The title, “All the Women are White, All the Blacks are Men, But Some of Us are Brave: Black Women’s Studies” encompasses much of the history of black women in America. The title is that of a collection that “provides a wealth of materials needed to develop course units on black women, from political theory to literary essays on major writers to work on black women’s contributions to the blues.” In current discussions of feminism and race in America, the group that is so often left out is black women. Historically, black women have been oppressed in ways our society today still grapples to understand. By bearing the weight of both womanhood and color of skin, women of color have been left out of many platforms of fighting for women’s rights and civil rights. As we continue to discuss and understand the intersectionality of feminism, we must remember that feminism does not belong to white women, but rather must be shared with all women of all races, ethnicities, and religions.
Women of color cannot subtract their race or ethnicity from their womanhood, and thus it is necessary to acknowledge all parts of the identities that collectively make us the women we are.
We must also not leave out LGBTQ+ women from the conversation of feminism and women’s rights, as being a part of the LGBTQ+ community makes these women who they are. Dialogue and discourse are ways to include voices of society that have been silenced for years. Here is a short list of just some of the many Black Female Voices and their work that we should be reading:
- Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The novel tells the story of the Biafran War through the perspective of the characters Olanna, Ugwu, and Richard. via Wikipedia - Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
August shares friendships with three other young New Yorkers in Brooklyn, walking through the neighborhoods and dreaming optimistically of the future, and what it held in store for them. via Wikipedia - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The 1969 autobiography of Maya Angelou is the first in a seven-volume series, it is a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome racism and trauma. via Wikipedia - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Morrison centers the story around a young African American girl named Pecola who grows up during the years following the Great Depression in Lorain, Ohio. Due to her dark skin color, Pecola gets taunted for her appearance as the members of her community associate beauty with “whiteness”. via Wikipedia - Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More is a memoir by American transgender activist Janet Mock. via Wikipedia - Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Set in a future where government has all but collapsed, Parable of the Sower centers on a young woman named Lauren Olamina who possesses what Butler dubbed hyperempathy – the ability to feel the perceived pain and other sensations of others – who develops a benign philosophical and religious system during her childhood in the remnants of a gated community in Los Angeles. via Wikipedia - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The novel narrates main character Janie Crawford’s “ripening from a vibrant, but voiceless, teenage girl into a woman with her finger on the trigger of her own destiny.” via Wikipedia
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