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Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 2119
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 07:13 pm: | 
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The darker shades of feminism
Kevin Pitts
March 15, 2006
Feminism changed forever at the Women’s Convention of 1851 when former slave and abolitionist Sojourner Truth stood behind the lectern and asked an audience of predominately white feminist activists, “Ain’t I a woman?” Sojourner’s proclamation colored feminism and gave birth to black feminism.
Since the 19th century, there have been countless gains for black women. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education conducted a recent study, finding that black women now make up 63 percent of all blacks granted admission to law school. In a related study, JBHE uncovered statistics showing the significant erasure of income gaps between college-educated blacks and whites can almost entirely be attributed to the outstanding academic performance of black women. Black women have always been on the cutting edge of feminism, finding new revolutionary ways to balance motherhood and professionalism in the face of abject poverty, sexism and racism.
Unfortunately, one of the most indelible legacies left in the wake of slavery that still haunts the progress of the black feminist movement today is the way in which the sexuality of black women has been distorted. Black women have never truly gained ownership over their sexuality; they have always been trapped within fantasies of white men during slavery and currently in the artistic fantasies of black male hip-hop artists. Today the image of the hyper-sexualized objectified black female body on newly popular explicit shows such as BET’s UNCUT reign supreme. In 2004, an interesting black feminist moment occurred when rap artist Nelly, created one of UNCUT’s most popular and most sexually explicit videos, “Tip Drill.” The video was protested by the women of Spelman College, a historically black women’s college in Georgia. This protest crystallized the most serious problem facing black feminism — the fissure between underprivileged urban black women and affluent black women. The young, privileged women of Spelman are not the women being objectified in these videos. These women come from America’s urban centers, where opportunities for black women are limited and the theoretical concepts of feminism take a back seat to escaping poverty.
Affluent, young, educated black women have failed to unify their destinies with the destinies of young black underprivileged urban women who are truly the victims of black male sexual objectification. Two recent government studies of black youth in homes earning less than $25,000 annually exposed the failures of black feminism. The studies highlighted that black females ages 13 to 19 represent 66 percent of AIDS cases reported among young women. They also found black teen females are more likely than white teen females to have begun sexual activity by the age of 13, and to have had more than four partners by this age. If not challenged, the internalization of sexual objectification and black hyper-sexuality within black urban youth cultures has the ability to negate any fiscal or educational gains made by affluent black women.
Unfortunately, the majority of the burden of educating young black men and women on the values of feminism rest upon the shoulders of black women because they now serve as both mother and father in many black families. Black men should be included in this feminist struggle, but we have proven time and time again to not be up for the task, and until we get our house in order, we will only handicap these efforts.
Scholar bell hooks challenged black women to create “oppositional spaces where our sexuality can be named and represented … no longer trapped and bound.” Any of us who call ourselves black feminists should take her words to heart and understand the next and most challenging battle for us to face will be fought on the terrain of black sexuality.
Kevin Pitts is an English literature graduate student. He can be reached at kpitts2@umd.edu.
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The ironic part is that Sojourner Truth most likely looked and had more in common with today's underprivileged urban black women.. much more than she did with any affluent, young, educated black woman of any era. When will the people who fought the hardest, built this country, and gained the least have their most recognizable offsprings enjoy the fruits of their labor; and how can their socalled sons and daughters blatantly participate in such a scandal, yet still remain guilt free...? |
Schakspir
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Schakspir
Post Number: 246
Registered: 12-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 08:02 pm: |
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But "black male hip-hop fantasies" are really just white racist fantasies in blackface. These negro fools have internalized white male racism to such an extent that they see black women through white male eyes, hence, Nelly's shit.
Bell Hooks saying "oppositional spaces where our sexuality can be named and represented, no longer trapped and bound" is also vague--oppositional space? and in opposition to whom? The dumb negroes who see black women like white racists see them? or the white racists themselves? If that's the face, fine. This oppositional space has to include black men(with brains), because most black women aren't lesbians. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 1958
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 01:36 pm: |
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bell hooks also said that the hip hoppers are just internalizing the violent mysogonyst attitudes of the overall white society, too. These ain't just about race but about sex and power not just black women.
And aren't the hip hoppers just the children of their fathers? What kind of male role models were Rick James, David Ruffin, Frankie Lymon, Miles Davis, Iceberg Slim, Jellyroll Morton, Sidney Bechet--
Folks want to act like this stuff just started. These guys are just saying out front what your sweet soulful crooners were doing in the dressing room. |
Schakspir
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Schakspir
Post Number: 248
Registered: 12-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 05:31 pm: |
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It's nothing new, of course. Just look at the Stagolee legend. That speaks for itself. It's just that in the old days there was a clear delineation between the underground/jailhouse culture, the hipster culture(which often rubbed elbows with the underground and the jailhouse due to heroin/hootch/prostitution), and the "square world" of people who worked ordinary jobs. Today, those delineations are practically non-existent.
Also, in the past, you had your Duke Ellingtons and Curtis Mayfields alongside your Jelly Rolls and Sidney Bechets. Lester Young was a fairly sensitive type(unlike the brilliant but nutty Charile Parker). Today....well, what is there? |
Batmocop
Newbie Poster
Username: Batmocop
Post Number: 11
Registered: 03-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 09:47 pm: |
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You know I want to give this generation more credit and hold them more responsible. The truth of the matter is I really don't think they know anymore than the one dimensional T&A view of it. I believe that they have been de-sensitized to the point where they have their babies performing the booty shake like Beyonce and they believe it's cute, when really it is a very provocative sexually explicit ADULT thing! We need to get back to some good ol Country, Christian, Couf, Class (add your own C word) or whatever, but we need to do something to teach these kids better...
-BatMo-> |
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