African American Women: From Slavery, to Segregation to the White House

Introduction:

W.E.B. DuBois (1868-1963) in 1903 wrote about the ‘Double Consciousness’ that plagued the minds of African Americans. This ‘Double Consciousness’, as Du Bois explains, is being ‘both a Negro and an American’ (Souls of Black Folk) and the concept of having these two conflicting identities brings unrest to the ‘soul’ of the ‘American Negro’. Although praised and developed many critics, it is evident that when DuBois formed his theory of ‘Double Consciousness’ he only shaped it around the male ‘American Negro’. In a blog by Kathy Henry, she claims African American have a ‘Triple Consciousness’, in which she claims is ‘being born black, American, and female, with second-class citizenship across the board’. Here, Henry highlights the concept of having ‘second class citizenship across the board’, which suggests that being an African American Female is somewhat ‘worse’ than being a white women, or an African American.

Although, despite the physical and psychological difficulties faced by female African Americans throughout history, there situation has been improved since the founding of the USA. The National Women’s History Museum have put together an online museum named ‘Claiming Their Citizenship: African American Women from 1624-2009’, in which explores periods in which the lives and status of African American women have been improved. This Blog will focus two of these sections, in which have drastically improved the situation for female African Americans. These are: The Civil Rights and Vietnam era (1955-1979) and the New Millennium (2001-Present).

The Civil Rights Era (1955-1979)

“Black women since the nineteenth century have initiated civil rights campaigns. They established black women’s organizations that improved the conditions for African Americans. They organized black consumers, supported labor unions and worked in politics and journalism…in the 1960s, during the height of the civil rights movement, they were the backbone of the movement. All over the South, black women were crucial as grassroots leaders, stimulating mass participation in the movement.” (Hine, Black Women in America)

The ‘Civil Rights Era’ chronicles an important period in American History in which saw African Americans rally together in order to gain support in improving their situation in the USA. The section dedicated to this period on the National Women’s History Museum features prominent male figures campaign such as ‘John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King’, ‘Robert Kennedy’ and ‘Lyndon Johnson’ whom were all instrumental in encouraging civil rights and also in implementing domestic policies improving the situation of African Americans. Although the section concludes by introducing the actions of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott as the origins of the Civil Rights movement. Furthermore it discusses the importance of other women’s roles in the ‘national movement’ that ‘demanded an end to de jure segregation.’ One example the site gives is of Jo Ann Robinson, who was president of the ‘Women’s Political Council, an organization of black women active in anti-segregation activities and politics’. Robinson, also notably published a memoir, The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Woman Who Started It in 1987.

The Civil Rights Era as an important historical period is often remembered through the eyes of those aforementioned ‘male heroes’. Although, the roles of women during the civil rights era, encapsulated in the introductory quote and throughout this blog, should also be praised for advocating change.

The New Millennium (2001-Present Day)

The video above from ‘The United State of Women’ highlights the position of women in America today. The Video highlights a multicultural and multi-faith approach in which distinguishes ‘the new millennium’ from the civil rights era. Instead of advocating a form of unity between men and women, blacks and whites like those during the civil rights era had, this video represents a separatist approach towards gender. Although, this approach does help to distinguish prominent 21^st century Women (and African American Women) from there ‘male counterparts'. Furthermore, this approach blurs the lines of skin color, which had 50 years earlier had defined your position in America. 

Many of the African American Women featured in the video are prominent figures within the realms of politics and pop-culture, and many of them continue positively influence others with the focus on professionalism and education, rather than their physical representations. An example of one African American Women, who also features in the National Women’s History Museum, is First Lady Michelle Obama. The Women’s History Museum describes Michelle as an ‘ivy-leagued educated, professional, black woman’ and that her presence has ‘led to celebration throughout the country.’ This professional description further exemplifies the equal and/or 'level playing field' between men and women in modern day America.

Bibliography:

Du Bois, W.E.B, The Souls of Black Folk, USA: First Yale University Press Edition.2015

Hine, Darlene. Black Women in America (Oxford University Press, 2005), 233. 

National Women's History website link

https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/africanamerican/index.html   

Triple Consciousness and the Black Woman, Kathy Henry. 

http://www.beyondblackwhite.com/triple-consciousness-black-woman/