In The Combahee River collective, there is a quote, “We might use our position at the bottom to make a clear leap into revolutionary action.  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.” First, black women facing more issues in their lives and social classes. For white women, when they facing a sexism issue, it is a sexism issue; but if a black woman facing a sexism issue, it is not only a sexism issue, but also a racism issue. For black women group, sexism and racism these two elements effect them and it could not separate them when discuss one topic; Second, black women group are placing at the bottom of system racism and classism; if you want to set black women free, you have to remove the root of the whole system, not just save one or two black women free from these group.

The Combahee River also bought up the concept “identity politics”, she wrote “I believe that the most profound and potentially most radical politics come directly out of our own identity, as opposed to working to end somebody else’s oppression. In the case of Black women this is a particularly repugnant, dangerous, threatening, and therefore revolutionary concept because it is obvious from looking at all the political movements that have preceded us that anyone is more worthy of liberation than ourselves. We reject pedestals, queenhood, and walking ten paces behind. To be recognized as human, levelly human, is enough.

We should address and tell our own identities stories and experience, use these as a way to connect with our own groups, and by sharing it can empower us, also by telling our own stories, you won’t wait for other people to tell your stories, or even worse, they may rewrite your stories. In Paris is Burning, it shows us that how queer community was and how the queer culture was during that time. When the society doesn’t accept them, how they unite together and build their own culture and their own way to live.

Capitalism does effect a lot for race and gender. One of the examples is pink tax. Why pockets of women’s pants are so much smaller than the ones of men’s? And why women’s haircut is much expensive than men’s? Another example is equal pay-most countries in the earth still pay differently for women and men even they are doing the same jobs and position. Also same for race, most time for the same job, black people get paid less than white people. There are the impact I see when capitalism impacts race and gender.

The Combahee River Collective states, “We might use our position at the bottom to make a clear leap into revolutionary action.  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.” This means that (nearly) all systems of oppression are affecting black women; classism, racism, sexism. If we are to view oppression in a societally hierarchical context, black women would be at the base of the pyramid. But in addition to the race and gender layer of it, being poor, LGBT or disabled adds another layer of oppression and new set of to these individuals. The CRC shares an example of the intersectionality of racism and sexism, stating “We were told in the same breath to be quiet both for the sake of being “ladylike” AND to make us less objectionable in the eyes of white people”

In terms of today’s political climate and societal addressing of oppression, I think that ableism is still being routinely ignored. It does not make sense to me to exclude disabled people from gaining rights and freedom. Think about it, disabled people are a part of EVERY group. Every race, every age, every gender, every class, every sexuality, every religious group etc. We cannot have complete intersectionality and liberation without addressing ableism. 

The Combahee River Collective shares the concept of “identity politics”. They believe that “the most profound and potentially most radical politics come directly out of our own identity, as opposed to working to end somebody else’s oppression.” This essentially means that we can’t wait for someone else to fight for our oppression nor can we work to end someone else’s oppression before addressing ours. Nearly all causes/movements are formed and pushed by the people being oppressed.

This concept is evident in Paris is Burning, as it covered the stories of many individuals that ranged from black, latinx, gay, trans, sex workers, poor, and/or living with AIDS. The movie addressed the intersection of race, class, gender and sexuality. Black people at the time were not allowed in what were considered the “good white jobs.” Many women had to resort to risky sex work to make money to survive; Others ended up stealing. 

Capitalism is set up to fail bipoc and women. Statistically, women are paid less, BIPOC women even more so. People with names that society views as “too black/ethnic and ghetto”, often get instantly glossed over in job applications simply due to prejudice. Black people often have “white names” to try to prevent this.  A good example of the gender and capitalism crossover is the Pink Tax on women’s products especially personal hygiene products. Women’s razors often cost more than men’s razors. There is also theory that women’s razors are purposefully meant to be less effective than men’s razors, to increase sales and profits. Women/vulva owners are being forced to pay (plus tax!!) on personal hygiene products. There is no sense as to why. Nobody CHOSE to have a period, it is just something that comes with our biology. Why should someone have to pay money for that?? Since this is a consistent monthly issue, this money adds up quick. We see lack of access to personal hygiene products like tampons and pads is a huge issue among the homeless. If you can, it is better to donate things like that over clothes.

From 1974 through 1980, the Combahee River Collective was a Black Feminist Lesbian organization. This interdisciplinary group was formed in response to a perception that neither the feminist nor civil rights movements were adequately representing the interests of Black women and lesbians. The Combahee River Collective Statement, which was an important document in the development of contemporary Black Feminism, was created by the collective. In the quote “We might use our position at the bottom to make a clear leap into revolutionary action.  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.” The statement is widely regarded as one of the most persuasive texts created by Black feminists, highlighting an aspect of intersectionality that previous documents had rarely addressed. It connects societal problems that are unique to women and Black people, such as sexual and racial discrimination and homophobia, to provide a vital lens for moving toward a solution.

Before becoming aware of the concepts of sexual politics, patriarchal domination, and, most significantly, feminism, the political analysis and practice that we women employ to fight oppression, many black feminists write of their sentiments of madness. Black female politics are inextricably linked to Black liberation movements, particularly those of the 1960s and 1970s. Many of us were involved in those movements (Civil Rights, Black nationalism, and the Black Panthers), and their philosophies, goals, and methods influenced and transformed our entire lives. Our experiences and disillusionment inside these liberation groups, as well as our experience on the fringe of the white male left, prompted us to establish a politics that was anti-racist and anti-sexist, unlike white women’s, and unlike Black and white men’s. There is certainly a personal genesis for Black Feminism, that is, the political realization that arises from individual Black women’s ostensibly intimate experiences. Sexual oppression has been a persistent part in our day-to-day lives for Black feminists and many more Black women who do not identify as feminists. We noticed that we were different from boys as children and that we were treated differently. For example, we were encouraged to stay quiet both to be “ladylike” and to make us less disagreeable in the eyes of white people in the same breath. The political and economic dimensions of queer of color critique were suggested in the film “Paris Is Burning.” It was an attempt to steer sexuality discussions toward race and economic critiques. As a result, the formation spoke to Marxism, ethnic studies, queer studies, postcolonial studies, and feminist studies. Queer of color criticism also established a framework for examining cultural formations as registry of race, political economy, gender, and sexuality intersections. 

Despite its emphasis on freedom and equality, capitalism and its attitude toward civil statuses and exploitation examines the origins of racism in capitalism, as well as its indifference to the social identities of the people it exploits. As a result, looking at racial oppression as a tool for capitalist control of the working class. Finally, it emphasizes the crucial contrast between oppression and exploitation. These disparate relationships also have extremely varied effects on social agents’ and groups’ conduct, as well as their life opportunities and forms of social conflict.

I see people of color to be the backbone and the building blocks to society. So once we help the ones that were placed on the bottom, it would cause the whole tower of oppression to collapse. I think that women of color have it much harder than men of color just because the women were seen as less than an object. I believe that if we can raise poc women up the ladder, then it would allow others who fall under the same oppression to rise with them. As Black Women, there are many different types of oppression they face in comparison to white women. When the women’s rights movement was in session to get the right to vote, black women still weren’t allowed to, not because they were women, but because they were black. Even though all the women in the states were fighting for the same thing, equal rights to vote, that didn’t acknowledge or represent black women. I believe that the Combahee River Collective’s meaning behind “identity politics” is more self made. So, they focus more on their identities, race, and other forms of identities to form their own political standards instead of focusing on the big group. This is seen in Paris Is Burning because most of the women there had their own forms of identity politics. They place boundaries and situations from inside their circle and outside their circles. These identity politics form what political views we want to follow based on how we view ourselves. When it comes to capitalism, race and gender are very important. It is especially when the both are intertwined. Race and gender have always been a problem in humanity because there has always been a race and gender which is seen as superior. Those being the white race and male gender. This can connect back to capitalism because capitalism can be seen as having hierarchies and if you don’t fit in being a white man, then most likely you are at the bottom of the spectrum. What I’ve noticed from capitalism is that people like me, a poor woman of color, can not move out of this poverty. Whenever one tries to move up the system, it is only made harder for us to continue and eventually we are bumped back down to the bottom. This system was made so that people like me cannot prosper. That’s what race and gender have to do with capitalism in my opinion.

When reading the quote ” We might use our position at the bottom to make a clear leap into revolutionary action. 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” I had to break it down. Starting off with the first sentence, it reminded me of the article we read discussing the ways in which black women weren’t given many job opportunities in the tech field as compared to a white woman. One can say that black women are positioned at the bottom due to how they aren’t given equal opportunities. With this in mind, by them being at the bottom, it can help into truly show how they try their hardest to get to where they want to be. When society is against you, you tend to have no other choice but rather than fight to get to the top and get to where you desire and want to be rather than settling for what is already being given to you. This is where the leap into revolution action would take place because rather than settling for what is being handed to one, you’re working towards obtaining the change you want and need. What I think the Combahee River collective means by “identity politics” is rather than focusing on a grander group of people, it falls upon one’s own identity. In the reading, it states ” In the case of Black women this is a particularly repugnant, dangerous, threatening, and therefore revolutionary concept because it is obvious from looking at all the political movements that have preceded us that anyone is more worthy of liberation than ourselves. We reject pedestals, queenhood, and walking ten paces behind. To be recognized as human, levelly human, is enough.” What I got from this that helped me understand identity politics is that one’s own struggles that they have to face. When one realizes the way in which they are struggling, it can aid them in joining others that can share similar personal struggles and work towards breaking away from what society has thrown at them. In Paris is Burning, we were able to see this because it comes as no surprise how society and capitalism have shaped certain viewpoints on things. When it comes down to gender, there are certain things that are targeted to be for only males while other things are meant to be for only females. One’s gender also seems to be something that dictates what one’s strengths and weaknesses are (the idea that men are stronger than women but women vice versa) as well as any advantages and opportunities that can be given to them.

“We might use our position at the bottom to make a clear leap into revolutionary action. 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.” What is meant by this quote is that the Black feminists of the Combahee River Collective believe in tackling the oppression placed upon them piece by piece in order to detangle it from the intersectionality of this oppressive umbrella in hopes of dismantling each, no matter how gruesome or long the journey. This is what they have found to be the answer in, one day, fulling realizing a world free of constrictions and inferiority for Black women everywhere. It is apparent just how tricky this can be throughout the reading as we are able to witness how shifts and transitions occur in the movement depending on the issues they’ve decided to focus on at different times where women come and go from collective. “The major source of difficulty in our political work is that we are not just trying to fight oppression on one front or even two, but instead to address a whole range of oppressions. We do not have racial, sexual, heterosexual, or class privilege to rely upon, nor do we have the minimal access to resources and power any of these types of privileges have.” (line 8-11, Problems in Organizing Black feminists). Here, their position at the bottom is emphasized portraying what’s working against the movement as well as what must be confronted simultaneously. By “identity politics”, the Combahee River Collective meant that they were actively commited to struggling against racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppressions in each of their actions. The Collective wanted to try remembering to keep this at their forefront as much as possible because the presence of these oppressions that were systemically and subliminally placed through history have managed to become the prisons they have for women by these issues remaining ignored during daily encounters that eventually set the tone for how things are. Identity politics refers to a tendency for people of a particular community to form exclusive alliances, moving away from tradition. This is very evident in Paris is Burning, as the Ball lifestyle that is depicted in the film is essentially a world created by drag queens living in New York where we get to see the “house” cultures they create to provide a sense of community and support for those that are often shunned socially. Capitalism thrives off of race and gender. Because of how it inherently usually functions, capitalism continues to keep the power and wealth within the same systems that neglect minorities due to historical racial and socioeconomic statuses. Gender is also connected to capitalism as it is used by the public to coerce us through marketing as well as oneself in receiving advantages/opportunities based upon on our perceived sex or gender.

In the Combahee River Collection Statment, we discuss major topics regarding Black feminism, what they believe, their politics, the problems that occur within the history of this collective, and the issues and practice. The quote, “We might use our position at the bottom to make a clear leap into revolutionary action. 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.” must be broken down by each sentence. A Black womans position is systemically at the bottom. Combahee explains that there are no other environments in society that are anywhere near compatible to the struggle of a Black woman. At the bottom, the only way to be recognized and appreciated would be to fight the entire world that is constantly working against them. Their position at the bottom evokes “revolutionary action”, in that, if everyone was free, Black women would be too. Their freedom would break down the systems of oppression that have been built upon for centuries.

The Combahee River collective explains the concept of identity politics by turning their focus towards their own identities, rather than working to end the oppression of others. This is a step for radical change because it is dangerous. They are worthy of taking their own politics and the political movements from the past to liberate themselves and be recognized as human. Their love for themselves and their community allows them to continue their struggle and focus on creating change from within. In Paris Is Burning, the queens and mothers of the house use their identity politics to set boundaries inside and outside of the safe space they created. We also see identity politics when we hear the stories of those who long to be remembered for what they did for the people of the ballrooms. Many explain how they wish to be recognized as feminine, or want to be famous from all corners of the world. Within the group they created they are able to make these fantasies their ultimate reality, focusing on those who love and care for them helps to make their identity politics flourish in a safe space.

Capitalism constantly profits off of race and gender. We see this every time we go into a drug store, or in ads on the Subway. Marketing is a major part of this. For example, if a white man owns a brand for Black hair products, he is using Black people to pose on the labels and advertisements of the products, while he profits from the consumers; Black people. This also goes hand in hand with gender. Companies market baby items as pink and blue so that the consumer has to pick between limited options, rather than making the items gender neutral. Another major example of this is Amazon. Many minorities work under the umbrella of jobs that Amazon provides, but get underpaid and overworked. The cooperation is worth billions and yet we still see unsafe working conditions while workers are not compensated properly.