The Combahee River Collective- A Black Feminist Statement

         The Combahee River Collective is a statement written by African American feminists who have gathered to fight against social oppressions. Because Black women were in the lowest strata of the social hierarchy, they found themselves in a unique position where they had to fight against not only sexual, but also racial and class discrimination. As a result, in contrast to White feminists, the Black feminists did not advocate fractionalization from men because they deemed it was necessary to first eliminate the racial barrier all African Americans face in order to have their voices heard. Due to lack of privileges to rely upon, the feminists’ power and influence was limited and thus they desired no more than merely being “recognized as human, levelly human”.  To make matters worse, Black men found feminist movements threatening to their habitual way of treating or oppressing women of their race. Hence Black women faced disapprovals and obstacles within the black community as well. Nevertheless, they have actively taken parts in helping the black community such as by “organizing a factory that employs Third World women” and “setting up a rape center in black neighborhood”.

           However, the fact that this statement was written a few decades ago raises a question if the lives of black women still remains as oppressed and marginalized as presented in the statement. From personal standpoint, the situation appears to remain the same despite of modern society’s increased awareness of sexual and racial discrimination. Unfortunately, only little or minimal progress has been made to empower and escalate women’s social status. Though many address the issue of gender and race equality, prejudice and unapproved stereotypes that hold women in subordinate status persists. For example, the majority of politicians, leaders or any type of positions of power is occupied by men. Hence in the society where women, regardless of race, encounter discrimination, Black women’s lives appears to remain equally marginalized as it was several decades ago, which once again accentuates the reality of having to abolish all oppressions to liberate Black women.