Introduction Contextual Analysis A quote by Darlene Hine, an African American historian that has studied violence, particularly intra-group violence against Black women, sums up the experience of Black women provides some insight as to why it has been and still continues to be difficult for Black women to protect their bodily rights and seek the justice deserved: I suggest that rape and the threat of rape influenced the development of a culture of dissemblance among Black women. By dissemblance I mean the behavior and attitudes of Black women that created the appearance of openness and disclosure but actually shielded the truth of their inner lives and selves from their oppressors (1989). Dissemblance is a concept that has been frequently mentioned by Black, feminist scholars when Describing the context of violence against Black women especially when it comes from Black men. It refers to the culture of secrecy that has been maintained in order to protect the front of Black solidarity. Therefore, in some instances intra-race violence has been deemed justifiable in the name of Black liberation. However, this has only lead to Blacks believing that this violence is not an actual problem and thus, ignoring it. (Crenshaw 1991). Although Black women may talk about it amongst themselves, it is not something that is disclosed publicly for reasons that are related to intersectionality. In order to contextualize the issue of intra-group violence against Black women, it is important to understand the role that intersectionality plays on these women. There are many factors that can make a person who they are. These factors can include race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, etc. Nevertheless, a person cannot di... ... middle of paper ... ...cott, J. C. (1998). Seeing like a state: how certain schemes to improve the human condition have failed. New Haven: Yale University Press. Schwalbe, M. The Costs of American Privilege. (n.d.). » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names. Retrieved May 7, 2014, from http://www.counterpunch.org/2002/10/04/the-costs-of-american-privilege/ Smith, L. T. (1999). Decolonizing methodologies: research and indigenous peoples. London: Zed Books ;. West, C. (2004). Black women and intimate partner violence: new directions for research. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19(12), 1487-1493. West, C. (2002). Violence in the Lives of Black Women. West, T. (1999). Wounds of the Spirit: black women, violence, and resistance ethics. Zone of Proximal Development. (n.d.). - Scaffolding. Retrieved May 7, 2014, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html
Malcolm X stated that the most disrespected, unprotected and neglected person in America is the black woman. Black women have long suffered from racism in American history and also from sexism in the broader aspect of American society and even within the black community; black women are victims of intersection between anti-blackness and misogyny sometimes denoted to as "misogynoir". Often when the civil rights movement is being retold, the black woman is forgotten or reduced to a lesser role within the movement and represented as absent in the struggle, McGuire 's At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance--A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power does not make this same mistake.
The article “Interracial Rape Cases in North Carolina” reminds me one of Harper Lee’s famous novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” as Tom Robinson was accused from raping Mayella. The entire trial, to the guilty verdict, were all racially biased. Yet, there is a long way to go for the world to get rids of its injustices, and injustices will comply with the society for many years to come. Race and inequality are often related together because of the racial segregation in the 1800s. During that time, racial inequalities had increased dramatically. To study this scenario, the article “Interracial Rape Cases in North Carolina” portrayed several evidences of how blacks slaves were falsely accused rape; they seem hopeless and eventually sentenced to death. Yet they did have evidences to prove them innocent, however, everything does not go as was hoped. What it was like
The topic of the book is how black America is on the wrong path and how it needs to be fixed. One of the problems that are stated in the book is the cultural of blackness treats victimhood not as a problem to be solved but an identity to be nurtured. Separatism is also a problem that encourages black Americans to see black people as superior, which the rules other Americans are expected to follow are suspended out of a belief that victimhood lets them be exempt from them. The author sought to accomplish getting black America back on track. He suggests that it will require some profound adjustments in black identity.
Parker and M. Kristen Hefner write about how the intersectionality of class, race and gender affect homicide rates at a macro level of White and African American females between the years of 1990-2000. As well as using an intersectional framework, Parker and Hefner explore how the contemporary economic, social and policy changes can differently affect black and white female homicide rates. The study reveals many interesting facts and shows how intersectionality can change how we understand crime today. Firstly, it is found that an increase in resource deprivation saw a 27% increase in white female offending and a 39% increase in black female offending. Resource deprivation includes the declining number of domestic violence shelters available to women. Some feminist scholars have criticised these domestic violence services as being “based on white, middle-class, female standards” (Parker & Hefner, 2013, p. 247) as they do not take into account the structural difficulties that only minority women face. The fact that these services do not take into account the culturally specific difficulties that minority women face, some women may feel that their only option is to turn to crime. This can explain why the rate of black female offending is much higher than that of white female offending when they are deprived of
Clenora Hudson-Weems, founder of Africana womanist theory, defines Africana womanism as “an ideology created and designed for all women of African descent. It is grounded in African culture, and therefore, it necessarily focuses on the unique experiences, struggles, needs and desires of Africana women” (Hudson-Weems, 2007). Finding the existing philosophies dealing with women’s issues lacking, Hudson-Weems sought out a new perspective that would reflect the unique experience of Africana women. This paper explores the formation of Africana womanism and how it departs from traditional feminist theory. While Africana womanism claims to better meet the needs of Africana women than traditional feminism, there are a number of fundamental deficiencies in that theory as well. This paper will focus specifically on Black feminism in examining this failings.
But this is a battle that black women cannot fight alone. We did not create the problem and so we need those in positions of power to do their part to eradicate systemic misogynoir, and to step back so others can step up. We need white people to listen, learn, create and enact action plans to smash systemic misogynoir. Black women have done their part by stubbornly, bravely sharing their stories. It’s time for everyone else to step up.
In Kimberle Crenshaw's definition of intersectionality there are three different aspects that make up the term, separated as followed: Structural, Political, and Representational. In this essay, I will first explain Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality. I will then explain how intersectionality contributes to Critical Race Theory in furthering the critical understanding of law, mainly by using her examples of violence against women of color. I will also provide my own examples of intersectionality, which is the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster as it supports Crenshaw's understanding and the notion of identity politics she addressed.
The black woman in the U.S. holds a precarious role: she is a woman, she is black and she is quickly becoming the dominant force of her people. The black woman is increasingly the sole bread winner in her household because she is forced into that position because of the...
Wyatt, Gail . "Sociocultural Context of African American and White American Women's Rape." Welcome to the Medical University of South Carolina. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. .
In the article, Rape, Racism, and the Myth of the Black Rapist, the author, Angela Davis, discusses on the creation of the myth of the black rapist. This article brings two main ideas together to in order to make a valid argument to why both claims are false and hold no legitimacy. Davis argues that one was created in order to cover up for the other I order to veil the true offenders of sexual abuse. Davis also elaborates on the issue by adding to the argument and stating that white women are also being affected by these myths in a negative way because of the women’s bodies are being perceived as a right.
Chapter four discusses domestic violence among the African American community. In how domestic violence has been a huge issue in our society, not only does it affect the African America community but other races. By reading this chapter it defines the behaviors of domestic violence not just limited to physical abuse. Domestic violence can be emotional, social, sexual or even psychological. Most African American women are found as victim as domestic violence. Most have experienced rape and physical abuse by male dominant perpetrators. The rate of domestic violence is much higher in the African American community than other races. Domestic violence does impacts all communities, regardless of race, class, religion, or sexual orientation.
I agree with the claim on page 411 that says “the existence of Black feminist thought suggests another alternative to the ostensibly objective norm of science and to relativism’s claims that groups with competing knowledge claims are equal... This approach to Afrocentric feminist thought allows African American women to bring a black women’s standpoint to larger epistemological dialogues concerning the nature of the matrix of domination”. Black women oppression is different than those of other groups being compared to facing the same oppressions. So when the black feminist standpoint is given the norms in society are shaken and may be hard for some people to receive their experiences given as a result. This can relate to my experiences in the real world, my oppression as a young African American women is different than that of a young Caucasian women when shopping at expensive stores or fighting for job promotion. When shopping at stores that have high end products I’m likely to allows get followed by the staff or security, the strange looks as I walk in, rude comments by the employees on the floor, criticized by how I look etc. Every women has their own individual experiences of oppression so every shouldn’t all be group in type of feminist theory or
Thesis: In my paper, I will be examining the different types, possible causes, and effects of Intimate Partner Violence, and what treatments or programs are available to combat this growing problem in America. Regardless of differing approaches to fight it, statistics show that women all across the world suffer from the effects of domestic violence at a similar rate independent of class, race, or religion.
Women face myriad forms of violence today and throughout history. Both Anita Hill and Nafissa Diallo were forced to experience this violence in the form of sexual harassment and rape. Their cases did not follow the same pattern any other criminal case would, it turned into a circus of “he said, she said” for both women. Because of their intersectional identities as women of color etc., their evidence did not hold up against the evidence of the powerful men who wronged them. Sexual violence against women has long been an issue dominated by male opinions and decisions, and these examples only prove how ideologies surrounding sexual violence from far in the past are still in place today, disempowering women.
The aspect of intersection in black feminist tradition critiques of patriarchy and enhances social and political aspects in numerous ways besides contributing to the struggle for justice. Intersection refers to how oppressive systems are interconnected and cannot be handled separately. One cannot study the oppression of black women on the basis of their gender and race alone but is compelled to study other contributing factors. It is almost impossible to tackle the issue of sexism without mentioning racism because these two are intertwined.