Category: Essay #2

Second-wave Feminism

The Second-wave feminism that was in the 1960s to late 1980 focused on issues of equality and discrimination. They focused on women’s cultural and political inequalities as being linked together, and they encouraged women to think of their personal lives and the way they reflected sexist power structures. They united to achieve fi al liberation from male supremacy. They wanted to fight to liberate women and empower them politically. They believed that women were victims of false beliefs that require them to identify themselves through husbands and children. According to them, this notion causes them to lose their own identities and identify through their families. The wave believed in creating equality and stopping discrimination. At the time, the idea was that women could find fulfillment through being homemakers and bearing children. This notion was vehemently opposed by the feminists who wanted women to identify themselves politically, and this could be achieved by creating equality and ending discrimination. At that time, most women were limited in terms of careers. This wave came when women were returning to their work as housewives and mothers after the second world war. After the world war, women’s positions to replace men who had gone to war were supposed to leave them for the men who were now returning from war. The women created their own popular culture, and they spread the movement through films, music, and books.

In the Redstockings Manifesto, which outlined the vision for feminists, they say, “Women are an oppressed class. Our oppression is total, affecting every facet of our lives.”(Redstockings, 1970). From this quote, it is clear that women felt that they were oppressed and not given the space for development. According to them, the oppression was dragging them down in all facets of life. They believed that they were exploited as sex objects, breeders, domestic servants, and cheap labor. At the expense of their development, women were supposed to be homemakers and bear children. Women were considered inferior beings, and their sole purpose was to make men’s lives better. This was a sign that they were denied their humanity. Women had been reduced to objects to enhance the lives of men. The oppressors, in this case, were men who see women as mere objects that are supposed to enhance their lives and make homes better. This reading resonates with me because it laid bare the issues facing women and their need to liberate themselves.

In the article by Judy Brady, “I want a wife,” there is still the same message. She defined a wife and a husband, and the reading became very famous. In the article, she says, “Why do I want a wife? I would like to go back to school to become economically independent, support myself, and support those who depend on me. I want a wife to take care of my kids as I go to school” from the quote we can understand that the issue of homemaking and family was what was keeping women away from developing themselves (Brady, 1972). The author says that she wants a wife to take care of her children while she is away. This shows that the role of wives was just to be a homemaker and raise kids for men. They could not get any space to go out and have self-development. 

In both texts, the message is one: women needed to be liberated and achieve self-development. To achieve development, there was a need to redefine the roles of a wife from just merely a homemaker and someone who is meant to enhance the man’s life to someone proactive in society. The readings resonate so much with my belief because women were oppressed, and they needed empowerment.

References

Redstockings, M. (1970). Redstockings manifesto. Sisterhood Is Powerful: An Anthology of Writings from the Women’s Liberation Movement, 533-536.

Brady, J. (1972). Why I want a wife. 75 Readings: An Anthology, 325-327.

The feminist movent durning the 1960s to 1980s was a complicated period. It was a transitional period as well. It went from the traditional understanding of feminism from a predominantly traditional sexism perspective to understanding the complexities of the Black woman experience, other women of color and women who did not fit typical societal norms. In this essay I will analyze the shift in the movement and the importance of that shift. 

In the early 1970s there was an article written entitled, “I Want A Wife” by Judy Brady. The article talks from a first person perspective about the desire to want a wife after a conversation with a male friend. The author does a fantastic way of placing imagery in our minds about the difficulties of being a wife as well as a woman. The expectations of wives and women are similar to a servant. In the article Brady says, “ I want a wife who takes care of the needs of my guests so that they feel comfortable, who makes sure that they have an ashtray, that they are passed the hors d’oeuvres, that they are offered a second helping of the food, that their wine glasses are replenished when necessary, that their coffee is served to them as they like it.” This quote seems like a dramatized vision of the responsibilities of a wife but I believe it isn’t. I believe the author’s purpose was to emphasize a reality for some women. In the beginning of the piece she talks about simple tasks that women generally endure. As the article progresses the imagery seems subservient and less humane. The article forces me as a man to think about my own projections or expectations I have for women. 

Black women were always involved in the feminist movement. However, they weren’t always equally represented in the complex ways in which they experience both racism and sexism simultaneously. It seemed to be too complicated of a subject for white women and black men to understand during the time period. Granted it was not all black men and white women. Similar to Black women, women who have not fit societal norms, such as queer women, were also always involved in the feminist movement. In the article, “How Do We Get Free” introduced by Keeanga- Yamahtta Taylor, they speak of the Black women’s complexities of the Black Woman experience in America, and gaining political consciousness. In the article they state, “ Black women’s extremely negative relationship to the American political system (a system of white male rule) has always been determined by our membership in two oppressed racial and sexual castes.” This quote does an excellent job at simply and directly stating the relationship between Black women and America. Similar to Black men, black women experience racism and similar to white women they experience sexism. However, Black men have privilege in being men and white women have white privilege. Neither group of people experience this intersection of oppression. An issue I believed should be spoken about more, which is the reason I resonated with this article. As a black man, personally experiencing moments in which the intersection of oppression displayed itself onto my mother. I can understand the importance of this topic. Black women have a relationship with America that can only be articulated by Black women but they need the support of the black community as well. The author also speak about the dependance the black feminist movement has with the black community. I believe this to be another important topic to discuss.  Understanding the shift in the feminist movement an the necessity of the shift is important. It helps me to understand my own male privilege. As well as, ways I can assist or support women in my life. Understanding their oppression helps to create a more equal world.

essay2

Essay #2 

Carillo, Joe “And when you leave take your pictures with you, Editor: Moraga, Cherrie Anzaldua, Gloria: The Bridge Called My Back, Writings by radical women of color (Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, 1981) racism in women movement. Pg. 63 Carillo, “take your pictures with you, Pg. 63. Authors a compelling poem, of how our white sisters’ have an image of who we are as people of color, which they hang on their walls. “We’re not as happy as we look on their wall.” According to the writer our white sister depicts color people of our clothes on a factory machine or waving weapons and carrying children of color. Our white radical sisters depict what we eat, and how we live like they know our culture and what we honor. Their pictures image of us is walking in the hot flaming sun through the fields with distinct hats and clothing. Other pictures image us as slaves and they think we are submissive to their demands and when they finally meet us, not as they pictured in their head like the pictures on their walls, they do not like what they see, there are not sure if they like us, as they depicted in the first place.  

Taylor, Keeanga-Yamahtta, “How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective, 2017 (Haymarket Books Chicago Illinois). This compelling and inspiring writings of Black Feminist since 1974 have been fighting for Black Women liberation movement, in the political in a system of white supremacy. “The synthesis of these oppression creates the conditions of our lives.” Black feminists argue that they are oppressed not only by the color of their skin, but by their gender as well. The white supremacy groups have embodied Black Women as slaves. It has been a fact that Black Women have been struggling against oppression since the 1960’s. This declaration of Black Women Liberation is powerful and speaks out for other people of color. The role they played on socialism is equality by the community, as a whole and not being separated by class, color, or gender. 

These two readings speak to me, because it is an atrocity to believe that women have been fighting just for human rights and freedom from this oppressive conditions, and need liberation as is our right. No women of color should be struggling, because of their skin color or sex. This issue must have a solution and some changes need to be written as a violation of the law. We women have a key role in this nation, and we need to be respected for our demanding work and passionate effort to keep this country running in obedience to the laws written. We most hold those accountable that discriminate against women of color. We have the right and freedom of speech to demand freedom and liberation of all women of color across the board. If we allow this to continue, we will never have leaders that critically thinks with common sense, and moral ethics in equality to be able to lead this country properly.