How We Get Free

In Keenga-Yamahtta Taylor's How We Get Free, she highlights the struggles that black women face in society and links the multiple levels of oppression they face. Not only are they racially oppressed in society, but face multi level oppression when concerning sexuality, class status, and other social factors. Black women also face psychological trauma as discussed in the early parts of the book, "There is a very low value placed upon Black women's psyches in this society, which is both racist and sexist." (22) The value that is discussed here shows just how detrimental it is to mental health by this view upon Black women in society. Furthermore she states, "because, being on the bottom, we would have to do what no one else has done: we would have to fight the world." (22) The fact that black women are said to be "on the bottom" will prove that they are under multiple levels of oppression. Then, when she discusses "fighting the world" that brings up how no one else has faced this level of oppression before and if they want anyone to do anything about it they will have to go against the world, putting things into perspective that oppression for black women happens everywhere. In addition to the multi level oppression, I thought that earlier in the book when the pay gap was brought up was both intriguing and shocking. She states, "In real dollars it meant that Black women were making 43 percent of what white men in the state make." (3) Going further, she says that "The same could be said of poverty. Black women make up 25 percent of the poor, compared to black men, who are 18 percent; and to white women, who make up 10 percent of the poor people." (3) Not only is the major issue here equal pay between men and women, but equal pay between all genders and races. Additionally, the added part of the relationship between impoverished and the pay rate. If you aren't making enough, based on solely your race, then you will be grouped as impoverished based only those factors. I found this part to be shocking yet horrible especially because there is still an unequal pay rate today.

Comments

  1. Callie YowlerMay 3, 2019 at 11:11 AM

    I agree that with the statement that there is a very low value placed on black women in general in the American society. This point links back to a point that I made in the first class where I said that there is historically been less importance placed on the rights of black women. They have been excluded from many white feminist movements, and their rights have not gotten adequate attention in the civil rights movements either. In the book it discussed this, and the author also states that black feminist had to create their own movements because of the fact that their presence was absent. This point of black women having to fight the world is also interesting too, because they have to essentially fight white men, black men, and white women in order to attain their goals of equality. The pay gap comes into importance here as black women are already at a significant disadvantage, and are the most vulnerable to economic barriers.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Freedom Riders 3/26

As I watched the “Freedom Riders” documentary, the more disgusted I become at that racial injustices in American history. At the beginning of the documentary, there is a small montage of bigots giving poor excuses as to why the South should remain segregated. However, there was one quote that stuck out that stated, “You can not change a way of life overnight. The more they try to force us into doing something, the worse the reaction is going to be.” Racism should not be a way of life anyone wants to live through or put onto someone else. The Freedom Riders and many nonviolent protesters weren’t physically imposing on others, so why was the reaction of segregationists to worsening as “they try to force” them into a realistic way of life? Watching the documentary and listening to how the Riders were willing to be martyrs for the Movement as they were physically attacked, their property was destroyed via molotov and mentally drained daily makes me appreciate activism a great deal more, ...
Read more
After reading the rest of Kwame Ture and Charles V. Hamilton's Black Power and then reflecting about what we talked about in class on Tuesday, I still cannot put my finger on an exact definition of "black power." I do believe, though, that "black power" cannot be achieved without a change in the political structure of America. When reading the fourth chapter of this book, the idea that people in power control the law is brought up. I, almost, one hundred percent agree with this. The quote from the book that stood out to me was "Law is the agent of those in political power; it is the product of those powerful enough to define right and wrong and to have that definition legitimized by "law." This is not to say that "might makes right," but it is to say that Might makes Law." This quote shows how political leaders shape the law. Those in power get to make the laws, whether they are just or not. I still believe this today. I believe...
Read more

What It's Like to Be Black on Campus Now

In Melissa Harris-Perry’s article, “What It’s Like to Be Black on Campus Now”, she discusses the issues behind race in education and institutions through ten black student journalists who tell their personal experiences. She gives an example from the University of Missouri, explaining how one student decided to stop eating in protest of inaction and ineffective administrative responses to racial incidents on campus. 30 Missouri football players joined this one student in protest and University of Missouri’s president resigned soon after. This example is powerful because it shows other institutions that when you unite together, change can come. Harris- Perry continues to talk about how important education is to black families and how hard it is to send their children to a place that can be so full of hatred towards their race. She wrote, “Viewing higher education as a pathway to equity, African American families and communities have made enormous sacrifices to send black kids to college...
Read more