Women, Race, & Class
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
From one of our most important scholars and civil rights activist icon, a powerful study of the women’s liberation movement and the tangled knot of oppression facing Black women.
“Angela Davis is herself a woman of undeniable courage. She should be heard.”—The New York Times
Angela Davis provides a powerful history of the social and political influence of whiteness and elitism in feminism, from abolitionist days to the present, and demonstrates how the racist and classist biases of its leaders inevitably hampered any collective ambitions. While Black women were aided by some activists like Sarah and Angelina Grimke and the suffrage cause found unwavering support in Frederick Douglass, many women played on the fears of white supremacists for political gain rather than take an intersectional approach to liberation. Here, Davis not only contextualizes the legacy and pitfalls of civil and women’s rights activists, but also discusses Communist women, the murder of Emmitt Till, and Margaret Sanger’s racism. Davis shows readers how the inequalities between Black and white women influence the contemporary issues of rape, reproductive freedom, housework and child care in this bold and indispensable work.
Customer Reviews
An eye opening and educational read
Wow can’t believe this was written in the 80s! Essential read for anyone who wants to understand the history of the feminist, civil rights, socialist/unionization movements and how they intersect & conflict with each other. The book is a comprehensive examination into the dynamics/games of American politics and explains inconspicuous issues such as why the Women Suffrage Movement got started in the 19th century yet women couldn’t vote until the 1920s, the actual reasons why the Republicans freed the slaves and why Jim Crow Laws and Lynch Laws were practiced and nobody (even the black activists and former abolitionists at the time) bat an eye, how the Democratic Party along with the First Wave Feminists are a bunch of racists and eugenicists (Yes I’m looking at you Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton) and many many more. As someone who sucks at reading non fictions, I can truly say this is such an insightful, eye opening and educational gem!
Additionally, Davis discussed about how capitalism, the patriarchy, and racism relate to each other and how gender complementarity is a myth that was historically never practiced by anyone in society except wealthy white men and women post WW2. Someone do Jordan Peterson a favor and give him a copy of this book please? Or just get him off twitter, either or will be appreciated lol:))))
Anyhow, highly recommend! Even if you are not left leaning, it’s still a super well written and insightful piece!
Ps: I wished Davis could write about trans issues as well because I just know she’s gonna slay:))) but maybe that’s too much for the 80s lol