Words of Fire: An Anthology of African-American Feminist Thought

The timeless and essential anthology of Black Feminist thought—showing that Black women have always understood the need for feminism to be intersectional“In this pathbreaking collection of articles, Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall has taken us from the early 1830s to contemporary times.... She has refused to cut off contemporary African American women from the long line of sisters who have righteously struggled for the liberation of African American women from the dual oppressions of racism and sexism.” —from the epilogue by Johnnetta B. Cole The first major anthology to trace the development of Black Feminist thought in the United States, Words of Fire is Beverly Guy-Sheftall's comprehensive collection of writings by more than sixty Black women. From the pioneering work of abolitionist Maria Miller Stewart and anti-lynching crusader Ida Wells-Barnett to the writings of feminist critics Michele Wallace and bell hooks, Black women have been writing about the multiple jeopardies—racism, sexism, and classism—that have made it imperative to forge a brand of feminism uniquely their own. In the words of Audre Lorde, “the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house”—Words of Fire provides the tools to dismantle the interlocking systems that oppress us and to rebuild from their ashes a society of true freedom. Contributors include: Shirley Chisholm The Combahee River Collective Anna Julia Cooper Angela Davis Alice Dunbar-Nelson Lorraine Hansberry bell hooks Claudia Jones June Jordan Audre Lorde Beth E. Richie Barbara Smith Sojourner Truth Alice Walker Michele Wallace Ida Wells-Barnett Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 14 Selections......Page 22 Acknowledgments......Page 26 Introduction......Page 28 Introducution......Page 50 Maria MIller Stewart......Page 52 Religion and the Pure Principles of Morality, the Sure Foundation on Which We Must Build......Page 53 Lecture Delivered at the Franklin Hall......Page 57 Sojourner Truth......Page 62 Woman's Rights......Page 63 When Woman Gets Her Rights Man Will Be Right......Page 64 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper......Page 66 Woman's Political Future......Page 67 Anna Julia Cooper......Page 70 The Status of Woman in America......Page 71 Julia A.J. Foote......Page 78 Women in the Gospel......Page 79 Gertrude Bustill Mossell......Page 82 The Opposite Point of View......Page 83 A Lofty Study......Page 87 Mary Church Terrell......Page 90 The Progress of Colored Women......Page 91 Ida Wells-Barnett......Page 96 Lynch Law in America......Page 97 Introduction......Page 104 Elise Johnson McDougald......Page 106 The Struggle of Negro Women For Sex and Race Emancipation......Page 107 Alice Dunbar-Nelson......Page 112 The Negro Woman and the Ballot......Page 113 Amy Jacques Garvey......Page 116 Our Women Getting Into the Larger Life......Page 118 Women as Leaders......Page 120 Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander......Page 122 Negro Women in Our Economic Life......Page 123 Florynce "Flo" Kennedy......Page 128 A Comparative Study: Accentuating the Similarities of the Societal Position of Women and Negroes......Page 129 Claudia Jones......Page 134 An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman!......Page 135 Lorraine Hansberry......Page 152 Simone de Beauvoir and The Second Sex: An American Commentary......Page 155 Introduction......Page 170 Fracnes Beale......Page 172 Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female......Page 173 Mary Ann Weathers......Page 184 An Argument for Black WOmen's Liberation as a Revolutionary Force......Page 185 Linda La Rue......Page 190 The Black Movement and Women's Liberation......Page 191 Patricia Haden, Donna Middleton, and Patricial Robinson......Page 202 A Historical and Critical Essay for Black Women......Page 204 Pauli Murray......Page 212 The Liberation of Black Women......Page 213 Angela Davis......Page 226 Reflections on the Black Woman's Role in the Community of Slaves......Page 227 Michele Wallace......Page 246 Anger in Isolation: A Black Feminist's Search for Sisterhood......Page 247 Introduction......Page 256 The Combahee River Collective......Page 258 A Black Feminist Statement......Page 259 Cheryl Clarke......Page 268 Lesbianism: An Act of Resistance......Page 269 Barbara Smith......Page 280 Some Home Truths on the Contemporary Black Feminist Movement......Page 281 bell hooks......Page 296 Black Women: Shaping Feminist Theory......Page 297 Audre Lorde......Page 310 Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference......Page 311 Deborah K. King......Page 320 Multiple Jeopardy, Multiple Consciousness: The Contest of a Black Feminist Ideology......Page 321 Jacquelyn Grant......Page 346 Black Theology and the Black Woman......Page 347 Patricia Hill Collins......Page 364 The Social Construction of Black Feminist Thought......Page 365 Introduction......Page 386 Barbara Omolade......Page 388 Hearts of Darkness......Page 389 Darlene Clark Hine......Page 406 Rape and the Inner Lives of Black Women in the Middle West: Preliminary Thoughts on the Culture of Dissemblance......Page 407 Shirley Chisholm......Page 416 Facing the Abortion Question......Page 417 Beth E. Richie......Page 424 Battered Black Women: A Challenge for the Black Community......Page 425 June Jordan......Page 432 A New Politics of Sexuality......Page 434 Paula Giddings......Page 440 The Last Taboo......Page 441 Pearl Cleage......Page 456 What Can I Say?......Page 457 Evelynn Hammonds......Page 460 Missing Persons: African American Women, AIDS, and the History of the Disease......Page 461 Introduction......Page 478 Margaret Walker Alexander......Page 480 Black Women in Academia......Page 481 Gloria Joseph......Page 488 Black Feminist Pedagogy and Schooling in Capitalist White America......Page 489 Elizabeth Higginbotham......Page 500 Designing an Inclusive Curriculum: Bringing All Women into the Core......Page 501 Introduction......Page 514 Pauline Terrelonge......Page 516 Feminist Consciousness and Black Women......Page 517 E. Frances White......Page 530 Africa on My Mind: Gender, Counterdiscourse, and African American Nationalism......Page 531 Barbara Ransby and Tracye Matthews......Page 552 Black Popular Culture and the Transcendence of Patriarchal Illusions......Page 553 Alice Walker......Page 564 In the Closest of the Soul......Page 565 Epilogue......Page 576 Selected Bibliography......Page 580 Index......Page 594 Contents 8 Preface 14 Selections 22 Acknowledgments 26 Introduction 28 1 Beginnings: In Defense of Our Race and Sex, 1831-1900 50 Introducution 50 Maria MIller Stewart 52 Religion and the Pure Principles of Morality, the Sure Foundation on Which We Must Build 53 Lecture Delivered at the Franklin Hall 57 Sojourner Truth 62 Woman's Rights 63 When Woman Gets Her Rights Man Will Be Right 64 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper 66 Woman's Political Future 67 Anna Julia Cooper 70 The Status of Woman in America 71 Julia A.J. Foote 78 Women in the Gospel 79 Gertrude Bustill Mossell 82 The Opposite Point of View 83 A Lofty Study 87 Mary Church Terrell 90 The Progress of Colored Women 91 Ida Wells-Barnett 96 Lynch Law in America 97 2 Triumph and Tribulation: Defining Black Womanhood, 1920-1957 104 Introduction 104 Elise Johnson McDougald 106 The Struggle of Negro Women For Sex and Race Emancipation 107 Alice Dunbar-Nelson 112 The Negro Woman and the Ballot 113 Amy Jacques Garvey 116 Our Women Getting Into the Larger Life 118 Women as Leaders 120 Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander 122 Negro Women in Our Economic Life 123 Florynce "Flo" Kennedy 128 A Comparative Study: Accentuating the Similarities of the Societal Position of Women and Negroes 129 Claudia Jones 134 An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman! 135 Lorraine Hansberry 152 Simone de Beauvoir and The Second Sex: An American Commentary 155 3 Civil Rights and Women's Liberation: Racial/Sexual Politics in the Angry Decades 170 Introduction 170 Fracnes Beale 172 Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female 173 Mary Ann Weathers 184 An Argument for Black WOmen's Liberation as a Revolutionary Force 185 Linda La Rue 190 The Black Movement and Women's Liberation 191 Patricia Haden, Donna Middleton, and Patricial Robinson 202 A Historical and Critical Essay for Black Women 204 Pauli Murray 212 The Liberation of Black Women 213 Angela Davis 226 Reflections on the Black Woman's Role in the Community of Slaves 227 Michele Wallace 246 Anger in Isolation: A Black Feminist's Search for Sisterhood 247 4 Beyond the Margins: BLack Women Claiming Feminism 256 Introduction 256 The Combahee River Collective 258 A Black Feminist Statement 259 Cheryl Clarke 268 Lesbianism: An Act of Resistance 269 Barbara Smith 280 Some Home Truths on the Contemporary Black Feminist Movement 281 bell hooks 296 Black Women: Shaping Feminist Theory 297 Audre Lorde 310 Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference 311 Deborah K. King 320 Multiple Jeopardy, Multiple Consciousness: The Contest of a Black Feminist Ideology 321 Jacquelyn Grant 346 Black Theology and the Black Woman 347 Patricia Hill Collins 364 The Social Construction of Black Feminist Thought 365 5 The Body Politic: Sexuality, Violence, and Reproduction 386 Introduction 386 Barbara Omolade 388 Hearts of Darkness 389 Darlene Clark Hine 406 Rape and the Inner Lives of Black Women in the Middle West: Preliminary Thoughts on the Culture of Dissemblance 407 Shirley Chisholm 416 Facing the Abortion Question 417 Beth E. Richie 424 Battered Black Women: A Challenge for the Black Community 425 June Jordan 432 A New Politics of Sexuality 434 Paula Giddings 440 The Last Taboo 441 Pearl Cleage 456 What Can I Say? 457 Evelynn Hammonds 460 Missing Persons: African American Women, AIDS, and the History of the Disease 461 6 Reading the Academy 478 Introduction 478 Margaret Walker Alexander 480 Black Women in Academia 481 Gloria Joseph 488 Black Feminist Pedagogy and Schooling in Capitalist White America 489 Elizabeth Higginbotham 500 Designing an Inclusive Curriculum: Bringing All Women into the Core 501 7 Discourses of Resistance: Interrogating Mainstream Feminism and Black Nationalism 514 Introduction 514 Pauline Terrelonge 516 Feminist Consciousness and Black Women 517 E. Frances White 530 Africa on My Mind: Gender, Counterdiscourse, and African American Nationalism 531 Barbara Ransby and Tracye Matthews 552 Black Popular Culture and the Transcendence of Patriarchal Illusions 553 Alice Walker 564 In the Closest of the Soul 565 Epilogue 576 Selected Bibliography 580 Index 594 The first major anthology to trace the development, from the early 1800s to the present, of black feminist thought in the United States, Words of Fire is Beverly Guy-Sheftall’s comprehensive collection of writings, in the feminist tradition, of more than sixty African American women. From the pioneering work of abolitionist Maria Miller Stewart and anti-lynching crusader Ida Wells-Barnett to the writings of contemporary feminist critics Michele Wallace and bell hooks, black women have been writing about the multiple jeopardies—racism, sexism, and classicm—that have made it imperative for them to forge a brand of feminism uniquely their own. List of Contributors: Margaret Walker Alexander Sadie Tanner Mosell Alexander Frances Beale Shirley Chisholm Cheryl Clarke Pearl Cleage Johnnetta B. Cole Patricia Hill Collins The Combahee River Collective Anna Julia Cooper Angela Davis Alice Dunbar-Nelson Julia A.J. Foote Amy Jacques Garvey Paula Giddings Jacquelyn Grant Patricia Haden Evelynn Hammonds Lorraine Hansberry Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Elizabeth Higginbotham Darlene Clark Hine bell hooks Claudia Jones June Jordan Gloria Joseph Florynce “Flo” Kennedy Deborah K. King Linda La Rue Audre Lorde Tracye Matthews Elise Johnson McDougald Donna Middleton Gertrude Bustill Mossell Pauli Murray Barbara Omolade Barbara Ransby Beth E. Richie Patricia Robinson Barbara Smith Maria Miller Stewart Ula Taylor Mary Church Terrell Pauline Terrelonge Sojourner Truth Alice Walker Michele Wallace Mary Ann Weathers Ida Wells-Barnett E. Frances White Margaret Wilkerson This anthology traces the development - from the early 1800s to the present day - of black feminist thought. It consists of a collection of writings, in the feminist tradition, of over 60 African-American women demonstrating the strong tradition of African-American feminist thought.