African Women Struggle for Power Hood - Essay Example

Instruction: Task: African Women Struggle for Power hood. Since time immemorial, women have been viewed as the fairer sex, and this means that their position in the society is limited in many ways. While men are always associated with leadership and supremacy, women are always viewed as subordinates to men, and their position has always been greatly suppressed by this perception. Indeed, this stereotype has made it continually difficult for the black woman to gain any power in the society, as all avenues tend to be greatly curtailed. Though this is a general view, the situation for the African woman is even worse, since it is inhibited more by the various cultures that define the African society. Therefore, this means that the African woman struggle for power hood has been more difficult, and heavily laden with challenges in numerous aspects. As such, an analysis of the struggle of the black woman, and how the struggle has defined their current position, in addition to their endurance and how triumph has been realized, can sufficiently highlight their status in light of their current status in the contemporary American society. Generally, struggles for power hood have been intense, as societies and civilizations continually strive to adapt to the various changes that define societies. Therefore, the dynamics of a society are essential in determining the level to which power struggles can reach. Typically, power struggles are viewed as a turf for men, and the entry of women is met by resistance in most societies. This means that women’s struggles are even more complicated, since they have to deal with the stereotype that they are in a man’s world. In consideration of black women in an American society, the struggle gets more intense and complicated, since their being black also curtails and greatly inhibits their participation in positions of power. Consequently, this puts black women in potentially the most difficult position for power struggle for any group of people, as they have to deal with both the challenges that are associated with being a woman in addition to the challenges that are faced courtesy of being black (Tate 139). Though discrimination basing on color and racial profiling is generally on the decline in the contemporary world, it still plays an integral part among defining factors in the struggle for power hood. From their origin in the African societies, black women have always had a cause for concern in regards to their struggle for power hood. In each society in which they exist, the black woman has to deal with either sexism or racism, and in certain instances an occurrence of both racism and sexism. The latter represents the case in the American society. This places black women in one of the most difficult positions for survival, let alone struggle for power. Nonetheless, the relative survival and struggles that the black woman has gone through highlight the will and determination that has to be put in order to triumph over such challenges (Tate 59). This, therefore, is testament to the will and determination that defines the power struggles of the African woman. In light of the above, the First Lady of the US, Michelle Obama, is a representation of the struggles, and an epitome of the African woman’s struggles for power hood. Her ancestors can be traced to the slaves that toiled in the American lands for years during the enslavement era (Swarns 76). Indeed, this proposition has been documented, and the struggles that the ancestors went through during one of the most difficult times in human history can only demonstrate the will and strength of the true black woman. Various challenges defined the life of Michelle Obama’s ancestors and slave relatives. For the black woman, the level of exploitation was even higher given the fact that civil rights and legislative provisions did not cater for their welfare, and they were left at the mercies of their owners (Swarns 197). Michelle Obama’s great-great-great grandmother exhibited astounding strength, as she was barely into her teens when she was abducted and sold into slavery. Later on her movement from one slave family to another highlights the number of emotional struggle and turmoil that she must have gone through. The fact that later on she gave birth to a half white half black child points to sexual exploitation of some kind, thereby expounding the struggles that defined her life. Considering this type of lifestyle, and the fact that Michelle is currently the First Lady of the US, and in her husband’s second tenure in office just highlights the kind of struggle that has taken place between leading a life of slavery up to being in the White House (Swarns 211). This is particularly due to the fact that Barrack Obama’s political career owes a lot to the input that Michelle had, and the fact that without her, it is safe to say that he could not have made it. As such, the strength of the black woman is exhibited by Michelle’s ability to instill confidence and constant support to her husband to the point of clenching the most powerful position in the world. Black women’s struggle for power hood has a rich history, as various changes and societal advancements resulted in the realization of black suffrage. The struggle towards attaining these rights that eventually made it possible to take part in power tussles took time. More so, it demanded the determination and strong will of all the blacks especially during the late 19th century and early 20th century (Dudden 89). This period characterized various petitions and human rights conventions specifically geared towards the realization of black women’s suffrage. Despite the hostility and violence that was geared towards the activists, their strength and willingness only increased, and this consequently heralded the onset of petitions agitating for the amendment of the constitution to abolish laws that discriminated on basis of gender (Tate 101). At this point, black women were struggling to disentangle themselves from the jaws of oppression based on their gender. The issue of being black was not so much of a focus at this point, since the suffrage movement was basically agitating for the fair involvement of women in the voting process, and not necessarily blacks (Dudden 111). During the era for agitation of equality in the voting process, the black woman had to deal with two monstrous challenges. Apart from the civil laws that barred them from taking part in voting due to their gender, they also had to deal with the racist complications that characterized the era. This means that the black suffrage movement was more difficult and required increased strength and determination than the mainstream women’s suffrage movement (Dudden 119). With the combined effort of the mainstream women’s suffrage movement and the black women’s suffrage movement, women were allowed to start taking part in the voting process in 1920. However, the struggle was just but beginning for the black women, since they could not take part due to their race. While they had actively taken part in assisting in the quest to allow women to take part in the voting process, they could not enjoy the fruits due to the black segregation laws that were still rife (Dudden 156). This highlights the determination that was needed to again take part in the fight against racial discrimination, hence an implicit inference towards the dedication and strength that the black women had in line with their struggle for power hood. Due to the dual nature of black women’s struggles in America, priorities had to be made, and they chose race issues over gender problems. Though both are equally challenging, the concerns for race were far more expounded and seemed to be the point from which the other challenges rose from (Dudden 198). This implies that the gender issues were far more stretched due to the existence of racial discrimination. Tackling racial segregation would implicitly impact on the gender problems, while tackling gender problems first would not necessarily have a significant impact on the problems associated with racial discrimination. With this realization in mind, black women actively took part in the human rights activities that characterized the 1950s, 60s, and even up to the 70s. As much as the conventions were met with violence and hostility, the risk had to be taken if any form of power was to be realized, especially for the black woman. Indeed, the various bodies formed for this cause such as the Black Women’s Liberation Committee bore fruit, and various amendments that recognized the black’s grievances were made. Subsequently, with better appreciation for equality and human rights, the black women’s gender concerns were easily taken care of, and this paved the way for better participation in democratic matters and powerful positions. Therefore, black women’s quest for power and the struggle that characterized this quest is testament enough to highlight the will, power and determination of the black woman especially in the hostile American society. Additionally, this is in view of their arrival as slaves during the enslavement period and the exploitation that they had to pick themselves from. Additionally, the fact that black women had to deal with both sexism and racism, and the extent of each, shows the level of struggle for power hood that characterizes their life. Nevertheless, the various advancements made, and the constant state of the society shows that though the black woman started from some of the deepest pits of desolation, the road to recovery is promising and strides made are a representation of the spirit, grit and power of the black woman in light of the struggle for power hood. Works Cited. Tate, Gayle. Unknown Tongues: Black Women’s Political Activism in the Antebellum Era, 1830-1860. Michigan, MI: Michigan State University Press, 2003. Print. Swarns, Rachel. American Tapestry: The Story of Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2012. Print. Dudden, Faye. Fighting Chance: The Struggle over Woman Suffrage and Black Suffrage in Reconstruction America. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2011.print. Read More