The Combahee Collective

Combahee River Collective is an organization of black feminists who are involved with doing political work within their group in order to face racism, sexism, and class oppression. This reading goes on to talk about how, not only do black females have to worry about being females, but they also have to worry about being black and facing racism. Standing for female rights isn’t easy when you are black and female, it isn’t in your favor when it comes to racism and sexism. “We understand that it is and has been traditional that the man is the head of the house. He is the leader of the house/nation because his knowledge of the world is broader, his awareness is greater, his understanding is fuller and his application of this information is wiser… After all, it is only reasonable that the man be the head of the house because he is able to defend and protect the development of his home. Women cannot do the same things as men—they are made by nature to function differently. Equality of men and women is something that cannot happen even in the abstract world. Men are not equal to other men, i.e. ability, experience or even understanding. The value of men and women can be seen as in the value of gold and silver—they are not equal but both have great value. We must realize that men and women are a complement to each other because there is no house/family without a man and his wife. Both are essential to the development of any life.( The Combahee River Collective)” For people to have thought this way back then, there are many people who still think like this today. I feel that because of this thought, people had in the early 1970’s, it’s hard to think differently on something that was mostly everyone’s way of thinking, and they way of thinking is being taught to this day. Times are changing where women are taking on men’s jobs and being the breadwinner in the household, I feel that it has to be understandable that women do not want to be like the thought back in the 1970’s.

Ijeoma Oluo

Her introduction explained what she had to go through being black in society and how she had to put in more work than white Americans. Also, how she would have to pretend like a racist joke didn’t bother her and many other things. But she soon realized she was tired of going through those things and started questioning. I definitely agree with her when, during her introduction she says that people are not comfortable with talking about race and what stuck out to me most is when she said “Now that we are all in the room, how do we start the discussion? This is not just a gap in experience and viewpoint. The Grand Canyon is a gap. This is a chasm you can drop entire solar systems into. (Oluo, 5:14, 2018)” This quote goes to show how uncomfortable it truly is to have to talk about race and how the oppressed and the oppressor’s experiences are very different.

Audre Lorde

I really liked this reading. I feel that she was telling a lot of truth. Audre talks about how people who are oppressed, how it is their responsibility to educate the oppressor on how you’re oppressing them while the oppressor will still oppress and not take accountability for them oppressing the oppressors. “Those who profit from our oppression call upon us to share our knowledge with them, In other words, It is the responsibility of the oppressed to teach the oppressors their mistakes (Lorde pg.114).” I honestly never thought of it in the way she explained it. It is wrong for people who are oppressed to have to feel like they always have to educate the oppressor on how the oppressor is oppressing then, when in reality they already know, they just don’t want to admit it.

Audre Lorde’s Quote

“The threat of difference has been no less blinding to people of Color. Those of us who are Black must see that the reality of our lives and our struggle does not make us immune to the errors of ignoring and misnaming differences.” (Lorde, pg.119)

Ijeoma Oluo’s Quote

“I would try to make my voice quieter in meetings, but I couldn’t. I would try to laugh off the racist jokes, but I couldn’t. I would try to accept my bosses’ reasons for why I could have my promotion but not my raise, and I couldn’t. And I started talking. I started to question, I started to resist, I started to demand.” (Oluo, 5:03)

The Similarities

These two quotes from Audre Lorde and Ijeoma Oluo are similar because Audre in this quote talks about how people of color must face the reality that they live in and not blindside yourself into how people are mistreating you because of your skin color. I feel that Ijeoma was doing that but got tired of the way she knew she was being treated but got tired of it and started speaking out. I think Ijeoma would definitely agree with Audre’s quote.

Tupac “Keep Ya Head Up”

“You know what makes me unhappy. When brothers make babies and leave a young mother to be Ya Papi. (Tupac, 0.51, 2008)” This relates to this quote from the Combahee River Collective organization “We must realize that men and women are a complement to each other because there is no house/family without a man and his wife. Both are essential to the development of any life. (The Combahee River Collective).” These quotes go against what a lot of people think. If you believe that both a husband and wife are “essential to the development of life” and there are lots of single mothers who have to take on both the mother and father role, why should you be sexist against women? Especially women were forced to take on both roles.

My Key Words

• Sexism
• Racism
• oppression

My Questions to You

What are your thoughts on people who are oppressed having the responsibility of explaining to the oppressor how they are oppressing them? Do you feel that the oppressor knows they are oppressing people?