An Ode to Black Feminism - Living By Liberatory Scholarship
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”
In fifth grade, Maya Angelou gave me a tune.
As a tested Black Catholic school girl, I’d grown accustomed to masquerading my emotions under knee-length plaid jumpers and frilly ivory socks. Unbeknownst to myself at the time, this polished facade had long begun to rust. I discovered ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ amidst a flock of white male authors on the shelves of my patronizing ELA teacher - Mrs. Murphy. A white woman with an unsteady grasp on experiences outside of her own. Astonished to see a vaguely familiar Black woman’s name, I immediately started reading.
Many years since, this memoir bursting with the sensitively imparted traumas of Black girlhood, is still my favorite book. I attribute most of the progressive “enlightenment” - or perhaps radicalization - I’ve undergone in regards to racial and gender politics to my initial encounter with her words. I’ve continued to seek this sensation through the literature of Black radicals who keep Ms. Angelou in the warmest of company.
In an effort to spread the transformative gospels I've been fortunate enough to stumble upon, I have compiled a list of essential Black Feminist texts!
As you explore, please be aware that certain “classicist” Black Feminist scholars did not formally adopt the aforementioned title, as such language had yet to emerge. Political philosopher Joy James coined the term “proto-feminist” to identify these historical figures who have been situated in our contemporary context as such.
A Voice From the South (1892) By Anna Julia Cooper
Featuring a collection of expertly crafted essays, Cooper authors the foundational Black Feminist text through her examination of the many systemic boulders fought head on by Black women in the late 19th century American south.
Black Feminist Thought (1990) By Patricia Hill Collins
Widely considered the seminal account of Black feminism, Collins provides a comprehensive overview of the past, present, and potential of Black feminist philosophy.
Sister Outsider (1984) By Audre Lourde
A diverse assembly of essays of speeches, Sister Outsider examines a wide range of societal marginalization and their many manifestations in the lives of Black women.
An End to the Neglect! (1949) By Claudia Jones
Throughout this provocative essay, Claudia Jones highlights the interdependency of class, race, and gender in the severe marginalization of Black women.
PSA: I defineBlack Feminism as a set of theoretical and movement traditions with the political program of liberation from white supremacist - patriarchal society for Black folks with marginalized gender expressions.