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2: Black Feminist Studies

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  • Page ID
    181537

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    Learning Objectives
    • Students will identify and summarize the historical context of Black Feminism/Womanism in the United States.
      • Students will compare and contrast the historical, social, and cultural roles gender, race, sex, and class play in dominant culture systems and institutions.
    • Students will analyze and differentiate the differing intersections between Black Feminist/Womanist Thought and Feminist theory within historically dominant cultures, and radical Black Thought.
    • Students will identify, interpret, and explain Black Feminist civil and social engagement within social, cultural, and political institutions and understand how Black Feminist/Womanist navigate and transform historical oppressive roles and systems.
    • Students will identify critical intersectional consciousness and analyze the impact of gender, race, sexuality, and class on individuals and institutional systems, while cognitively deconstructing one's social position and ways to transform, utilize, and empower oneself across intersections.

    “Developing Black feminist thought as critical social theory involves including the ideas of Black women not previously considered intellectuals--many of who may be working-class women with jobs outside academia--as well as those ideas emanating from more formal, legitimated scholarship. The ideas we share with one another as mothers in extended families, as othermothers in Black communities, as members of Black churches, and as teachers to the Black communitie's children have formed one pivotal area where African-American women have hammered out a multifaceted Black woman's standpoint.” -Patricia Hill Collins, from Black Feminist Thought.

    Introduction Edit section

    “Black Feminist Studies” offers a concise, yet thorough exploration of Black feminist/womanist thought within the United States. It arrives at its supposition through keen attention and synthesis of the intersectional reality and impact of historical, social, and cultural norms that have positioned gender, race, sex, and class as oppressive systems and institutions within the Western modern world. This chapter positions Black feminism and womanism as powerful theoretical frameworks that challenge dominant, binary narratives that fail to acknowledge the multiple consciousness Black women occupy through the intersections of race, gender, class, and other identities such as sexuality and ability. While it develops and traces the intellectual traditions of Black feminism and womanism, this chapter is careful not to pit the two theories against each other, and instead offers the contours of the theories with the goal of tracing how each expands to reflect the differing approaches to activism, intellectual thought, artistic speech/expression, and the quotidian living of Black women. In fact, a key position this chapter highlights is reflected in the above quote, noting that Black feminist/womanist thought arises within a community of women who form a “multifaceted” standpoint that does not solely privilege the labor and ideas of traditional academic scholarship, but elevates and revers the labor of working-class women doing quotidian work as well as academic and artistic women engaging in quotidian work and labor. Black feminism/womanism provides Black women with the academic and quotidian theoretical frameworks to navigate, transform, disrupt, and replace systems of oppression and injustice.

    • 2.1: Context and Foundation
      This page examines Black Feminist and Womanist studies, addressing the intersections of race, gender, class, and sexuality in relation to Black women's liberation. It emphasizes that such liberation is a fundamental human right and raises important questions about identity and oppression.
    • 2.2: Key Theorists, Movements, and Principles
      This page examines the evolution of Black Studies and Feminism, particularly through Black Feminism and Womanism, highlighting the complexities of Black identity shaped by race, gender, and class. It critiques traditional feminist frameworks that often marginalize Black women's experiences, emphasizing the need for intersectionality as advocated by scholars like Kimberlé Crenshaw and Hortense Spillers.
    • 2.3: Positions in the Field
      This page examines Black Feminist Thought and Africana Womanism, highlighting the unique challenges Black women face due to intersecting oppressions of race, gender, and class. It emphasizes empowerment, social justice, and the importance of community. Womanism, evolving from Black Feminist Thought, prioritizes humanism and collective liberation, focusing on the holistic experiences of Black women.
    • 2.4: Opportunities and Possibilities
      This page explores the evolution of Black feminist and womanist movements in America, originating from abolition and suffrage activism. Excluded from both white women's and Black men's movements, Black women founded organizations like the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs. Key figures like Sojourner Truth and Fannie Lou Hamer championed racial and gender equality.
    • 2.5: Futurity
      This page discusses the impact of Black Feminism and Womanism on Black Studies and mainstream Feminism, emphasizing intersectionality and the unique identities of Black women. It challenges patriarchal norms, promotes activism, and links to historical and contemporary political movements like the Civil Rights Movement and Black Lives Matter. The liberation of Black women is presented as crucial for broader human freedom, highlighting their struggles as essential for all marginalized communities.
    • 2.6: Glossary
      This page explores gender identity, power dynamics, and social justice, defining key terms like cisgendered and transgendered. It examines societal constructs such as heteronormativity and misogynoir, particularly concerning Black women. The text delves into imperialism, intersectional consciousness, and womanism, emphasizing the complexities of oppression and the value of diverse experiences. It highlights the role of language and praxis in influencing social relations and driving change.
    • 2.7: Instructor Resources
      This page provides adaptable teaching resources for an unspecified chapter, encouraging instructors to utilize and modify them for their courses.

    Thumbnail: Black feminist, activist, and writer Angela Davis. (CC-BY-SA; Oregon State University via Flickr)

    This page titled 2: Black Feminist Studies is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Kiandra Jiminez (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI)) .