By Annabelle Woghiren
We are all ‘one race’ – the human race. There is genetic and fossil evidence, spearheaded by author Vanessa Hayes, which suggests that the earliest modern homo-sapiens, originated from Africa over 200,000 years ago. To be more specific, genetic traces of the ‘Mitochondrial Eve’ gene have been found in an area called Makgadikgadi (present day Botswana). Mitochondrial Eve and her descendants lived in this region for about 30,000 years. Not only are black women a core part of history, but they are spearheads of communities, leaders and organizers. Without black women, culture, communities and innovation would not be possible. Black women and their contributions to society are essential for its progression. But the fallacy of this is that black women continue to be commodified, appropriated and undervalued. Their exploitation plays a key part within the system. A direct way to value those who have been undervalued for the longest time is too amplify their efforts and work.
Firstly, social justice and a commitment to human rights plays part of an integral right to life. Black women alone have been involved in all of this since the beginning of time. From Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks and Olive Morris, black women remain as the unseen characters in the fight for equal rights. Did you know that black women are responsible for the foundation of a global human rights movement? Black lives matter came from the minds of black women. They are responsible for its conception, delivery and impact. In 2013, three radical black organizers created a black centered political movement called Black Lives Matter. This was in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. They were responsible for the building of black power across the country. Utilizing people and the community around them, they galvanized together to put an end state sanctioned violence. This organization was adaptive and decentralized and currently has over 40 chapters. Without black women, this significant movement would not be possible. Alicia Garza, Patrice Cullors and Opal Tometi – we thank you for your work.
Not only do black women push society forward, but they also revolutionize thinking. Kimberly Crenshaw. In a sentence, her name is powerful enough. She introduced the term ‘intersectionality’, which reformed the way we think about oppression. Not only has this been used to spearhead change within corporations’, organizations and institutions, but it has connected and vocalized the multifaceted ways in which people have different life experiences. First introduced in 1989, Crenshaw provided a framework which expanded on the intersections between race, class and gender. Inspired by many of the powerful black women such as Bell hooks and Angela Davis, intersectionality shows how the minds of black women propel society forward. Intersectionality has impacted the corporate world, bringing awareness around greater wage inequality, hiring and discrimination inequities as well as the politics behind corporate progression and leadership. Intersectionality has also been used to propel the public sphere of society, through the introduction of intersectional feminism, which brought women of color and those who face different types of oppression to the forefront. It also worked to cater for their needs and encouraged a more inclusive fight to freedom. Since its conception, intersectionality has been the backbone of equity and equality.
Finally, Black Women create spaces where all people can thrive. Black women are liberators. In 1978, Stella Dadzie co-founded ‘the Organization of Women of African and Asian Descent’, which over the next four years campaigned on issues including immigration and deportation; domestic violence; exclusion of children from school; industrial action by black women; policing and defense policies; and health and reproductive rights. Their campaigns on reproductive rights included protesting against the testing of contraceptive drug Depo-Provera on women from marginalized communities. OWAAD functioned as an umbrella organization, bringing together lots of different groups with divergent interests and focuses. It made a huge contribution to placing the experience of black and Asian women on the women’s liberation agenda. The collaboration between all women of color seen through OWAAD highlights how all women of color continue to have the amazing impact seen throughout time. This organization established a legacy of justice and perseverance that remains a fundamental pillar of Black British History, British History and Herstory.
Highlighting the multi-faceted contributions that black women have made throughout history is a first step to valuing them authentically. Black Women have created global movements which fought for the rights of all black communities. They have recognized the strength in numbers, the value of collaboration and worked with other Women of color to push feminism forward. Black women and other women of color are global actors, they provide the framework for society as we know it today. They push boundaries, question societal norms and encourage new and innovative thinking. Women of color, the things they touch, create and organize, has forever and will forever play a fundamental part in society.
