“But all this presupposes that the Black male will have purged himself of the myth that his mother, his woman, must be subdued before he can wage war on the enemy. Liberation is a dialectical movement—the Black man cannot free himself as a Black man unless the Black woman can liberate herself from all this… Continue reading Black Feminism is Not Your Enemy
Category: Feminism
Feminism and Me
I wish I could tell you exactly when I realized that there was a huge part of my life I wasn’t standing up for, but I simply cannot. Despite the fact I was raised by women it never dawned on me that I would have more to do for them than provide physical and financial… Continue reading Feminism and Me
The Perfect Woman
I want to be the perfect woman. At first glance, this might seem ambitious, but it has been repeatedly proven this is actually quite attainable. I know it, because there is an entire industry made of men who’ve created a career and commissioned quite a bit of money from telling women how to be women.… Continue reading The Perfect Woman
A League of Their Own
When I left Haiti in 1964, I was certainly aware of social and economic inequalities, as well as of those between men and women. I do remember, for instance, the enthusiasm of young people of my generation for projects of assistance and support to the needy, visits to the sick, and help in evangelization and… Continue reading A League of Their Own
My Standards are Simple and Mine Alone
“Your standards are too high.” If you’re 30-plus, educated, single, and a woman, you probably hear this at family barbecues and any company gatherings that take place after three rounds of drinks have been purchased. I used to hear this all the time. Maybe the words are still being whispered by my family, but I… Continue reading My Standards are Simple and Mine Alone
Black Men and “Distractions”
“Black women as a group have never been fools. We couldn’t afford to be.” –Barbara Smith Black women are facing a drought of allies during a time when black people in the United States are battling a turbulent racist climate. These moments illustrate that things are not so different from the past our parents and… Continue reading Black Men and “Distractions”
Men Need Feminism
Whether we want to admit it or not, in the United States, we live in a patriarchal culture (which is also white supremacist and capitalist). This means that masculine behavior is preferred over all others. It means we focus on the experiences of men at the expense of other genders. Patriarchal culture means that we… Continue reading Men Need Feminism
Feminism: It’s Not About You
I am a feminist. I have a feminist perspective. Immediately after typing these words, I also feel the need to type: “I do not hate men.” Often, when I proclaim a feminist perspective, this leads many men to roll their eyes and assert that I’m declaring my hatred of men. The words “I am a… Continue reading Feminism: It’s Not About You