Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Modern Approaches in Humanities and Social Sciences
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Black Women and the History of Creating Their Own Spaces in America and Beyond
Dr. Tatjana Vukelić
ABSTRACT:
The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman. Black women have historically been at the bottom of the social hierarchy in America and beyond, even in spaces designated to speak up for women and for all Black people such as women’s suffrage and feminist movements or civil rights movement. There are so many ways that Black women have had to create spaces for themselves when no one else was interested in prioritizing their unique existence in America and beyond. Their ongoing plight experiencing gender-based violence, navigating how to overcome invisibility, as well as the intersectionality of sexism, racism, and other forms of oppression that they experience on a daily basis. Black women have a long tradition of creating their own spaces where they can show up as a whole person, and not just as a woman or just as a Black woman. There are numerous social inhibitors such as stereotyping, mistrust in the Criminal Justice System and Social Services, and lack of cultural competency that must be taken into account in order to improve their cultural competency and their position in the social communities. There is no monolithic “Black woman”. There are countless origins, homelands, languages, cultures, sexual orientations, genders, income levels, education levels, spiritual beliefs, and generational preferences that all come together under a singular term “Black woman”.
keywords: disrespect, intersectionality, oppression, plight, racism