Keeping up with one of my resolutions, I read Ain’t I a Woman by Bell Hooks and I decided to write about it. I am going to highlight the things that stood out to me in this book.
A BLACK FEMINIST ANALYSIS ON SLAVERY
This is the first black feminist analysis on slavery that I have read. She gave what I considered a nuanced take that centered on what black women experiences during the slave trade. Explained how rape was used as a means of terror, how black women were made to give birth to fuel the slavery machinery etc. She also discussed how a lot of tropes that are currently popular about black women can be traced way back to slavery. Really enjoyed the way she broke down her analysis of slavery through a black feminist lens.
BLACK MEN AND SEXISM
In most social justice warrior circles in America, the sexism of black men isn’t adequately discussed because racism is seen as more important. Her analysis started from slavery where she explained how black men holding positions of ‘authority’ in slave plantations were sometimes used against black women. To domestic violence and other forms of sexism that currently plague society. She does a good job of exploring this topic in-depth in her book.
Also, she discussed how the contributions of women were sidelined in the civil rights era.
WHITE WOMEN SOLIDARITY TO RACE
In her book, she discusses how white women always picked their race over their sex. She discussed how black women were segregated against in suffragettes circles. Also, she discussed how the message of second wave feminism didn’t cater to black women.
She highlighted how white women said women but only meant white women in reality. The resistance of white women to acknowledge their roles in upholding racism and racist power structures.
BLACK WOMEN AND FEMINISM
The exploration of black women and feminism in this book started from slavery till second wave feminism. From the ain’t I a woman speech by Sojourner Truth to the black feminist group of second wave feminism.
Yes, this book is named after Sojourner Truth speech
Although she was critical of setting up of separate black feminist. It seems that she saw them as a reactionary means that didn’t generally help in dealing with sexist oppression.
BELL HOOKS AND HER SOCIALISM
It is very obvious that she is a socialist. The book shows that she believes socialism to be the way to solve class, race, and sex problems. I am a capitalist ( here meaning I think capitalism is the most efficient economic system that we have), but her take on socialist principles was intriguing.
HER CRITIQUE OF THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT
From her book, it was clear that she thought the feminist movement, had become more of assmilation into a world of patriarchy that women’s liberation. She made it clear that she thought feminists were more concerned about being “surrogate men” than liberating women.
