Black Feminism and Intersectionality Vocab

Combahee River Collective

• A 1970s Black feminist lesbian organization that articulated how the liberation of Black women would require the dismantling of all forms of oppression and would benefit all people.

  The Combahee River Collective argued that Black women’s liberation would lead to the freedom of all marginalized groups

• A 1970s Black feminist lesbian organization that articulated how the liberation of Black women would require the dismantling of all forms of oppression and would benefit all people.

• A 1980s organization that primarily addressed economic issues faced by Black women.

• A contemporary group advocating for LGBTQ+ rights without a focus on race.

Womanism

• A term introduced by Alice Walker to describe a form of feminism that centers the experiences, culture, and perspectives of Black women, often emphasizing community, spirituality, and familial bonds.

  Alice Walker’s concept of womanism responded to the exclusion of Black women from mainstream feminist and civil rights movements.

• A movement that focuses solely on the rights of women in Western societies.

• A philosophy that advocates for the rights of all women regardless of race or ethnicity.

• A concept that promotes the idea of gender equality without considering race.

Matrix of Domination

• A framework developed by Patricia Hill Collins that explores how power is organized across multiple axes of identity and social location, especially within structures like education and the criminal justice system.

  The matrix of domination illustrates how intersecting systems of power impact Black communities in health care, housing, and education.

• A theory that suggests all social issues can be resolved through economic reform.

• A concept that focuses solely on racial identity without considering other factors.

• A model that only applies to the criminal justice system.

"The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House"

• A famous phrase by Audre Lorde arguing that systems built on oppression cannot be used to dismantle that very oppression—calling for new, inclusive strategies.

  In her critique of white-dominated feminism, Lorde warned that “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.”

• A statement supporting the use of existing systems to fight oppression.

• An argument for maintaining the status quo in feminism.

• A critique of the effectiveness of traditional tools in dismantling oppression.

Interlocking Systems of Oppression

• A concept developed by Patricia Hill Collins that explains how forms of oppression (e.g., racism, sexism, classism, homophobia) are interconnected and operate simultaneously across institutions.

  Interlocking systems of oppression help explain how Black women experience racism and sexism together, not separately.

• A theory that suggests oppression is experienced in isolation without any interconnections.

• A framework that only addresses racism and ignores other forms of oppression.

• A model that focuses solely on economic class struggles without considering gender or race.

Black Feminism

• A social, political, and intellectual movement rooted in the lived experiences of Black women, advocating for racial, gender, and economic justice by addressing the intersections of multiple forms of oppression.

  The rise of Black feminism in the 1970s built upon earlier activism by women like Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman who fought for both racial and gender equality.

• A social, political, and intellectual movement advocating for racial, gender, and economic justice by addressing the intersections of multiple forms of oppression.

• An ideology that promotes the superiority of Black women over other groups.

• A historical movement that ended in the 1960s with the civil rights movement.

Sojourner Truth

• A 19th-century formerly enslaved woman who became a nationally known advocate for abolition and women’s rights, remembered for her famous speech "Ain’t I a Woman?" that challenged racial and gender norms.

  Sojourner Truth’s advocacy for women’s rights and abolition provided an early model for Black feminist thought.

• A famous artist from the 20th century known for her abstract paintings.

• A political leader in the 21st century advocating for climate change.

• A novelist who wrote about the experiences of enslaved people in the 18th century.

Liberation

• The act of achieving freedom from systems of oppression; in the context of Black feminism, it refers to the dismantling of racial, gendered, and class-based injustice.

  The Combahee River Collective believed that true liberation required confronting all systems of oppression, not just one.

• A process of gaining political power through voting and representation.

• A method of economic reform aimed at wealth redistribution.

• A cultural movement focused solely on gender equality.

Collective Statement (1977)

• The foundational text written by the Combahee River Collective outlining their politics and arguing that fighting for Black women’s liberation would lead to the liberation of everyone.

  In their Collective Statement, the Combahee River Collective emphasized the need to dismantle racism, sexism, and classism.

• A historical document detailing the economic policies of the Combahee River Collective.

• A manifesto advocating for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals in the 1970s.

• A report on the environmental impacts of industrialization on Black communities.

Harriet Tubman

• A conductor on the Underground Railroad and Union spy during the Civil War who led the Combahee River Raid, later serving as a symbol for Black feminist resistance.

  The Combahee River Collective named themselves after Harriet Tubman’s 1863 raid to honor her leadership in Black liberation.

• A famous abolitionist who wrote 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'

• The first woman to run for President of the United States

• A leader in the women's suffrage movement