Black Feminist Epistemology

In the article The Politics of Black Women’s Studies by Akasha Hull and Barbara Smith, Hull and Smith studiously literate the politics and controversy around the fundamentals of black women’s studies in the past and modern day. Furthermore, the ideology of the article falls under the premise that racism and prejudice are still current and prominent factors that affect the development of black women’s studies in the way it is taught in universities, and the role it takes upon the lives of black women.

“Battle Cries” is a term usually to determine the soldier's fight with their enemies. The author, Hillary Potter, used the term “Battle Cries” to describe that when Black women are facing the intimate partner abuse just like the soldiers against the hostile forces. In addition, “Battle Cries” is also a symbolic attitude that represents the African American Women are living in a helpless society and have limited resources to survive.

There is no explanation written in the article because the author is he is simply observing the culture without embracing the history of the people.There is a large difference when you are observing the history of your culture but to observe the roots of another group may be very challenging. Therefore, the writer is presents facts and left out opinions; the article lacked substance. Boyd has very valuable information, but it did not have any points beyond his thesis and the one opening point stating the black women were motivated to be

Aaron Douglas- graphic artist and painter of the Harlem Renaissance. He illustrated for many of the leading Harlem Renaissance magazines. His style was distinct and was a mix of modernism and African art. He created images of American struggles and were very powerful.

As black women always conform under patriarchal principles, women are generally silenced and deprived of rights because men are entitled to control everything. Women are silenced in a way that they lose their confidence and hesitate to speak up due to the norms present in the society they live in. Hence, even if women have the confidence to try to speak, men wouldn’t bother to listen since men ought to believe that they are superior to women. In addition to that, women often live in a life cycle of repetitions due to patriarchal principles since women are established to fulfill the roles the society had given them. It is evidenced by Celie as she struggles to survive and to define oneself apart from the controlling, manipulative, and abusive men in her life.

Butler, Cheryl Nelson. "The Racial Roots Of Human Trafficking." UCLA Law Review 62.6 (2015): 1464-1514. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

Chisholm describes the black women's role in American society as displaced and misunderstood. Chisholm utilizes cause and effect to describe the unfair perspectives others have on African American women in society. When Chisholm states “ Since time immemorial the black man’s emasculation resulted in the need of the black woman to assert herself in order to maintain some semblance of a family unit.” As a result of this historical circumstance, the “black woman has developed perseverance.” Chisholm creates the generalization that black women are known for taking care of their families, while the men fight the political and

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

One of the most outstanding figures of the Black Feminism, Anna Julia Cooper, fought irresistibly for the black women`s rights. Because of her stance, she was often called “the voice of the South” (Rosser-Mims, 2010). She argued that a black woman “is confronted by both a woman question and a race problem, and is as yet an unknown or an unacknowledged factor in both” (Cooper, 1969). African American women have to struggle with discrimination against their race and, at the same time, they have to fight for recognition in their workplaces where leadership positions are usually occupied by men. Cooper wanted to prove that women can succeed in every spheres of life and should be treated equally with men. During one of her speeches, she stated that

The National Council of Negro Women is a non- profit organization with the mission to advance opportunities and the quality of life for African- Americans women, their families and communities. Also the NCNW was the first black organization of organizations. Founded in 1935 by Mary McLeod Bethune, the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) was the first national coalition of African American women’s organizations. The most influential national women’s organization during the civil rights movement at the time, the NCNW represented 850,000 members, including Martin Luther King’s wife, Coretta Scott King. In 1957 King addressed the NCNW at their annual convention, telling the women, ‘‘I have long admired this organization, its great work, and

Nathan Huggins describes the changes over several decades for the historical development of Black Studies. During these eras, there were three major objectives for Black Studies from scholars, administrators, and students alike, felt the need to address “the political need for turf and place, the psychological need for identity, and the academic need for recognition”.

In the white man’s world, the strongest antagonist is an educated black woman, conscious of her value and power in society. Angela Davis is one of these black women. She was educated not only formally through schooling, but through experiences as an oppressed member of society. Davis illustrates how necessary knowledge of self, a sense of community, drive, and organizing are in the Freedom Liberation Movement. Angela Davis’s purpose for writing her autobiography was to preserve and validate the struggles, efforts, and intentions of the many men and women, including herself, educating future generations on the past, in hopes that they will continue the fight towards freedom that is not yet won. In her political autobiography, Angela Davis constantly models and reveals the ideologies supporting important models of resistance, crucial to making important political change. This empowers the oppressed youth of today, especially Black youth, to create a community, based on the commonality of their burning passions for equality and freedom. Davis

Traditionally, women have been made to endure many problems and barriers that hinder their success. Women did not enjoy any rights in traditional society. A woman was neglected, isolated, and abused. Gender discrimination was common and women had their roles significantly reduced. Feminism has resulted in many changes in the society. Women can enjoy greater freedoms and greater rights compared to the traditional society that was characterized by discrimination and abuse. Feminism represents women fighting oppression and effecting various changes on their lives. Through feminism the social status of women has improved. When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost is a book written by Joan Morgan. In the book, she explores various issues facing African-American women in the society. A deeper analysis of the book reveals the important role played by feminism. Morgan uses her life experiences to explore the problems that face women. The paper analyzes the effects of feminism based on Joan Morgan’s When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost.

In the sixth chapter of his book, Delores Williams talks about the three areas in which womanist theology can dialogue with black liberation theology, namely theological method, certain areas of Christian doctrine, and ethics. What Williams really does throughout the chapter is that she first explains the point of view of some black liberation theologians, such as James Cone, James Deotis Roberts and Cecil Cone, regarding certain subjects; then she uses a womanist approach to contrast such views. Williams starts off by describing how in the story of the Exodus, there is no indication that God is against non-Jewish slavery. She therefore challenges James Cone’s use of the Exodus as a liberating text that can be used by African-Americans

To be specific, she situates the imminent feminist struggle by highlighting the legacy of slavery among black people, and black women in particular. “Black women bore the terrible burden of equality in oppression” (Davis). Due to her race, her writing focuses on what she understood and ideas that are relevant to black females. Conversely, since white men used black women in domestic labor and forcefully rape these individuals. These men used this powerful weapon to remind black women of their female and vulnerability. Black feminism issued as a theoretical and practical effort demonstrating that race, gender, and class are inseparable in the social worlds we inhabit. We need to understand the interconnections between the black and women’s