This Black History Month, Don’t Forget About Black Feminists

Since it was established in 1976, Black History Month honors the importance of black lives. People use this month to pay respect well-known figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks for empowering black people. There’s one group of people, however, that are too often overlooked during this month. And they are black feminists.

To this day, black feminists continue to fight for a world in which black women are respected as equals. Now that’s something worth celebrating. But what does it mean to be a black woman?

Eastside sophomore Amara Campell has an answer. “Being a black woman means that you have to be strong and hard-headed,” she says. “We gotta withstand everything the media throws at us each day.”

Here are three amazing black women who have done just that.

Audre Lorde

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”

Audre Lorde was a black woman who enjoyed creative writing and confronted issues like racism, sexism, and homophobia. She is known for her many works, such as Sister Outsider, that uplift black women and empower other oppressed people. She was born in Harlem and battled with many injustices throughout her life. Sadly, Audre Lorde was diagnosed with breast cancer later on in her life, leading to her death on November 17th, 1992.

Bell Hooks

“If any female feels she needs anything beyond herself to legitimate and validate her existence, she is already giving away her power to be self-defining.”

Born in Hopkinsville in the state of Kentucky, Gloria Watkins, more commonly known as Bell Hooks, grew up to be an impactful woman. She is known for her first book, Ain’t I A Woman: Black Women and Feminism, which speaks out on the degradation and exploitation of black women. She was passionate about bringing awareness to oneself and speaking out against white supremacy. She was a professor throughout her life and borrowed her pen name from her beloved grandmother, Bell Blair Hooks.

Toni Cade Bambara

“Revolution begins with the self, in the self.”

Toni Cade Bambara was an activist, filmmaker, and feminist. In the high rise of civil rights and women’s movements, Toni released her book, The Black Woman: An Anthology, a book full of poetry about the words of many black women. Throughout her writing career, she wrote political messages and about African-American women across the nation. This strong woman was born on March 25, 1939, in her hometown Harlem, New York. She released three movies and gained many awards before her death on December 9, 1995.