Being black is already hard enough and comes with a lot of struggle and day to day fight but to be a black woman is much worse. Not only are you looked down on for your race but your gender as well. Having to constantly fight to prove you’re worthy and deserve to be treated equally is hard for women of color. I find it sad that black women are oppressed by their kind, black men. People who know how hard it is to already be black, the very ones who are supposed to be with them and not against them. It has been said in THE COMBAHEE RIVER COLLECTIVE STATEMENT that “The reaction of Black men to feminism has been notoriously negative. They are, of course, even more threatened than Black women by the possibility that Black feminists might organize around our own needs. They realize that they might not only lose valuable and hardworking allies in their struggles but that they might also be forced to change their habitually sexist ways of interacting with and oppressing Black women.” (Combahee River Collective). Women being treated the same as men shouldn’t be threatening at all. Women finally being seen as an equal is a major accomplishment from years of sacrifices and hardwork from feminist before our time. The fact that it’s seen in such a negative light by men shows how comfortable they are oppressing women which is even more sad. Looking back on the history of black feminist and what they fought for and comparing it to right now to see that not much has changed is aggravating. Black women are facing the same problems and in a constant fight to be equal to men which shouldn’t be something they should be fighting for to begin with. Mario snapshot stating “I am no longer accepting the things i cannot change, i am changing the things i cannot accept” explains perfectly what black femenist are doing. Taking matters in their own hands and fighting for change.

In the video Paris is Burning African-American, Latino, gay, and transgender people talk about their gender/ sexuality and some experiences they had. I gained a lot of knowledge from watching this film and it showed me how much the LGBTQ community goes through. At the ball they are able to dress up as whatever they want and do whatever without having to worry about how they are seen. While watching this I realized straight people can openly be themselves anywhere without having to worry about being judged because of how “normal” being straight is seen. But people in the LGBTQ community dont all have a safe space where they can freely be themselves. The ball is that space for them where they can express themselves in whatever way they see fit, whether that’s through their clothes or makeup. While watching them dance I can see how comfortable everyone is and how well supported they are. Not having many places where you can openly be yourself can start to affect how you view yourself.