Feminism: A Multi-Wave Social Movement

[AtLast]

I know I am not alone in how feminism is treated within our community with considerable ignorance. From the time of the initial suffrage movement, feminist theory and ideology (its ever evolving Waves) has progressed with every new generation. It adapts and grows along with culture and always will. There are many schools of feminist thought and it transcends race as well as gender. In fact, it is responsible for the very gender theories many of us explore within the B-F dynamic. feminism has stood the test of time as a viable social movement that touches the world.

This thread is for feminist members to bring light to various schools/waves of feminist thought and how it influences our lives. It is NOT for perpetuating negative and unsubstantiated (as in related literature) myth concerning feminism. An example would be the false belief that feminism does not have (and has had for a very long time) prominent women of color contributors. Or that feminism is anti Butch-Femme. Yes, historically, these stances have some truth to them.... (yanno, like all stereotypes!) However, this just is no longer the case. The Second Wave of feminism is not the whole of the movement. Its time to banish that myth!

Feminism is indeed part of queer culture! It does not belong to women exclusively, it is and always has spoken to all genders and sexuality.

If feminism does not speak to you, that is fine, but, this really isn't a thread for you to post in. It is directed at members that do identify as feminists across every identity our community represents.

Sharing the thoughts/work of feminist women of color and newer, transgendered feminist theorists would be fantastic. Its all out there- let's bring it here for future generations!

[AtLast]

Black American feminist bibliography- References date back to the nineteenth century when African American women like Maria Stewart, Anna Julia Cooper and Sojourner Truth challenged the conventions and mores of their era to speak publicly against slavery and in support of black women's rights.

http://www.library.ucsb.edu/subjects...roduction.html

A Transgender Place in Feminism, Tonick, Shawna-

http://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/handle/1813/12580

Transsexual Feminism and Transgender Politicization
By Jessica Xavier -
http://www.annelawrence.com/twr/tsfeminism.html

[Liam]

From Shawna Tonick's abstract:

"Transgender people face a variety of issues in terms of gaining acceptance and civil rights in our society. They are often mistreated and harassed, face workplace discrimination, have difficulty obtaining appropriate medical attention, and are victims of hate violence, to name a few. Many of the issues that transgender people face are also issues confronting feminists. This project examines how transgender people and transgender rights fit into the goals of feminism, including some of the feminist backlash toward transgender people. Some radical feminists seem to believe that transgender people are simply enforcing our society's gender roles or using a transgender identity to "infiltrate" the women's movement. However, these beliefs are harmful to both transgender people and feminism; it is more beneficial for transgender people and feminists to work towards common goals together."

Emphasis is mine.

[2myladyblue]

Great thread, Atlast! This very topic has been on my mind quite a bit, but I'll be back to get more into that. Gotta eat!
~Blue

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Liam

From Shawna Tonick's abstract:

"Transgender people face a variety of issues in terms of gaining acceptance and civil rights in our society. They are often mistreated and harassed, face workplace discrimination, have difficulty obtaining appropriate medical attention, and are victims of hate violence, to name a few. Many of the issues that transgender people face are also issues confronting feminists. This project examines how transgender people and transgender rights fit into the goals of feminism, including some of the feminist backlash toward transgender people. Some radical feminists seem to believe that transgender people are simply enforcing our society's gender roles or using a transgender identity to "infiltrate" the women's movement. However, these beliefs are harmful to both transgender people and feminism; it is more beneficial for transgender people and feminists to work towards common goals together."

Emphasis is mine.

Hey, Liam!

It feels to me like this is actually starting to happen. I don't know if this is evident in areas that are away from more urban and more queer oriented regions. Hope so....


This statement by Tonick :

Some radical feminists seem to believe that transgender people are simply enforcing our society's gender roles or using a transgender identity to "infiltrate" the women's movement. ;

smacks of what many B-F folks went through during the Second Wave... (and unfortunately today within some segments of radical or separatist feminists) interesting now as theorists are applying it to trans issues and relationships. Separatists and radical feminists will always be around, yet, I see change in the larger movement.

As more and more younger queers put their brand on things, more change is certain to come. And actually, I feel (hopeful, anyway) that the real issues involving sexism as it really hinges on gender discrimination in total will be worked through.

I know, I can be idealistic, but, I just have to look at structural oppression in terms of non-trans white-male privilege across the board in all of this. But, have a lot more to study and decide about with newer literature, so I hope other members post lots of links!

The other thing that is on my mind concerning transphobia and sexism within the outside world (meaning outside the queer world) is how much of it stems from a Transman being born female (thus, will always be a female to sexist bigots) and with MtF’s choosing to be female (the predominant myth being that they are choosing, because they are not recognized as real females. All the real stuff plays into this, I think. I really haven’t talked to many transpeople about this in any kind of depth, so, I wonder how they feel about this (again, hoping posts will emerge!!). I can only guess, personally.

Ugh... I might get a headache thinking about all of this... and I have so much more to ponder!

[AtLast]

http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/wlm/racesex/

RACISM and SEXISM

A COLLECTIVE STRUGGLE: A MINORITY WOMAN'S POINT OF VIEW

By Valerie Russell

[AtLast]

4th Wave feminism link. But, would love other links!

http://www.ifeminists.net/introducti...104granju.html

[AtLast]

Feminism's Fourth Wave
Women are doing nearly everything men do, but...
November 4, 2003
by Katie Allison Granju


Last year, during the U.S. assault on the Taliban in Afghanistan, my seven-year old daughter, Jane seemed truly puzzled by the photos of Afghani women that dominated the news. Why, she wanted to know, did those women want to wear clothing that covered them from head to toe? Weren't they hot? How could they run or even smile at other people? Why weren't there ever interviews on television with any Afghani women? What was meant when it was said that now, women and girls in that country could read and write again?

I explained to Jane about the cultural and religious restrictions faced by these particular mothers and daughters, and she listened, mouth hanging open in vivid disbelief. She peppered me with questions about every aspect of the lives of Afghanistan's female population, and seemed utterly astounded when I told her that there are actually many places and cultures around the world in which girls cannot go to school; choose what they will wear or whom they will marry; own property; or vote.

As sad as it made me to explain the state of so many of the world's women to the most important girl in my life, I realized that the fact that Jane found this information so incomprehensible represented something very positive. The environment in which my daughter is growing into adulthood is one in which she sees few, if any restrictions on what is possible for her. Her American girlhood is very different from the one in which I came of age only a few decades ago.

When I was Jane's age, my working, feminist mother was an anomaly among the women I knew, and my parents had to make a conscious effort to be sure I understood that, although most doctors, police officers, and engineers were men, this didn't mean that "only" men could hold these jobs. My parents had to be ever-vigilant to protect both their daughters from being held back by unfair and sexist limitations, and they worked to be sure that we were exposed to art, music, and great ideas by women. They ensured that we had "Free to Be You and Me" books and records around the house, and a lifetime subscription to Ms. Magazine in our mailbox.

Today, however, the world has changed enough that parents don't have to make these kinds of special efforts to promote a sense of equality and possibility in our young daughters. Basic feminist consciousness has become an organic part of our culture, and we are all the better for it.

My third grade girl gets her news and information from terrific female journalists, and she is personally acquainted with women lawyers, priests, doctors, firefighters, farmers, athletes, social workers, and artists. Jane is an aggressive and successful competitor in her own chosen sport, and she enjoys listening to music by everyone from 'tween queen Hilary Duff to riot-grrls Sleater-Kinney.

Unlike my own parents, I do not feel compelled to pontificate on the wrong-headedness of rigid gender roles every time I see Jane playing with her dolls. I'm confident that she understands clearly that motherhood is not incompatible with professional achievement or civic engagement.

Also different from my own childhood as the daughter of '70s "women's libbers," Jane and her friends don't seem to feel any conflict between their femininity and their power. When I was a little girl, equality often meant trying to act or look like the little boys. Jane, however, is growing up in a pop culture infused with grrl-power -- from the Powerpuff Girls to Jessica Lynch. I observe her and her little friends playing superheroes, but their superheroes proudly wear sparkly pink capes as they save the world.

While all of this progress is terrific, I also recognize that my daughter is growing up in a society where women still earn less money than men for performing the same work; where women continue to live in realistic, ever-present fear of sexual assault; and where girls are still too often discouraged from studying math or science. There is still work ahead for her generation of rising young feministas. But as I watch her playing things like "President Barbie solves the Mideast peace crisis" with her friends, I feel hopeful.


Katie Allison Granju lives in Knoxville and is the mother of three children. She is the author of Attachment Parenting (Simon and Schuster, 1999) and her website is www.locoparentis.blogspot.com. This article first appeared in Metro Pulse Online.

[2myladyblue]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n1L9tCSCUo&feature=related"]YouTube- Alix Olson on feminism[/nomedia]

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by 2myladyblue

YouTube- Alix Olson on feminism

LOL.. crushes are kewl!!

[2myladyblue]

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

Separatists and radical feminists will always be around, yet, I see change in the larger movement.

I'm not even sure anymore what the larger feminist movement is, nevermind what they're doing...there just seems to be so much division. My concern is that our society is often seen as "post-feminist" as if there is no longer any relevance to feminism despite all the inequalities that still remain in North America and around the world. I know too many people who still see feminism as the other F-word...they seem to prefer to describe themselves as humanists or socialists. (IMO)

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

As more and more younger queers put their brand on things, more change is certain to come. And actually, I feel (hopeful, anyway) that the real issues involving sexism as it really hinges on gender discrimination in total will be worked through.

One can hope...I am encouraged to see the validation and acceptance of fluidity throughout the queer community (& hopefully rippling outward).

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

The other thing that is on my mind concerning transphobia and sexism...I really haven’t talked to many transpeople about this in any kind of depth, so, I wonder how they feel about this (again, hoping posts will emerge!!). I can only guess, personally.

One of the most inspiring womyn I have ever met was Kate Bornstein, a transwoman (& a radical, lesbian feminist to boot!). Hyr Gender Workbook is full of information, exercises and thoughts to explore these issues and I can't recommend it highly enough for ANYone! Check hyr out at www.katebornstein.com

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

Ugh... I might get a headache thinking about all of this... and I have so much more to ponder!

And we have so much to discuss, so I'm also hoping more voices will join in...& again...thank you for this thread!

~Blue

[Soon]

Feminism of the Future Relies on Men

[blush]

Originally Posted by HowSoonIsNow

Feminism of the Future Relies on Men

This was a very interesting article. I just can't agree with it, though.

I don't think that relying on men to give up their privilege is the best course of action. I certainly have known several men who were more feminist than I am, but to trust men in our social structure to jump on the feminist bandwagon and give up their privilege is asking a bit much.

For me, when I start seeing
-a men's magazines devoted itself to staying attractive, dieting, self-help, cleaning products and fashion
-a TV station "for women" that doesn't focus on weddings, houswives, and birthing stories
-men (as the rule instead of the exception) using cleaning products in an ad
-shaving ads for men that treat men like incompetent boobs who can't handle a "safety" razor
then I'll know we might have a chance at changing our social structure.

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by HowSoonIsNow

Feminism of the Future Relies on Men

Sending this to my son! Who actually will agree that men do have to give up privilege. There are many feminist men. However, what the article brings to me is the old theory vs. practice paradigm. I think blush puts a good spin on this.

Sure, men doing so would move mountains, but, I just don't see it happening. Then, again, just maybe not in my lifetime. I sure hope someone gets a woo message to me somehow if this does happen....

[blush]

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

Sending this to my son! Who actually will agree that men do have to give up privilege. There are many feminist men. However, what the article brings to me is the old theory vs. practice paradigm. I think blush puts a good spin on this.

Sure, men doing so would move mountains, but, I just don't see it happening. Then, again, just maybe not in my lifetime. I sure hope someone gets a woo message to me somehow if this does happen....

Any movement needs allies (like your son). What stuck in my craw about the article was the word "rely." I don't think the message of the article, by and large, wasn't without merit.

It did pique my interest in Iceland. I did a google search and found this:
ICELAND SEX INDUSTRY

It's interesting to me that the success of feminism in Iceland is not attributed to men yielding their power, but to the constant efforts of feminism.

[Heart]

Great article about younger feminists online activism and organizing. Older feminists: Pay attention!

http://www.campusprogress.org/opinio...se-were-online

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Heart

Great article about younger feminists online activism and organizing. Older feminists: Pay attention!

http://www.campusprogress.org/opinio...se-were-online

And I don't blame these young women for being ticked-off at we oldies!

[AtLast]

From another thread (my post)-

I get really tired of the non-recognition of women of color throughout time involved in feminism. Women of color as contributors to this movement have been marginialized to the point that the myth that they were not invoved has been perpetuated. Or, that very few of those that use this criticism don't have any idea of how much literature by and about women of color in the movement exists- let alone read any of it. Sometimes this reminds me of what current right-wing-nut politicians do in terms of inventing their own facts. This is but one literature review...


African American Feminism

URL: http://www.cddc.vt.edu/feminism/AfAm.html

Developed/maintained by: Kristin Switala (Virginia Tech University); Center for Digital Discourse and Culture

Last Updated: Unknown (copyright 1999)


Womanist Theory and Research: A Journal of Womanist and Feminist-of-Color Scholarship and Art

URL: http://www.uga.edu/~womanist/

Developed/maintained by: Barbara McCaskill (Department of English, University of Georgia) and Layli Phillips (Women's Studies Department, Georgia State University), editors; The Institute for African-American Studies, University of Georgia

Black Feminist/Womanist Works: A Beginning List

URL: http://research.umbc.edu/~korenman/w...manistbib.html

Developed/maintained by: Joya Misra, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Public Policy; Joan Korenman, University of Maryland-Baltimore County


Black Cultural Studies Web Site

URL: http://www.blackculturalstudies.org/

[URL change June 25, 2002]

Developed/maintained by: Black Cultural Studies Web Site Collective--Nimmy Abiaka; Tim Haslett (M.A. NYU, UC Berkeley Ph.D. candidate); Paula Lee

Women in the Black Arts Movement: An Annotated Bibliography of Online Sites

URL: http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/j/l/jlp345/index.htm

Developed/maintained by: Jennifer Palmer, Pennsylvania State University student

Women of Color Web

URL: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/grhf/WoC/

Developed/maintained by: Global Reproductive Health Forum, Harvard School of Public Health

Scholars cite the early nineteenth century as the origin of a Black feminist tradition in the United States. The tradition continues. Today the body of African American feminist scholarship is vast and located in the social sciences, humanities, and sciences. The terms Black feminism, African American feminism, and womanism all challenge traditional bodies of knowledge, which tend to perceive Black women superficially and in a limited manner. I distinguish between the three terms, with Black feminism referring to feminist thought regarding Black women all over the world, and African American feminism and womanism representing feminist thought stemming from Black American women's experiences in the U.S. For the purposes of this review I will be focusing on websites that provide access to useful resources for teaching, researching, and studying African American feminism--that is, the Black feminist tradition in the U.S. The geographical distinction is also necessary given the increasing volume of literature on African feminism, the feminist movement in the Caribbean, and Black feminism in Britain. (On the other hand, the term "Black feminist" just feels good. "Black" seems more empowering than "African American," for it represents a collective consciousness that transcends borders and ethnicity and is unique to the Black race worldwide.)

African American feminism is widely discussed in women's studies classrooms and feminist literature, but it has yet to make significant inroads into popular culture or mass media, even in the one-dimensional manner in which feminism and race are handled. The latest cultural and media phenomenon, the World Wide Web, doesn't seem to be an exception. Given the vastness of the Web and my own inability to stay abreast of all of the African American feminist thought being published--articles, chapters, and books--I expected there to be numerous websites featuring African American feminism. But beyond the avalanche of course syllabi and book reviews, a mere six sites stand out as the most valuable for academic research, teaching, and study. Lifelong learners outside of the academy can also appreciate them.

The website probably linked to the most is the Feminist Theory Website's (http://www.cddc.vt.edu/feminism/enpo.html) African American Feminism page (http://www.cddc.vt.edu/feminism/AfAm.html). The organization and layout of the page are clear, concise, and attractive. It is mostly bibliographic, citing academic writings on African American feminism in general and in the areas of aesthetics, history, literature, politics, and psychology. Quality sources are cited, but the list is extremely limited, including only books. Twenty-three references comprise the entire bibliography for all the categories, and there is no evidence that the page has been updated since its 1999 copyright date. Significant books such as Jacqueline Bobo's Black Feminist Cultural Criticism (Blackwell, 2001) and Joy James' Shadowboxing: Representations of Black Feminist Politics (St. Martin's Press, 1999) are omitted. Black Feminist Cultural Criticism would be a nice addition to the one other title listed under aesthetics (bell hooks, Reel to Real: Race Sex and Class at the Movies). In contrast, there is an exhaustive bio-bibliography on the artist Adrian Piper. Cited are books; articles by and about Piper, listed by subject; videos; exhibitions; and more.

The page includes links to external sites that contain information on individual African American feminists. The fifteen feminists listed range from nineteenth-century African American feminist thinkers like Anna Julia Cooper and Sojourner Truth to turn-of-the-century feminists like Ida B. Wells and Mary Church Terrell and expected contemporaries like Angela Davis and bell hooks. Feminists less known outside the academy, but well respected within, include Ann duCille, Hazel Carby, Hortense Spillers, and others. This list alone could be a valuable resource for a researcher looking to identify African American feminists, especially since the information under the links that aren't broken (four of the fifteen are) ranges from completely inaccurate (in the case of Barbara Smith, where the link points to a Barbara Smith other than the influential African American feminist), to of little value (in the case of Hazel Carby, where the link points to the Yale African American Studies Program homepage, the program she chairs), to very useful (in the case of Hortense Spillers, for whom there is a bibliography (last updated 1997), references to forthcoming work, and a recent interview). The strength of this page is the diverse list of African American feminists and the bibliography of major books in African American feminist studies.

The free online journal Womanist Theory and Research: A Journal of Womanist and Feminist-of-Color Scholarship and Art, at http://www.uga.edu/womanist/ (available in print also), is a publication of the Institute for African American Studies at the University of Georgia and published by the Womanist Studies Consortium at the University of Georgia (http://www.uga.edu/~womanist/wsc.htm). It purports to be a biannual, international journal on "women of color." However, as I went through all of WTR's issues (a total of four, from the first in 1994 through the latest in 1999), I didn't encounter one article that was not about women of African descent. The journal's twice-a-year publication schedule is also irregular. Since 1994, WTR has been published only once a year, and the latest issue came out in 1999.

Despite these shortcomings, the journal publishes a wealth of free, peer-reviewed African American feminist thought from across the disciplines. Contributors include both junior and senior scholars. The handsome design and well-organized layout provide easy access to full-text articles of every issue published, except the first, for which only the table of contents is available. Outside links are significant and link to notable academic organizations, programs, research centers, periodicals, and more of interest to African Americanists and feminists. One piece of vital information not available is who comprises the advisory board; that link remains cold. Topics covered include gangster rap, slave narratives, anthropology and womanist theory, womanist science, sexuality, the miniseries Queen, Chinua Achebe's women, the Sisterlove Women's AIDS project, and much more. Readers can browse the table of contents of individual issues or search all the issues simultaneously using the WTR search engine. There is a help screen for the search engine, but it doesn't indicate whether the citation or full text (there are no abstracts) is being searched or whether it is searching word-for-word or select words. My sample searches produced inconsistent results. For example, searching on the word kinship (chosen for its appearance in one article) produced a reference to the word in another article, but not the one the word was taken from. The indexing is not at all apparent. However, because of the limited number of issues published, browsing individual issues is easy and pleasurable.

For an extensive list of African American feminist writings, Black Feminist/Womanist Works: A Beginning List (http://research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/womanistbib.html) gives one a better sense of the African American feminist universe in print. This site is a product of the women's studies email list WMST-L (http://research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/wmst-l.html). Since its conception in 1991, the list has collected and made available online numerous files on discussion topics. The files (http://research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/wmsttoc.html), of which Black Feminist/Womanist Works is one, are made available through Joan Korenman's widely known and well-respected University of Maryland-Baltimore County Women's Studies website: http://research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/wmsttoc.html. The bibliography cites "black feminist thought within the U.S." Nearly 200 articles and books, fiction and nonfiction, published from 1969 through 1995, are included. The emphasis is on the social sciences. The bibliography is arranged alphabetically, by author, with the fiction integrated with the nonfiction. Although not annotated or current, it is a good source for researchers interested in foundational, influential, and groundbreaking women's studies texts and authors. Many of the works of Gloria T. Hull, Barbara Christian, Angela Davis, bell hooks, Audre Lorde, Barbara Smith, and Alice Walker are cited. Significant omissions are Hazel Carby, Joy James, Jill Nelson, and Michele Wallace, to name just a few.

What the Black Feminist/Womanist Works site lacks in coverage of current African American feminist thought in the humanities is made up in the very well-thought-out Black Cultural Studies Web Site(http://www.blackculturalstudies.org/), which provides bio-bibliographic information on "cultural workers working in such areas as Black literary criticism, Black popular culture, critical race theory, and film theory." At present, eighteen theorists are profiled, including African American feminist thinkers Barbara Christian, Ann duCille, Mae Henderson, Valerie Smith, Hortense Spillers, Claudia Tate, and Michele Wallace. There is a bibliography of each scholar's work and, in some cases, a brief biographical sketch.

This is a site to keep an eye on, for three reasons: First, the list of cultural workers that they intend to add is extremely impressive, not to mention extensive, in particular with regard to African American feminists. Forthcoming are Jacqui Alexander, Tricia Rose, Jacqui Jones, Hilton Als, and Michael Awkward, just to name a few. Second, a "Black Feminist Intellectuals Interview Project" is in development at the site. A fascinating interview with Hortense Spillers kicks off the project. The interview is currently posted and gives wonderful insight into her provocative work. Thus far, African American feminists Jacqui Alexander, Evelyn Hammonds, Adrian Piper, Tricia Rose, and Michele Wallace have been interviewed, and the Black Studies Web Site collective is in the process of transcribing them. Finally, watch for the inclusion of abstracts and full-text articles on this site in the future. Updates to the site aren't regular, but those I've seen over the few years that I've been following it have been worth the wait. There is no institutional or other support for this site. It is a testament to African American feminism's influence on disciplines and interdisciplinarity and is representative of forward-thinking African American feminist thought.

A unique generation of African American feminist thinkers, poets, and playwrights are the focus of Women in the Black Arts Movement: An Annotated Bibliography of Online Sites (http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/j/l/jlp345/index.htm). The site is a critical review of websites that feature women of the Black Arts Movement, specifically Lorraine Hansberry, Adrienne Kennedy, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni, Audre Lorde, and Sonia Sanchez. In the introductory essay, the author, a Pennsylvania State University student, claims that most online sources about the figures do not responsibly represent the women's individual and unique contributions to history and feminism. Most websites are accused of being superficial and limited in their analysis without examining how Hansberry, Kennedy, Brooks, Giovanni, Lorde, and Sanchez both successfully and unsuccessfully treat particular themes in their work. In addition to links to the websites in question, Women in the Black Arts Movement has a "Research Topics" section to encourage further critical study of the women and their ideas. The section lists study questions related to each woman and her work. The page is neat in its arrangement, very easy to navigate, and aesthetically appealing. The level of critical analysis is sophisticated and is a good example of how to propose research questions and interrogate one's sources, especially Internet sources.

Women of Color Web (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/grhf/WoC/index.html) addresses the interests and concerns of women of color from different races and ethnicities. The emphasis of the site is on feminisms, sexualities, and reproductive health and rights. Access is provided to valuable writings and resources for African American feminist teaching, learning, and activism. The site is organized under two categories: "Writings" and "Resources." The selected writings reprinted here are in full text. Scholars representing the African American feminist perspective are some of those at the top of the field: Patricia Hill Collins, Kimberle Crenshaw, Angela Davis, and bell hooks. Because Latina, Asian, and American Indian feminist writings in these areas are also cited, the page makes a great resource for a comparative study of women-of-color feminisms. Faculty developing and students taking courses on women of color, sexuality, or reproductive health and rights will discover useful readings. The resources section includes external links to teaching tools (bibliographies, research centers, academic departments, library research guides, and syllabi), organizations, and discussion lists. Few explicitly African American feminist resources are included; most of the links in this section lead to resources that deal with Chicana feminism or with race, gender, and class in a broader context. Nonetheless, there's much to discover here.

Most of the sites reviewed in this essay are bibliographic, with links to outside resources, primarily research institutions and organizations, for further study of African American feminist thought. Course syllabi, book reviews, pages profiling individual African American feminists and research guides on African American women's studies (feminist or otherwise), and related materials can also be explored on the Web. As African American feminist thought has grown richer and more forceful since the early 1800s, may the same become true of its presence on the Internet.
[Sherri Barnes (http://www.library.ucsb.edu/people/barnes/) is Associate Librarian for Women's Studies, U.S. History, and the Writing Program at University of California-Santa Barbara.]

http://womenst.library.wisc.edu/fc/fcwebafram.htm

[Soon]

American Electra:
Feminism's ritual matricide
By Susan Faludi

[AtLast]

I am pondering something- it sometimes feels like one is pegged as a separatist feminist (anti-male) immediately in threads at times. This is but one school of feminist thought and all feminists are not separatists. In fact, most are not and take the meaning of feminism as "equality of both sexes" very seriously.

In fact, my schooling in feminism has always included an understanding of the negative impact of traditional patriarchal roles for men as well as for women. This does not negate the serious consequences of male privilege at all, but serves to inform all of us about what does harm to both sexes in society.

Just as there are generalizations made about just about every identification in our community, feminists seem to get tagged as man haters as much as I remember back in the 70's at the height of the Second Wave.

This seems so odd to me due to the fact that it was that very second Wave that kicked off awareness of gender variation which is touches this community deeply in various aspects. It is now the Third and even Fourth Waves of feminism that are furthering gender awareness and struggling to achieve civil rights for all gender identifications.

Just rambling...