Black feminist and identity politics.
As a background note, one of the black feminist writers, Patricia Hill Collins believes that this
'outsider within' solitude suffered by black women was created through the domestic sphere, where black women were considered separate from the perceived the white elite who claimed their dominance over them. Besides coloured women, they
also felt a disconnection between the black men's suffering and oppression. She further
adds that, due to white feminists excluding black women from their discourse,
black feminists expressed their own experiences of marginalization and empower
black consciousness in the society. Due to the diverse experiences of black women
in the arena of gender inequality between black men and themselves, and racial
discrimination and oppression by the whites (intersectionality), it is
imperative not only to Collins but also other black women to speak for and of unjustified
personal accounts of black women's oppression.
As I address the term intersectionality herein, identity
politics have often implemented race, class,
and gender as
isolated categories as a means of excluding those who aren't perceived as part
of the dominant group. These constructed biases formed from race, class,
and gender is what feminist Kimberle Crenshaw believes need to
be used, not as a means of degradation, but as a form of empowerment and self-worth. Ignoring
these differences only create more of a divide between social movements and other feminists groups, especially in the case of violence against women where the level of
violence is associated with components such as race and class.
In addition, there is consensus among the works of literature that
the next issue of identity politics is the conflict of group formations
and safe
spaces for black women. In the 1970s, increased literacy among black
women promoted writing and scholarship as an outlet for feminist discourse
where they could have their voices heard. As a result, black women sought
solace in safe spaces that gave them the freedom to discuss
issues of oppression and segregation that ultimately promoted unity
as well as a means of achieving social justice.
However, later, as the notion of colour-blindness appeared,
where racial the classification does not limit a
person's opportunities advocated for integration in institutions, black women faced new
issues of identity politics and looked for a new safe space to express their
concerns. This was met with a lot of contention as people saw these black
female groups as exclusive and separatist. Dominant groups, especially involved
in the political sphere, found these safe spaces threatening because they were
away from the public eye and were, therefore, unable to be regulated by the
higher and more powerful political groups.
Despite the growth in the feminist discourse regarding black
identity politics, some men disagree with the black feminist identity politics
movement. Some black novelists, such as Kwame Anthony Appiah, uphold the notion of
colour-blindness and dismiss identity politics as a proper means of achieving
social justice. In the view of him, my personal
perception also says that identity politics has been an exclusionary device
implemented in black culture and history that limit outsider comprehension and
access. At the same time, I believe that identity politics can serve as a foundation where such colour-blindness
can finally be achieved in the long run if implemented and understood within
society
Collins., P.H. (2000). Black Feminist Thought (Second ed.). New York, New York: Routledge. p. 299. ISBN 978-0-415-92483-2.
Collins., P.H. (2000). Black Feminist Thought (Second ed.). New York, New York: Routledge. p. 299. ISBN 978-0-415-92483-2.
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