Rising Out of Oppression: The Identity and Self-Definition of African American Women

※Oppression

The pain that oppression brought African American women was extensive because they faced the double-edged sword of being black and women, receiving no respect or opportunities.

1. In the beginning: slavery

At that time, they have to try their best to adjust to the new environment, culture and language. Besides, most of them come from different tribes, so they must learn English to communicate with each other.

2. After Abolishment: non-citizens

“ Mules uh de world." Hill-Collins (2000)
→The gender roles for African American Woman
"physically demanding, economically exploitative," and "intellectually deadening" (p. 48).

3. The wrong images for African American Woman

EX : Film "It's A Wonderful Life" and "Cabin in the Sky."

※ The “Voice” of African American Woman

1. The first was with maintaining a connection to the culture through maintaining the Black English Vernacular that was adopted during slavery.

2. Blue Music:

EX: Bessie Smith, Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, and Billie Holliday

3. Scholarly Works : Black Feminism

4. They were the women in the neighborhoods getting together to discuss how to educate other women, teaching their children both solidarity and independence, refusing to be called "girl" by white women who were younger than them (Hill-Collins, 2000).

※The new images of African American Woman: Strong, Independent and determined
( source :
Rising Out of Oppression: The Identity and Self-Definition of African American Women
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/293514/rising_out_of_oppression_the_identity.html

Black Feminism

1. In traditionnal Feminism, they would strive to conquer the sexism an calss oppression but they pay no attention to “ racism .“

2. What is Black Feninism?
Unlike original form of feminism, Black Feminists will pursue the end of racism,sexism and class oppression.

3. Origin : Alice Walker’s Womanism

4. Patricia Hill-Collins defined Black feminism, in Black Feminist Thought (1991), as including "women who theorize the experiences and ideas shared by ordinary black women that provide a unique angle of vision on self, community, and society".

5. For Black Feminists, they would think this movement will endow everyone with freedom.

6. Three Challenges for the organizatio of Feminism

a. to “prove to other black women that feminism was not only for white women.”
b. They also had to demand that white women “share power with them and affirm diversity”
c. fight the misogynist tendencies of Black Nationalism”

( source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_feminism

Psychological Journey of Pecious Jones

This film “ Precious” mainly describes the change of a African American woman named Precious. Since Precious was a child, she has led a miserable life. Her father often rapes her and her mother always treats her as a servant. She always has to suffer family violence verbally and physically. Because of these unhappy things, we audience will notice that Precious gradually grow up mentally and chose many ways to forget miserable life

1) Imagination:

In this film, we can notice that there seems to be another Precious, who is a superstar, having a happy life and being respected and complimented by everyone. However, all of these scenes are just her imagination. In fact, she is only a heavy, illiterate and suffering African American Woman. She only has a life with mistreatment and abuse. Instead of keeping complaining, Precious thinks in the positive side, using these fantasies to forget her pressures.

2) The expectation to become the group of the Whites:

In the beginning of the film, Precious has the fantasy that her teacher, Mr.Wicher, will have a potential love relationship with her. This teacher and Precious will have a happy family, living in a beautiful house. From this point, we can discover that although Precious suffer her father’s sexual abuses and harassments, she still looks forward to romantic love, especially with the White. Furthermore, once when Precious looked into the mirror, much to our amazement, a beautiful, blonde and slim white girl appears in it rather than a heavy “ Precious.” From these points and many Precious’ internal monologues, audience will notice that the expectation to be common white becomes an important factor in her life.


3) Self-- identification:

In this story, Precious uses her imagination as a way to forget about living stresses and difficulties. Although these imaginations are unreal, they still play important roles in her life. These imaginations make her find her goal and hopes. In addition to imagination, she is passionate in learning. In the time of an alternative school ( one –teach – one), she discovers that she can not only use her imagination to support herself, but the prectical warm supports from her teacher and classmates Because of her teacher, she knows one day she may have the chance to fulfill her dream. No matter who you are, you should not look down on yourself . After experiencing so many traumas, she finally finds a practical future in her life.