Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Vote For Women
All three of the readings, “Feminism Old and New Wave,” “The Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca Falls Conference, 1848,” and “Ain’t I a Women?” tied together extremely well. In the piece DuBois’ piece it really expanded on what we began to uncover in class today. I still find it ironic how badly treated the women were who were actively involved in the civil rights movement. Although they were working to gain equal rights for African Americans, it was almost as though they were being treated as slaves to the men who controlled the movement. The thing is, that without the women so actively engaged in the civil rights movement it would never have made the progress that it did, since they were essentially the ones keeping the wheel turning. And coincidentally enough it was their subordinate positions in the abolitionist movement that contributed to the founding of the feminist movement. For example when the Grimke sisters started to speak out publicly, their fellow male abolitionists opposed them, on the basis of their sex. However, set backs such as the opposition that the Grimke sisters met and the female delegates being forced to sit behind curtains at the London convention, all seemed like minor set backs in comparison to the 14th Amendment, which for the first time ever used the word “male” in the Constitution. After this women realized that they needed to neglect their stance in other equality movements and fight for themselves, since they were going to be the only ones who would. Which relates to the message in “The Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca Falls Conference, 1848” that implies that during 1848 things had gotten so bad for women within the system that it was time for them to demand change. During this time period women cannot vote, have no rights within marriage and child custody, lack the right to an education, and are oppressed by men in almost all aspects of their lives. While thinking about all of the hardships that white women were enduring at this time, I think it is important for us to remember that it is not only white women that are being oppressed, but African American women as well, if not worse. They not only have to deal with what it means to be a women but what it means to be African American in a time when both movements are gaining momentum. As Sojourner Truth preaches, African American women are women as well, however they are not being treated with the same courtesies that white women enjoy. She notes what an impression the feminist movement has made and that it will be a force to be reckoned with.
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I agree with Courtney that, without the active participation of women, the civil rights movement would not have been as successful. And even to go a step further, maybe our politics would not be the same if the women didn't do the "shitwork" as DuBois puts it. Constantly we keep thinking that women occupying the stereotypical secretary job isn't the path to go down. But DuBois credits the "shitwork" as being "the typing, petition-gathering, meeting-organizing, etc." I think women needed to start off in those careers to gain insight on how to organize and petition. This is part of why their movement was so successful. Because they knew how to get people together and get them thinking. I think we need to take a step back and actually credit those jobs. If women originally never had those jobs, would the men politicians have been as effective in having meetings and taking notes? What would our world be like today if the women never agreed to organize a feminism movement? Too many times people put down the traditional women careers when in reality they may have been what made women today.
ReplyDeleteI think that Emily makes a really good point in regard to the Sojurner Truth reading. As a black woman she was in a double bind. How can you fight for both black rights and womens's rights? In the speech "Aint I a Women" Sojurner does just that. Although she is fighting for civil rights she is also a woman and supports and fights for that cause as well.
ReplyDeleteI think it's extremely interesting that throughout the three pieces we are privy to a struggle for 3 kinds of people. There are white women struggling for their rights, African American women as well, and of course, African American people as a whole. What struck me was how a choice had to be made. African Americans had to choose in the 19th century whether to fight for civil rights or women's rights. Women were torn. Once African Americans began dedicating more of their time to the Civil Rights movement, white women were on their own. I found it troubling that female abolitionists, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, were placed behind a curtain in the convention hall in London. I would have stormed out in disgust as well. They have just as much of a right to be there as the male abolitionists who attended. A line from Ain't I Woman?" really resonated with me once I finished the piece. Sojourner Truth said, "If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them". She's saying that women struggling to take a stand for themselves are finally ready to conquer the world, and at this time, men better step aside and let them fight for what they deserve: equality.
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