Last modified on Thu 4 Mar 2021 19.54 EST
In 1969, the Black American feminist Frances Beal published a pamphlet titled Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female. In it, Beal argued that the idea of two separate genders acting in distinctly gendered ways was a concept shaped by commerce, motivated by a need to sell products that enhance or distinguish gender even more. The version of womanhood seen in popular magazines such as Ladies’ Home Journal
– middle class, affluent, and with disposable income – she pointed out, was not an aspirational reality for Black women, given the arduous and low-paying domestic work that they are often tasked with; such is the nature of the US economy.
Celebrating Black History Month - An Excerpt from RACISM IN AMERICAN PUBLIC LIFE by Dr. Johnetta Betsch Cole
In celebration of Black History Month, we are pleased to offer this selection from the introduction of Dr. Johnetta Cole s new book RACISM IN AMERICAN PUBLIC LIFE: A Call to Action.
As I was completing my final revisions for this book, two monumental events occurred in the United States. The first was the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the most deadly health crisis since the flu pandemic of 1918. The second was the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, and the subsequent demonstrations that in June alone involved as many as 26 million people nationwide, with more than 40 percent of U.S. counties participating in the protests.
When Black Movements Win, Everybody But the 1 Percent Wins
Protesters march with family members of victims of police brutality through Midtown Manhattan on July 31, 2020, in New York City.
Scott Heins / Getty Images
Donald Trump and the right wing refer to Black protesters as âthugsâ and âlootersâ guilty of âtreason.â In contrast, liberals offer support for the protests, urging white people to become âalliesâ to the movement.
Though their rhetoric is starkly different, there is a dangerous overlap between the Trumpian and liberal views. They both imply that concessions won by Black protesters will hurt white people. Trump tells whites to defend their interests, while liberals urge them to make altruistic sacrifices.