BW WW

Question 1

What did Omolade write in 1969

Answer 1

• She worked in Sarah Lawrence college in their Women’s History Project
• Resigned 6 months later due to racism
• She said racism at Womens Action Alliance was pervasive, subtle, devious permeating policy directions, programme implementation and interpersonal relationships
• for BW work to be effective would be a minor miracle

Question 2

What was the Combahee River Collective?

Answer 2

• organisation in Boston that developed out of the National Black Feminist Organisation (NBFO) in 1974
• They believe in identity politics - only those that experience oppression can talk and understand it fully

Question 3

What did Combahee’s Black Feminist Statement say?

Answer 3

• 1977
• argued race, sex and class had to be considered together in lives of BW and that noone would fight for BW but themselves
• Agrees all women are oppressed but some are more so

Question 4

How do BM link to BWs anger at WW

Answer 4

• BM were downgrading BW saying they were being to dominant on BM
• Yet lots of BM dated WW
• Radical BW were outraged of BM BP bravado then go home to WW
• Abbey Lincoln said BM wanted BW to know when they were with WW
• BW saw WW as rejects and social misfits who were not as good as BW and that BW were made to feel like poor imitations of WW

Question 5

Why were BW socialist angry with WW?

Answer 5

• for their apparent ignorance about the significance of class and race in BW lives

Question 6

What does Robin Kelley say about the Combahee Statement?

Answer 6

• remains the most important documents of black radical movement
• identified BW as a separate grouo with its own issues that could not be subsumed under black community or within white feminism
• argued capitalism oppressed people
• Defined AAW as damaged by the system but fighting for freedom