Beauty Shop Politics Summary

At times the assertions in Jennifer L. Morgan’s Laboring Women: Reproduction and Gender in New World Slavery can seem unexpectedly straightforward, for example when she merely states that, “African women were there” (197). At other points, the connections she proposes between race, gender, the body, colonialism, and ideology are almost overwhelmingly entangled and complex. But it is perhaps this mix of the explicit and the theoretical that make the book such an insightful and transformative work in the field of early Atlantic history. For while her topic is focused, the depth of her questioning, the scope of her research, and the attention she pays to the theoretical framework within that topic are profound.

To begin, it is evident that the premise of the article is solely based on the pros and cons that derive from black women attempting to exist in a white man’s world by making a name for themselves in society. Hull and Smith state that “the necessity

“In 1908, Mary co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses with Adah B. Thomas. This organization attempted to uplift the standards and everyday lives of African-American registered nurses. The NACGN had a significant influence on eliminating racial discrimination in the registered

In O’Grady’s essay Olympia’s Maid: Reclaiming Black Female, O’Grady criticizes the subordination of black female subjects in art. Culturally, art has constructed the identity of black females to be inferior compared to their white counterparts. As a consequence, viewers objectify black female bodies and tend to ignore the subject all together. “Olympia’s maid. Like all other ‘peripheral Negroes,’ is a robot conveniently made to disappear into the background drapery.” Rather than been seen a person in the drawing, she becomes an object viewers glance over. She is no more significant than the background. In fact, her inferiority is what highlights the nude body of her white female counterpart.

In the 19th century, the journey to unity, freedom, and equality for African Americans began with the creation of the black press. Its contribution to the overall advancement of people of color was one of the greatest of all time. Though it possessed a strong impact on the lives of African Americans, the demand for a black press eventually faded, specifically during the pre-civil rights era. The decline in the prevalence of minority based newspapers was the result of various changes in lifestyle; changes that would affect black and white America.

Ever wondered why a lot of food commercials and cleaning products have black woman as the face of them? It isn’t merely because these women just got lucky and landed a mainstream commercial, they were chosen for a particular reason. It’s the fact that their black and they give off the perfect Mammy persona.Mammy is a term that originated in the post slavery era. It was used in relation to the house slave that tended to the master, his children, and his wife. The name expanded and became a postmark label for black women that took care of everyone. Some have argued and said that it is almost impossible to create any type advertisement in the country without someone taking it into offence.One would think that considering the fact that those incidents

The excerpt I chose to reflect on is called “An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman!” by Claudia Jones (1949). Jones express the concerns that women of color in her time suffer from the neglect and degradation they receive throughout their lives. During this time, the reason many African American women go through the struggles in their community originated from the notion that the “bourgeoisie is fearful of the militancy of the Negro woman” (108). In my opinion, they have every right to be afraid of African American women. As Jones stated nicely "once Negro women undertake action, the militancy of the whole Negro people, and thus of the anti-imperialist coalition, is greatly enhanced" (108). All Jones was trying to say is that if women were given the opportunity take action to change their current situation there will be no stopping them from

Joyner went on to open her own beauty salon, and later became friends with Madame C.J. Walker, a well-known Black businesswoman, specializing in black hair services and products. Walker during this time was working with prominent figures by supplying them with hair care and products. After Madame C.J. Walker’s death, Joyner

Walker’s essay shows the dehumanization and abuse that black women have endured for years. She talks about how their creativity was stifled due to slavery. She also tells how black women were treated more like objects than human beings. They entered loveless marriages and became prostitutes because of the injustice upon them. Walker uses her mother’s garden to express freedom, not only for her but for all the black women who had been wronged. Walker described her mother as radiant when she was planting, her work outshining the wrongdoings done to her and the people before her. The garden was where her mother could make truly make “art.” The garden was also a representation of the creativity of the women who hold a talent close to their heart

It is often said that a new definition of a woman arose in the 1920s. But is that true? While most women experienced many newfound freedoms in the 1920s, black women could not explore these freedoms as easily as white women. In the novel Passing by Nella Larsen, Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry grew up in Chicago together and are now both two wives and mothers in New York City during the 1920s, but there is a big difference between them. The novel’s title refers to light-skinned black women masquerading as white women for social benefits. Irene and Clare are both light enough to “pass”, but only Clare chooses to pass everyday. Irene passes in trivial situations like getting a cab, buying movie tickets, or getting a table at a restaurant, but

Despite oppression women have always resisted. Women have resisted oppression in many ways. Women have responded to their multiple sources of oppression of sexism, racism, heterosexism and colonialism. Women resisted oppression by standing up for their rights. Women have been left out of the discussion of oppression for centuries. In a patriarchy society where males are the narrators and voices being heard, one is rarely educated on women struggles. In the Western world gender is a construct made to keep one group superior and the other inferior. Gender concerns what it means to be women or men in society. The traditional notion of gender is acknowledged to not be defined the same all over the world. The general concept of gender is challenged

In 1971, Alvin Ailey choreographed Cry, a three part work solo dance set to gospel music that describes an emotional journey filled with struggle, hardships, defeat, survival and joy. It was intended as a birthday present to Alvin’s mother and a dedication to all black women everywhere. The first part of the dance is the struggle of trying to maintain pride irrespective of the opposition faced from outside. The second part reveals the sorrow within after the woman’s pride has been shattered into pieces and finally the third part is a spirited celebration of finding strength and joy in God. Even though cry was dedicated to only black women, i argue the notion that all women both black and white of the nineteenth century could relate

Throughout the Autobiography of Malcolm X there are several key events the bring out the central ideas of the text. Some examples of the key events was when Mr. Ostrowski lectured Malcolm, when Malcolm was in jail and he learned the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, and when Malcolm made his pilgrimage to Mecca. A closer look at the central ideas would show that they build on one another.

On the other side, Elsa Barkley Brown presents the story and development of African American women’s political involvement in a more specific sphere, focusing on their participation inside the churches in Richmond, Virginia.

Black migrants were not only participants in civil right protests, integrationist activities, and abolitionist activism they were in many cases its leaders. Abolitionist activism took on a personal meaning due to the fact that many southern migrants living in Boston had been slave themselves. The tradition of leadership in organizations and protest in Boston’s black society can best be explained by examining the activism of a number of important black families. Prince Hall founded the Negro Masonic Order a fraternal organization in 1784. As a result of this, his son, Primus Hall was also actively involved in black community affairs. Primus Hall was one of the founders of the first black church in Boston, the African Baptist Church. Hall was an essential member of this group, however he was not the leader.