Words of Wisdom
bell hooks on the strength of Black women
While some believe that African descended women are not impacted by White Supremacy, due to our strength, bell hooks rightly critiques this assumption. We are reposting these words by bell hooks which addresses these assumptions. Please read the following words of wisdom in honor of bell hooks:
"When feminists acknowledge in one breath that Black women are victimized and in the same breath emphasize their strength, they imply that though Black women are oppressed they manage to circumvent the damaging impact of oppression by being strong - and that is simply not the case. Usually, when people talk about the "strength" of Black women, they are referring to the way in which they perceive Black women coping with oppression. They ignore the reality that to be strong in the face of oppression is not the same as overcoming oppression, that endurance is not to be confused with transformation." bell hooks, Ain't I a Woman, 1987
Whether you are primarily located in parish ministry, academic scholarship or a different form of religious activism, the summer often represents a brief hiatus. During your the summer break, please consider how misogynoir (hatred of Black women) operates in many ways which can be nuanced and subtle.
While the strength of Black, African descended women has been a necessary tool in combating racialized and gendered forms of hostility and hatred, no one should be forced to demonstrate "strength" all the time. If you consider yourself an ally but have watched and/or participated in pushing Black women to the outer periphery of academia or religious leadership, do not placate your uneasiness with assurances that the woman in question is "strong." Instead, remember this: she is human.
The Misogynoir to Mishpat (M2M) Research Network (c) 2023
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