The Impact of Racial and Gender Discrimination on Black Women in America
1. Introduction
Racial and gender roles narrow-mindedness regulated life of the society for a long time. Racial discrimination has lasted for nearly 240 years in America. The situation with gender roles is not much better as women had to struggle for their rights for ages. The black women had to face double discrimination as they were both oppressed on racial and gender grounds.
2. The Nature of Discrimination in America
2.1 Racial discrimination
Racial discrimination has always been one of the most pressing issues in America. It is important to note that the first inhabitants of the territory of present-day USA were not the white people. The Native Americans lived there before the Europeans arrived. The white settlers brought slaves from Africa who had to work on their plantations. The system of slavery existed for nearly two centuries until it was abolished in 1865 by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Even though African Americans were legally free after that, they were still subjected to various forms of racial discrimination. They were not allowed to use the same public places as white people and were not given equal job opportunities. Moreover, they were often violence victims as the Ku Klux Klan used to terrorize them.
The racial segregation was officially ended only in 1954 by the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. It ruled that the racially segregated schools were unconstitutional as they violated the 14th Amendment which guarantees equal protection under the law regardless of race. However, even today African Americans face various forms of racism such as unequal treatment by police or employers, housing segregation, etc.
2. 2 Gender roles
The issue of gender roles is closely connected with that of racial discrimination as most of the early feminist movements emerged as a result of double discrimination experienced by black women who were both oppressed on racial and gender grounds. It is important to note that even though women have always been discriminated against, this form of inequality was not considered to be a social problem until late 19th – early 20th century when the feminist movement started campaigning for women’s rights. Prior to that, it was generally accepted that women’s place was in the kitchen and other household chores while men were supposed to work and earn money to support their families. Moreover, it was also believed that women were not capable of having a successful career due to their alleged inferiority in terms of intelligence and physical strength as compared to men.
The situation started changing only in late 19th century when more and more women started getting involved in various social activities and started campaigning for their rights. As a result, women were finally granted the right to vote in 1920 and since then they have been actively involved in politics and other spheres of public life. However, even today women are not given equal opportunities as men and are often subjected to various forms of sexual discrimination such as wage gap, sexual harassment, etc.
2. 3 Double discrimination
As it has been mentioned before, black women had to face double discrimination as they were both oppressed on racial and gender grounds. It is important to note that even though all women were discriminated against, black women faced even more severe problems due to their skin color. They were often treated like animals and subjected to various forms of abuse both physical and mental. Moreover, they were not given any job opportunities except for those related to household chores or manual labor.
The situation started changing only in late 19th century when the feminist movement started campaigning for women’s rights. However, even today black women are not given equal opportunities as white women and are often subjected to various forms of racial and gender discrimination.
3. The Poetry of Black Women as a Means of Expressing Their Views on Discrimination
3. 1 Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is one of the most famous African American poets who has always been open about her views on racial and gender discrimination. Her poetry is often seen as a way of expressing the pain and suffering caused by these problems. In her poem “Still I Rise”, she speaks about the strength of black women in face of discrimination and oppression. The poem starts with the lines “You may shoot me with your words / You may cut me with your eyes / You may kill me with your hatefulness / But still, like air, I’ll rise.” These lines show the resilience of black women who despite all the abuse they suffer, manage to get back up and keep fighting.
Angelou also touches upon the issue of sexual discrimination in her poem “Phenomenal Woman”. The poem is about a woman who is confident in her own sexuality and is not afraid to flaunt it despite the fact that she does not fit the traditional standards of beauty. The lines “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. / I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size” show that she does not care about what other people think of her and is comfortable in her own skin.
3. 2 Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde is another famous African American poet who has always been open about her views on racial and gender discrimination. Her poetry is often seen as a way of expressing the pain and suffering caused by these problems. In her poem “A Litany for Survival”, she speaks about the strength of black women in face of discrimination and oppression. The poem starts with the lines “For those of us who live at the shoreline / standing upon the constant edges of decision / crucial and alone / We are forced to yield to forces beyond our control.” These lines show the resilience of black women who despite all the abuse they suffer, manage to get back up and keep fighting.
Lorde also touches upon the issue of sexual discrimination in her poem “The Black Unicorn”. The poem is about a woman who is confident in her own sexuality and is not afraid to flaunt it despite the fact that she does not fit the traditional standards of beauty. The lines “I am deliberate and afraid of nothing / I do not challenge at dawn / I am strong” show that she does not care about what other people think of her and is comfortable in her own skin.
4. The Conclusion
Racial and gender discrimination are two of the most pressing issues in America. African American women have always been subjected to double discrimination as they were both oppressed on racial and gender grounds. The situation started changing only in late 19th century when the feminist movement started campaigning for women’s rights. However, even today black women are not given equal opportunities as white women and are often subjected to various forms of racial and gender discrimination.
The poetry of black women is often seen as a way of expressing the pain and suffering caused by these problems. Maya Angelou and Audre Lorde are two of the most famous African American poets who have always been open about their views on racial and gender discrimination. Their poetry is often seen as a way of expressing the pain and suffering caused by these problems.