LEARNING MODULE FIVE
(due Saturday by noon)
Imagine bell hooks joins the Combahee River Collective and in a consciousness-raising group reads her article “Straightening Our Hair”, and shows the film clip “A Girl Like Me”. Based upon your readings for this week, discuss a black feminist perspective to this topic. How would the Collective approach the issue, especially with regard to privilege, interlocking oppressions, “the personal is political”, and a critique of the limitations of dominant feminist and anti-racist approaches to hierarchies of inequality. What new perspectives might they offer? Be creative…imagine you are sitting at the table with them!
http://www.understandingrace.org/lived/video/index.html
I think that many black women are not only oppressed because they are women but also because of their race. If i were to be sitting at a table with them i would bring up a cerating "African beauty awareness day". This day would be filled with the recognizataions of african women and why they are unique and beautiful.i think they would agree with me as well. Not only do i think we should have a day for African beauty but for all races, so we can endure the beauty that some do not realize.
ReplyDeleteIn the new generation, african american women feel that it is required to have your hair straightened. Black women are already opressed because they are women and they are black so one thing they might feel they have a need to do is to straighten their hair. The collective might approach this by pushing efforts to let black women where their natural hair dues without being oppressed for it and having to straighten it.
ReplyDeleteBlack women are not only oppressed by their gender but also by their race as a whole. They are oppressed by white people and black men. As we read in the "Black Male Privilege" black men have the privelege to compare black women to the European standard in body, hair and skin type. It is important for the new generation to embrace the beauty of individuals and stop comparing each person to one another. Nobody's body is the same, nobody's hair or skin is the same so as we compare ourselves to other women of the same race we are also doing more damage to other races as well. In this reading it shows the importance to bring awareness to black women and embracing the natural beauty such as the texture and style of their hair. Some may feel it necesarry to straighten their hair to "fit in" with the white women but we should embrace our beauty and differences as women and let the natural hair be the new style.
ReplyDeleteBlack women as a whole are doubly oppressed. AS we learned in the reading, not only are they oppressed by the white majority, but also African-American men who hold up the "ideal" of the European Standard. This "goal" is impossible to reach because black women and Caucasian women generally have very different physical characteristics. Also, because of the Beauty Myth, many black women feel it is not okay to have doubts about their own body image, even when they're being urged by the men to look like someone they're simply not.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd try to organize an event to get women talking about unfair beauty "ideals" and how the women themselves feel like they could change them in a positive way.
Black women have had a problem with oppression for as long as they were on this earth. Feeling the need to meet society's vision makes it even harder. For example, in the article "straightning our hair," black women felt as if they had to do something such as straighten their hair. Not only are balck women oppressed due to their gender but also their race by men and women.I think instead of having so many commercials that show someone taking away the "natural" hair style by stragihtnig, maybe show ways to enhance the beauty of "all natural."
ReplyDeleteI think Claire Manas had a great idea also!! That sounds really cool!
ReplyDeleteThe straight truth is black women are on the bottom of the social ladder. Being in this position they have to work the most to fit in with society today. This can be shown in the article "Straighting Our Hair." The clip "A Girl Like Me" to me was a bunch of bull because children where im from would never choose white over black for anything. The Collective women would have probably been disappointed to see how black women are struggling to keep up with there peers.
ReplyDelete@Deneara P I like your post especially the ending about women being "all natural"
ReplyDelete@k.Gibson You are complete right in my mind about the "ideals" people are trying to follow.
ReplyDeleteBlack women undoubtedly are oppressed not only based on their gender but their race as well. After reading the article, "Straightening Our Hair," I couldn't help but think about privelege. When we discussed privelege in class the absolute first thing that came to mind was how women of different races have the privelege to not have to or feel oppressed to straighten their hair. While it would be easy to say, I will forever wear my hair naturally beacuse I'm proud of my race and all of the accomplishments we have made as black women, it's hard to feel comfortable when you are surrounded by the ideal beauty in America, the white blonde woman with pin straight, blowing in the wind hair. While hair for black women may have started out as bonding between women, it surely has shifted to a way in which we are oppressed. I think that a black feminist would approach these issues in a way where black women would understand that we are beautiful, naturally. I think that programs should be put in place for young black girls to instill a sense of self confidence at a young age wheer they aren't comparing themselves to the white, bonde, straight-haired image they see on tv but rather to the strong female image they see in their household, their mothers.
ReplyDelete@Ambre I completely agree with how your stance on how women should embrace their beauty and individuality instead of comparing ourselves to each other. I think that having that kind of self esteem would make a positive difference in how women see themselves and interact with each other.
ReplyDeleteIn our world today, straightning hair is the norm for just about every white female. So African American women are compelled to do the same even though they may not want to or even be able to depending on their hair type. Putting myslef in a black womans position, I would not straighten my hair just because everybody else does. It is your hair and you should be able to wear it however way you want. After reading through the readings this week I can see why it is difficult for black women to fit in especially since how you look is the number one thing that everybody will judge you on. I would come up with an advertisement that indicates women out and about with all types of hair not worrying if their hair is stick straight.
ReplyDeleteClaire Manas- great idea!
ReplyDeleteJasmine Curlee- totally agree that hair is now oppressed
ReplyDeleteBlack women have the same reputation that they have had for the past several decades. It's completely wrong and unjust, but they have done a good job of being strong and moving their way up in the world. For example there are several female black athletes, such as the Williams sisters playing tennis, who are making statements for not only themselves but their gender and race. This idea is portrayed in the article "Straitening Our Hair." Black women also prove that they want to make a statement and prove everyone wrong in the clip "A Girl Like Me." The fact that black women feel the need to change for people to appeal to them without being all natural just shows how ridiculous the stereotyping of our society still is. I agree with the woman who says that the first Africans to move here have been ripped out of their culture. I think that everyone needs to give them a chance to be themselves without having to judge them right off the bat.
ReplyDeleteBlack Women are oppressed on their gender and their race. They are compared to European standard by black men by their hair, body type, and sometimes in attitude. Today, the collective women would probably be angry that black women are listening to the standards of what others think and not doing their own thing. A new perspective would maybe be to show black women in commercials and television shows as being more natural, without straight hair or a perm, and showing any time of body type not just one that is expected on black women.
ReplyDelete@Jasmine I completely agree that young black girls should start having a confidence at a young age, and knowing that they shouldn't be compared to the tall blond. Girls whether black or white I think should always go all natural and not have to change to what they think society is looking for.
ReplyDeleteI think black women are one of the most oppressed group. They are oppressed due to their gender and race. Growing up, many young black girls get the idea that they are suppose to be like white girls. They think that they are not okay the way they are. This is a big problem because this has young black girls aiming for something they will never achieve. They can not be white, nor should they think they have to be. With the doll test many of the children said they darker doll was bad because it was black. Our society teaches them they are bad or are more likely to be bad because they are black. It's not right. I think the collective might take an approach to display the beauty of black women. Instead of having black women exploited for the things they should change. They should gear society to think that black women are beautiful and should not try to change their appearance. Lighter does not mean more beautiful. They could host campaigns and conferences for young black women to show them to embrace their culture not the culture of white women.
ReplyDeleteOppression for black women is a huge problem that they have dealt with for a very long time. The article "Straightening Our Hair" discussed how black women felt uncomfortable with the way their hair looked naturally and tried to make it look like white women's hair, who mainly straighten it. For example, in the clip, "A Girl Like Me," a young girl said she decided that she wanted to wear her hair naturally but her mom made her change it because she looked "too African." All women should be able to feel comfortable with themselves - it's how they were born, how God made them. Nobody should make anyone else feel ashamed for that. After going through the assigned readings, I feel that I have a better understanding of exactly how difficult it is for black women in society and the self-esteem and confidence issues they must struggle with. If I was a black woman, I would feel that it was so hard for me to be myself when you constantly have people telling you to change yourself and how you look or you're not pretty or beautiful. How awful is it that society does that to black women.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I did not like the experiment that they did in the clip "A Girl Like Me." It is terrible that African American kids said that the white doll was "nice" and the black doll was "bad" and then asked them which doll they looked like and picked the "bad" one. It is so incredibly sad that they are that young and society makes them feel that they are bad people because of their skin color, something they have no control over. That is ridiculous.
Beauty should have no standards. The fact that any person would write a book about how to make a girl "more beautiful" is terrible. In the movie, its empowering to hear women discuss what society tells them is what they should want to look like, and then hear them say they don't care if they dont look like that. THe doll experiment was very offense to me. I think they can discuss beauty without bringing in varying opinions that do not represent racist thoughts. The questions seemed very direct towards the child, as though the answers were planned. It was very disturbing to me.
ReplyDelete@Rebecca I agree with you about the experiment. It was horrible that they were that young and realizing that the "bad" doll was their color. At the same time though, it definitely showed a lot about how society is already making them thing these things while being so young.
ReplyDelete@Claire Manas, I love the idea of an African Beauty Awareness Day! It would be a great way to spark conversation between black women and help increase self-esteem and confidence.
ReplyDelete@Kevin Noonan, I like that you mentioned how Africans were ripped from their culture.
ReplyDelete@Skye Robinson, I agree with you that black women should embrace their culture, but I think it is hard for most to do that because they do not know what country in Africa they came from so they don't really know their culture, that is besides the culture of the African American community where they live in the states.
ReplyDelete@ambre rypien... I think you have a good point especially about how you said that women should express themselves naturally and not trying to be somebody they are not.
ReplyDelete@Grace Wilson... I think you are right that beauty has no standards because no one should be thinking about how society views a person based on their beauty.
ReplyDelete@DeMarcus McClain
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you have to say about black women today. I like your ideas about the Collective's possible approach towards this stupid act of having to change their hair just to be accepted.
As we read in the reading, African American women do not sit high on the hierarchy ladder. So they are already for a lack of better words, not taken seriously. And I've spoken with and African American female on this topic. Black girls do in fact find it appropriate to straighten their hair not only because it is now a social norm, but because they do not want to be viewed as any less of a person by rocking the "African" look. They do not want people to look at them as i guess a "black girl", due to there oppression.
ReplyDelete