The Combahee River Collective Statement 

The Combahee River Collective Statement was a group of Black socialist lesbian feminists who’s aim was to address multiple oppressions at once. It’s a touchy thing for me to be reminded that various equality movements ignore Black women’s plight. Black women exist at the very bottom of every oppression, race, sex, sexuality and class but that is rarely recognized even among Black women ourselves. We tend to put everyone before us not realizing that if our needs were met that would mean the people above us needs would also be met but it’s not the same the other way around. White womens liberation doesn’t equal liberation for Black women or any other WOC for that matter. Black men’s liberation doesn’t equate to Black womens liberation. In fact, both these groups achieving liberation that excludes us would mean they’d have more power to oppress us. “If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression.” (19). Black women are oppressed by the system of white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism which all work together to keep us down. The racial gender pay gap highlights perfectly how these system work together making Black women bare the brunt of their oppression. Black men don’t want to address their sexism and ultimately that is holding the Black community back, white women do not want to address their racism and that’s hold the feminist community back. The Combahee River Collective believe the aversion to listen to Black feminists on the part of men, white women and non black women socialists is ultimately what holds us back from a revolutionary change in society. The most revolutionary are the ones who are most oppressed.

Snapshot 9 Response 

I was particularly drawn to the picture posted by Mario Jesus Nava which quoted Angela Davis. It reads “ I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change, I am changing the things I cannot accept”. A powerful quote that I frequently use as an affirmation, not just for political oppression but also for everyday struggles that aren’t deeply tied to systems. If my habits are holding me back I tell myself this quote to reclaim my power over my life so I can get to work. It kicks me out of complacency and propels me into action. It’s a truly powerful statement. 

Paris is Burning 

The documentary Paris is Burning educated me further on Black and Hispanic NYC LGBTQ culture and history. It’s not the first time I’ve heard of Ball but it’s the first time I’ve gotten an in-depth history of it and its significance in the Queer community. Balls are competitive extravaganzas events created by queer people for queer people where they dress up and compete in different categories for prizes and glory. At Balls LGBTQ people could be whatever they wanted to be, they could be drag queens, models, and even dress as certain professional roles that they otherwise wouldn’t be chosen for because they were Black/Brown Queer and poor. A whole culture was birthed out of this, queer tradition and vocabulary. Terms like read, shade, and voguing which are still used today and gained popularity among those who are not Black/brown nor a part of the LGBTQ community came from Ball culture. The world doesn’t offer LGBTQ people (especially BIPOC LGBTQ people) a safe space to exist, so they created their own. Ball was their safe space, a safe space for creativity and expression, sexuality, gender identity and a shelter for those who were homeless literally and figuratively. Many LGBTQ youth who were kicked out of their homes by parents and relatives who were unaccepting of their identity found refuge and family in these spaces. Ball is a home, a representation of the resilience of the Black and Hispanic LGBTQ community, it’s prismatic personality and its influence and impact.