Black Panther Women's Roles

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

Women became more bold and unreserved and spoke out loud for the rights they believed they deserved, while Blacks created a whole new bounty of African American literature, art, and music. In the 1920s, women got to leave the house more often, and it was looked at as normal to not be a house mother all the time. Women realized that there was more out there for them, and that they should be treated like men. The first right they desired was the one to vote. The fight for women’s suffrage officially began at the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention in 1848, and continued for over seventy-two years before it was achieved.

Newton and Bobby Seale, the BPP sought to protect and empower the Black community As a result, it became the birth child of “Black Power”. “Blacks not only voiced more militant demands but became critical of Black subjectivity implicit in civil rights ideology” (Pulido pg 90). BPP’s culture recognized Black women as equals. “…the party offered tremendous opportunities for female empowerment, and women’s participation was not only vital but recognized as such.” (Pulido pg 186). The white feminist movement appeal was limited.

She believes that being granted the blue eyes that she wishes for would change both how others see her and what she is forced to see. The reasoning behind this approach lies beyond the 20th century, in the 19th century in fact, when slavery peeked and the African-American women were forced to be beautiful in order to gain what seemed like their freedom. Victoria Chihos demonstrates this concept in her article, The Role of Woman in Slave Communities, by writing: “Many viewed black female’s lack of modesty as a sign of their impaired moral nature and increased sex drive. The view of the African female as a manipulating temptress thus emerged and it was believed that she used it to her advantage to achieve favours and obtain prestige” (Chihos, “The Role of Women in Slave Communities”). In this excerpt, the sexuality of women is described to be advantageous in many instances.

The Harlem Renaissance was a time period where women flourished, and got a chance to be noticed. The Harlem Renaissance impacted women’s rights in the 1920’s by allowing women to take a stand by allowing women to be able to vote, and live the lifestyle they dreamed of. In the 1920’s, women gained the right to vote, women no longer faced domesticity, political issues, social issues, or lacked control over their lives. Women became the faces of magazines, the voices on radios, embracing new fashion, freedom, and ideas. Women showcased their talents.

Black women have been apart of social movements for over a hundred years. Black feminist have made efforts to work with organizations as well as create organizations to improve the life and liberty, and pursuit of happiness for African American women in America. Black feminist participated in these movements in hopes of helping with nationalism, racial and ethnic struggles, also to broaden humanistic and nurturing problems, finally to protect women’s rights and sexuality. One of the most influential black feminist women’s movements was The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) is an American organization that was created in 1890 by the merge of two rival women’s rights

The setbacks began during the American Civil War. The movement had lost momentum due to women turning their attention to help in any way they could with conflicts between the states due to the war. After the war was over there was yet another setback for women. At this time the issue of voting rights for black men was arising and became the focus of the society. This came in between the women’s rights movement.

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.

“We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society” (“Famous Angela Davis quotes - We have to talk about ….). Angela Davis no longer accepted the philosophies or ideas she could not modify within others, but worked to change the beliefs she could no longer accept. Davis aimed for her voice to be heard, so that her perspectives would perceive and taken into account by society. Davis is best known as a profound African-American educator, extremist for civil rights, and other advocate of other social issues. She realized about racial prejudice from her experiences with discrimination growing up in Birmingham, Alabama.

On the contrary, women during that time had little freedom over all aspects of life. Ranging from employment to formal education, women often faced disadvantages due to the inferiority that men placed on them. However, as time went on, women became aware of the mistreatment from their male counterpart and began questioning the subservient role that they were accustomed to, leading to women 's fight for equality. In these two essays, we will examine the different theories around Liberal and Marxist feminism. I will draw from Elizabeth Stanton 's essay "The Declaration of Sentiments", that the Liberal theory included in her writing demonstrates an accurate