Black Feminism

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A movement that seeks to address the unique experiences and struggles of black women, particularly their relationship to race, gender, and class oppression, and how those intersect in society.

Intersectionality: A concept that acknowledges different systems of oppression that intersect to create unique experiences for marginalized individuals.
Patriarchy: A social power structure that upholds male dominance and reinforces gender stereotypes.
Double Consciousness: A term coined by W.E.B. Du Bois that describes the psychological struggle of African Americans in maintaining a sense of self in a society that views them as inferior.
Sexual Politics: The ways in which sexuality and gender are used for political purposes.
Womanism: A term used to describe the unique experiences and perspectives of Black women.
Colorism: A form of discrimination that privileges lighter-skinned individuals over those with darker skin tones.
Misogynoir: A term coined by Moya Bailey to describe the intersection of racism and sexism faced by Black women.
Black Feminist Theory: A theoretical framework that examines the intersection of race, gender, and class in the experiences of Black women.
Oppression: The use of power and control to marginalize and exploit groups deemed inferior.
Feminist Activism: The political and social movements that seek to achieve gender equality.
Reproductive Justice: A framework that seeks to address the full range of issues related to reproductive freedom, including access to healthcare, contraception, and abortion.
Black Queer Theory: A theoretical framework that explores the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality in the experiences of Black LGBTQ+ individuals.
Afrofuturism: A cultural and artistic movement that explores themes of science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction in African American art.
Black Lives Matter: A social and political movement that advocates for the fair treatment and protection of Black individuals.
Racial and Gender-Based Violence: The systemic and targeted violence faced by marginalized individuals, including police brutality and domestic violence.
Womanist Feminism: Developed in the 1980s by African American writer, Alice Walker, womanist feminism focuses on the experiences and struggles of Black women specifically. This theory often challenges the dominant feminist movement, which has been seen as primarily representing the experiences and struggles of middle-class, white women.
Intersectional Feminism: Intersectionality is a concept which suggests that different forms of oppression and discrimination intersect and influence one another. So, intersectional feminism is a type of theory that highlights the need to recognize the interconnections between systems of oppression, such as racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, and classism. It acknowledges that intersectionality is not only about recognizing multiple identities and structures of power, but also advocating for social justice.
Black Radical Feminism: This type of theory gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s and deals with issues related to oppression and exploitation. Black radical feminism explores how oppression and exploitation are interconnected and must be addressed together if we want to achieve equality for all marginalized communities. Black radical feminists seek to promote black liberation and have been influential in mobilizing many social justice movements.
Queer Black Feminism: This type of feminist theory examines the experiences of Black women and LGBTQ+ individuals. In this theory, the focus is on the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality, as well as other aspects of identity.
Africana Womanism: This is a term used to describe the specific experiences, struggles, and perspectives of African women. This type of feminism approaches the experiences of black women as unique and deserving of attention, love, and respect not only in the context of their individual communities, but also globally. It values the importance of protecting and empowering black women.
- "Black feminism, also known as Afro-feminism chiefly outside the United States, is a branch of feminism that centers around black women." - "Black feminism philosophy centers on the idea that 'Black women are inherently valuable, that [Black women's] liberation is a necessity not as an adjunct to somebody else's but because of our need as human persons for autonomy.'"
- "According to Black feminism, race, gender, and class discrimination are all aspects of the same system of hierarchy." - "Due to their inter-dependency, they combine to create something more than experiencing racism and sexism independently."
- "The experience of being a Black woman, then, cannot be grasped in terms of being Black or of being a woman but must be illuminated via intersectionality." - "Intersectionality indicates that each identity—being Black and being female—should be considered both independently and for their interaction effect, in which intersecting identities deepen, reinforce one another, and potentially lead to aggravated forms of inequality."
- "Black feminist lens in the United States was first employed by Black women to make sense of how white supremacy and patriarchy interacted to inform the particular experiences of enslaved Black women." - "Black feminism rose to prominence in the 1960s, as the civil rights movement excluded women from leadership positions, and the mainstream feminist movement largely focused its agenda on issues that predominately impacted middle-class White women."
- "Black activists and intellectuals formed organizations such as the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) and the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)." - "From the 1970s to 1980s, Black feminists formed groups that addressed the role of Black women in Black nationalism, gay liberation, and second-wave feminism."
- "In the 1990s, the Anita Hill controversy brought Black feminism into the mainstream."
- "Black feminist theories reached a wider audience in the 2010s as a result of social-media advocacy."
- "Proponents of Black feminism argue that Black women are positioned within structures of power in fundamentally different ways than White women."
- "In the early 21st century, the tag white feminist gained currency to criticize feminists who avoid issues of intersectionality."
- "bell hooks, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Angela Davis, and Patricia Hill Collins have emerged as leading academics on Black feminism." - "Black celebrities have encouraged mainstream discussion of Black feminism." Note: Due to the length and complexity of the paragraph, it was difficult to find specific quotes answering all 20 questions. However, these quotes provide a comprehensive overview of the paragraph and address the main points.