Race, Ethnicity and the Women's Movement in England, 1968-1993 (Palgrave Studies in the History of Social Movements)

Around the world, social movements have become legitimate, yet contested, actors in local, national and global politics and civil society, yet we still know relatively little about their longer histories and the trajectories of their development. This new series seeks to promote innovative historical research on the history of social movements in the modern period since around 1750. We bring together conceptually-informed studies that analyse labour movements, new social movements and other forms of protest from early modernity to the present. We conceive of "social movements" in the broadest possible sense, encompassing social formations that lie between formal organisations and mere protest events. We also offer a home for studies that systematically explore the political, social, economic and cultural conditions in which social movements can emerge. We are especially interested in transnational and global perspectives on the history of social movements, and in studies that engage critically and creatively with political, social and sociological theories in order to make historically grounded arguments about social movements. This new series seeks to offer innovative historical work on social movements, while also helping to historicise the concept of "social movement." It hopes to revitalise the conversation between historians and historical sociologists in analysing what Charles Tilly has called the "dynamics of contention. "This book is the first archive-based account of the charged debates around race in the women's movement in England during the 'second wave' period. Examining both the white and the Black women's movement through a source base that includes original oral histories and extensive research using feminist periodicals, this book seeks to unpack the historical roots of long-running tensions between Black and white feminists. It gives a broad overview of the activism that both Black and white women were involved in, and examines the Black feminist critique of white feminists as racist, how white feminists reacted to this critique, and asks why the women's movement was so unable to engage with the concerns of Black women. Through doing so, the book speaks to many present day concerns within the women's movement about the politics of race, and indeed the place of identity politics within the left more broadly"-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Contents 8 Series Editors’ Preface 9 Acknowledgements 13 List of Abbreviations 15 Introduction 16 1 The (White) Women’s Liberation Movement, c. 1968–1975 47 2 Black Women’s Activism, c. 1970–1990 79 3 Jewish Feminism in England, c. 1974–1990 119 4 White Anti-Racist, Anti-Fascist and Anti-Imperialist Feminism, c. 1976–1980 147 5 Critique and Coalitions: Black and White Feminists Working Together in the 1980s 176 Conclusion 209 Brief Biographical Notes on Interviewees 217 Notes 220 Select Bibliography 261 Index 277 Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Introduction....Pages 1-31 The (White) Women’s Liberation Movement, c. 1968–1975....Pages 32-63 Black Women’s Activism, c. 1970–1990....Pages 64-103 Jewish Feminism in England, c. 1974–1990....Pages 104-131 White Anti-Racist, Anti-Fascist and Anti-Imperialist Feminism, c. 1976–1980....Pages 132-160 Critique and Coalitions: Black and White Feminists Working Together in the 1980s....Pages 161-193 Conclusion....Pages 194-201 Back Matter....Pages 202-272