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Black Feminists: bell hooks and Audre Lorde
The leaders bell hooks and Audre Lorde from the feminist movement have inspired social change. Their work has change the course of my life and the lives of many others. bell hooks September 25, 1952, a woman was born that would change many people’s lives and open many eyes to the oppression surrounding them and within them. She not only illuminates the issues suffocating society, but empowers the oppressed. “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” (hooks 2000, viii). This definition of feminism, created by bell hooks, is profound, insightful, and used universally to teach what it means to be a feminist. That woman was Gloria Jean Watson, better known as bell
She sparked ideas on contemporary black feminist thought and “womanism” which have become universal and central to feminist texts. Lorde was writing as a black, lesbian woman in the 1950’s. She faced discrimination at every level; furthermore, this was at a time when men were just beginning to consider women intellectuals. Since childhood, Lorde began to write poetry to express herself because she found it hard to communicate her thoughts in normal conversation; this childhood struggle eventually turned into a series of feminist masterpieces. Lorde does not write to impress; every word she writes has a purpose and a meaning. Lorde’s work on women’s sexuality, patriarchy, and power are what I find to be the greatest forces of
After reading their work, I felt like I had seen behind the curtain, and my understanding of oppression deepened. From studying these women and their influence, I am encouraged to take more initiative as a woman for other women. Additionally, I am called to act on behalf of all intersecting identities in a logical manner with reformation always in mind. Every day, I am face with a choice: work to improve the lives of others or turn my cheek to reality. Audre Lorde and bell hooks woke up each morning and decided they would not be quiet. Because they were strong, they spoke for the weak, ignorant, and afraid. I am called by their messages to speak up when I see injustice and to take the privileges I have been given and use them for those who are not given a voice to
Women's rights have always been a thing for my generation. I wonder what it was like before that happened. The same goes for racism and slavery. in this essay I will describe two very important people in history. They helped the world come into realization that women and african americans are people and should be treated like one.
In “Feminism: A Movement to End Sexist Oppression”, hooks, through critical analysis, proposes that a definitive and inclusive definition is needed in order for feminism to accomplish that which it wants. She first seeks to identify some of the many ways in
In our class discussions and reading, I learned that women were once in charge of the human race, women were a part of a community, no race was inferior or superior, there was peace and harmony in the world until the patriarchal era came, planning to embed itself in the ground for a long time. Women were raped of their identity, their race and their status in society. Men ruled the biblical stories, leaving Mary out. Hence, the war started between the races, women fought to gain their identity back and to do so, they started with writing. One of those women was Audre Lorde. Audre Lorde was raised in a very sheltered family. She was protected by her mother who believed that white people should not be trusted. Seeing her mother as an idol, she dared not to question her authority and obeyed her as she said. The pivotal point was when Lorde was on her own in college, it is then she fought racism and prejudice with writing and her involvement in the women community.
Audre Lorde (1934 –1992), a feminist writer and critic, wrote about the anger of women. the struggles they have in life " the anger of exclusion, of unquestioned privilege, of racial distortions, of silence, ill-use, stereotyping, defensiveness, misnaming, betrayal, and co-optation" (lorde 124).she believes that women's anger can led to progress and change. She says that "Women responding to racism means women responding to anger" (124). (Print)
The article begins with Davis recognizing a few of the women who were fighting for black rights as well as women’s rights between 1960’s to 1980’s, such as Julia Wilder, Maggie Bozeman. She shares their stories and then concludes with how their sacrifices to the movement were left unnoticed by our predominantly white patriarchal society. Although her delivery was bold, she clarifies her message by stating “I am mentioning these women not for the purpose of criticizing anyone, but in order to point out the big gaps in the information that is available to us and some of the problems that we have to overcome if we are going to be able to establish the most effective women's movement and the most effective approach to women's studies” (Davis 34). With that statement she wanted to explain her intent was not to judge anyone for not knowing who the black feminists were or their contributions,but that she simply just gives an example of the “gaps in the information” that we have given to us. Although this article was written in 1982, the issues Davis presented are still prominent in our nation today. The achievements and struggles of many black feminists are still lost in history and these women have yet to get the recognition they
hooks, bell. "Feminism: A Movement to End Sexist Oppression." Feminist Theory Reader. Ed. Caroline McCann and Seung-Kyung Kim. New York: Routledge. 2003, 50-57.
Feminism is a political movement that seeks equality between the sexes. Motivated by the search for social justice, feminist analysis provides a wide range of perspectives on social, cultural, economic, and political ideologies. Important topics for feminist politics and theory include: the body, class and work, family life, globalization, human rights, popular culture, race and racism, reproduction, sex work, human trafficking, and sexuality. From early beginnings, to its current state, feminism has been a pervasive movement that has incited social, political and economic change and advancements. Generationally speaking, over the decades feminism has taken on many different meanings. Feminism has become a spectrum; each generation, or wave,
Joan of Arc and Martin Luther King Jr. have brought the world inspiration spanning two different times and two different genders. Inspiring others through determination, truth and the difficulty of their times. They both were just one person speaking against a “cause” in their lives. They changed people's lives and perceptions of themselves, through showing others that they could do something even if told no. Their differences were what made them who they were, nearly 500 years apart. One was a 13 year old female leading an army to battle, the other a 39 year old man who changed the belief about an entire race of people.
Hua highlights the importance of Lorde's narrating of erotic, traumatic, and homeland embodied memories. These recollections have formed Lorde's identity and encourage "black women, women of color, and women in general" to speak out against oppression. Voicing these events adds power and authority over the body instead of women, in particular, preserving their silence. This would be deemed valuable for scholars who seek to take a feminist approach to Lorde's work. Hua suggests that Lorde's writing contributes to women literature since she's "rewriting the wounds of oppressive histories" (132). Then again, the focus on the exotic and traumatic separates the audience from the opposite sex to connect with Lorde's work. Since the article is driven towards a female audience a male scholar would probably not benefit from this piece work unless they take a feminist
“Why are you taking a Women’s Studies class? Feminism is stupid…I’m definitely not one of those girls who calls herself a feminist,” I was shocked to hear my freshman year roommate exclaim her distaste towards the feminist identity. Despite the incredible strides that feminism has made and is still making today, there are no shortage of individuals who see feminism as a movement that doesn’t align with their personal beliefs or values. So many different groups and individuals have defined—often times in contention with each other—what it means to be a feminist. To many individuals, the overwhelming and varied definitions of feminism have made the term lose some of its meaning. Additionally, while feminism today appears to be more inclusive
In this paper, I plan to explore and gain some insight on Audre Lorde’s personal background and what motivated her to compose a number of empowering and highly respected literary works such as “Poetry is Not a Luxury”. In “Poetry is Not a Luxury”, Lorde not only gives voice to people especially women who are underrepresented, but also strongly encourages one to step out of their comfort zone and utilize writing or poetry to express and free oneself of repressed emotions. I am greatly interested in broadening my knowledge and understanding of the themes that are most prominent in Lorde’s works such as feminism, sexism and racism. It is my hope that after knowing more about her that I would also be inspired to translate my thoughts and feelings
(1404) This name she chose can help explain the role as a woman poet and writer she felt she had to play and why she wrote the various works that she produced throughout her life. Lorde was brought up in Harlem and probably understood the difficulties people can encounter when race is involved. In the poem the "Power" she is trying to use her poetic gift to stand up for these racial injustices and to try to make a conscience difference. Lorde wants to be heard, instead of just using rhetoric and the art of effective writing, she is searching for the power she has as an African-American woman poet to make people hear and think about racial injustices.
In the book Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center written by bell hooks, an African-American author, social activist and feminist first published in 1984 the author explains what she believes are the core principles of feminism. Throughout the book the author examines the early feminist theory and goes on to criticize it saying that it did not aim for a systematic change also that the movement has the potential to improve the lives of both men and women immensely. In the book the author investigates the performance of African-American women in the movement and what is needed to drive the movement towards ending oppression of all kinds.
The feminist movement was created through other groups like the Abolition of Slavery and the Temperance Movement. Women began to realize that they too needed their rights. Two important and famous suffragists of this time were Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, they worked together on a women’s rights newspaper, called the Revolution. They also created the National Women Suffrage Association in 1869. These two women travele...
The war of gender equality has been in existence throughout history and it is only until recently that it is being taken seriously. It was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that women have pushed to make their rights on the same level as men. Through the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities, Feminism was formed around this time and those involved with it have changed history since they first started. Feminism has been through three waves, each with their own set of goals and ideas they had wished to accomplish throughout those times. In spite of this, there are those who oppose their views and feel as if the feminists have accomplished nothing. Even if discrimination of women still exists, feminists have come close to accomplishing their goal of equal rights between genders through the passing of women’s suffrage, equal education opportunities, and equal pay.