The Combahee River Collective Statement
Key Words ” Statement, Redefining, Black Feminist”
The Combahee River Collective is a black feminist and lesbian organization that came together to address the inequality of black women and lesbian compared to white women during the feminist movement and the civil rights movement back in 1974 to 1980. They both came together to create a statement called the “The Combahee River Collective Statement”. This statement was developed to argue that these movements didn’t meet the needs of black women and lesbian women. In the text they hit on four major topics: (1) the genesis of contemporary Black feminism; (2) what we believe, i.e., the specific province of our politics; (3) the problems in organizing Black feminists, including a brief history of our collective; and (4) Black feminist issues and practice. The genesis of contemporary Black feminism, points out in “Reflections on the Black Woman’s Role in the Community of Slaves,” Black women have always embodied, if only in their physical manifestation, an adversary stance to white male rule and have actively resisted its inroads upon them and their communities in both dramatic and subtle ways” (pg.1) Next what they believed. In their statement they wanted to argue that black women and lesbians are indeed valuable. They believed in “collective process and a non-hierarchical distribution of power within our own group and in our vision of a revolutionary society.” (pg.1) Then they went on and discussed the problems in organizing black feminist. The major issues that they faced was not having the privilege to rely on when it comes to racial, sexual, heterosexual, or class. They also talked about not having the same resources or power. Lastly, black feminist issues and projects. They argued about the rights and more issues that black feminist women suffer. For example: abortion rights, rape, health and so much more.
I really enjoyed reading this text, it really made me think about all of the things that black and lesbian women had to face back then. They truly paved the way for all women to have the same rights. I think the purpose of this text is to first bring awareness to what and who The Combahee River Collective is, and speak on the issues they faced and try to get on command grounds so they may be able to have the same rights as all the other women.
Age, Race, Class and sex: Women Redefining difference by Audre Lorde
In this text Loudes speaks on age, race, and sex in black women & lesbian and white women. Loudes is a black lesbian woman who wanted to give her perspective from her own personal experience. She points out the many flaws of the system. “We have all been programmed to respond to the human differences between us with fear and loathing and to handle that difference in one of three ways: ignore it, and if that is not possible, copy it if we think it is dominant, or destroy it if we think it is subordinate” (Lorde Pg. 115) I can agree with this from my own personal experiences. When I was younger, I felt like some kids are programed into thinking one way. I feel that was the main cause of a lot of bullying. If a person sees something that doesn’t makes sense to them then they do question it or think it’s weird or out of the ordinary. I believe the purpose of her text is to get people to not only address and recognize that oppression comes in all forms such as racism, ageism, and heterosexism.
Connection
I think the best song to connect to this text for this week is the Nina Simone song – Four women. Her song is very beautiful, she talks about four different women, who features, and life was different. They each lived a different life and they all identify in different ways. I feel that this songs connects with each text, because I feel that each text for this week focused on inequality that black women and lesbian women faced. They both hit on points that all women should be treated the same no matter their Age, Race, Class and sex.
Questions:
What does Women Redefining mean to you?
Which text was your favorite to read this week and why?
Women redefining for me would be all women getting equality. Every woman getting accepted however they are. My favorite text this week was “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo because it opened my eyes a lot. From learning why some people feel weird talking about race when they are white to systems being made for white women.
My favorite text this week was actually the video by Oleo. Her voice and narrative was very captivating. In particular, when she talked about how she would talk a certain way, act, and overall just not be her true self, it was kind of sad. She had to tip toe around her close friends just not to be percieved negatively. It really shows the lengths black women will go just to not be discriminated against in our society