What About Our Daughters

This is so interesting and yet timely. It was only until recently that I really became aware of the precarious state of women of color in their own communities.
I knew things weren't right, but I didn't have the words to make it all gel.

"Cosigning on number 2. Rosa Parks and if you are lucky Harriet Tubman. Thank goodness my parents didn’t rely on public schools to teach me Black history, but even then I’ve learned about more Black women history makers as an adult than I ever learned as a child."

I was taught about only those 2 women or so growing up until I began to educate myself as well.

And number 7 is so powerful for me. When talking to some people within the community it feels like BW aren't even human therefore our issues don't matter.

Very very good post. Yeah, and if one speaks exclusively about the condition of the black women one will be denounced a "man hater." Sorta funny how one's own well being isn't supposed to matter in this context.

We've been trained not to notice sexism / misogyny and the effect has been devastating. Racism isn't the only burden we bear. In many instances it is secondary.

Great post. I will be interested in your other posts in the days to come.

I gave up on these organizations decades ago. It started with Jesse Jackson came out against The Cosby Show when it first came on the air in 1982 or 1983. He had the nerve to say that black people did not live that way. I knew then these organizations were nothing more than groups to give them power. I knew that at least PUSH was all about keeping blacks thinking that all blacks are poor. I was so furious when I heard that because I knew it was not true AND HE KNEW IT WAS NOT TRUE. Over the decades seeing that they did NOTHING for bw let me know that these groups are all about lifting up bm. I'm not their slaves and refuse to participate in their garbage.

I am interested in how this topic will unfold and look forward to the discussion over the coming weeks. I think that at the root of black patriarchal privilege lies the misunderstanding of true masculinity and twenty-first century black manhood, in particular . The consequences, in my opinion, have been devastating to our families and relationships, the community, and institutions such as the black church.

I can't wait till you hit the College section of the list. I found that part very interesting. Especially since i attend an all female HBCU (Bennett College).

Uh-oh! Not supposed to use "black male" and "privilege" in the same phrase! Ain't no such thang, ya heard me?

At least the list was formulated by a man - goodness knows how much gnashing of the teeth there would be if a woman put together a list. Not to mention the credibility immediately eviserated.

Mary Mcleod Bethune

DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Founded the Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls (now Bethune-Cookman College) in 1904, and served as president from 1904-1942 and from 1946-47. Was a leader in the black women's club movement and served as president of the National Association of Colored Women. Was a delegate and advisor to national conferences on education, child welfare, and home ownership.Was Director of Negro Affairs in the the National Youth Adminstration from 1936 to 1944. Served as consultant to the U.S. Secretary of War for selection of the first female officer candidates. Appointed consultant on interracial affairs and understanding at the charter conference of the U.N. Founder of the National Council of Negro Women. Vice-president of the NAACP. Was awarded the Haitian Medal of Honor and Merit, that country's highest award. In Liberia she received the honor of Commander of the Order of the Star of Africa.

Love this post! I was also happy that a brother came up with this list. I think for some reason men are more open to dicussing sexism and misogyny if men bring the issue up rather than women.

great post, will share with black feminst crowd in ATL

adding to "Peas in their Pods"; Dorothy Height, Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hammer, Mahalia Jackson (inspired the "I Have a Dream" speech), Sweet Honey In the Rock, Faye Wattleton (iddg - intelligent and drop dead gorgeous), Angela Glover Blackwell, Lisa Y. Sullivan, Anna Deavere Smith...

Living, present, and past, the list goes on. brothers are missing out if that have not learned from these women.

for a woman on the rise check out Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever - savvy energetic at the seat of a great mentor.

I think that there are more black men in leadership roles simply because black women don't rock the boat when it comes to sexism. Glad that's changing.

well I cant argue with those talking points, the contribution of black women in history is a criminal secret.

I didnt learn anything till my freshman year in college by a AA women who was teaching AA history.

That being said Jewel Woods is still a low life for writing a stereotypical book about Black men going to Brazil for sex. The balls to broad brush and say that men would rather find happiness with a hooker than a black women is an attempt to take advantage of the insecurities odf some women.

Other than that i think he is dead on with this.

This was a kick butt article. Right on!!! Finally we are getting to this.

Also, when journalists were covering the civil rights movement of the 60s, virtually ALL the reporters were white men. They never bothered to interview ANY of the women organizers of the bus boycott. Now we know black women got that thing going, and then let fearless leader take all the credit for it.

I don't agree that black women make less than black men. I believe black women are in a kind of renaissance right now, but it's more complex.

Thanks for this article, it's amazing!!!

With respect to leadership, Black women only have themselves to blame. Did you see the DNC? Black women should demand and command power and protection like the fake out, well-worn PUMAs and for the life of me I will never understand her appeal our Alaskan ice queen Palin power!

One had better die fighting against injustice than die like a dog or a rat in a trap." Ida B. Wells-Barnett

Dr. Margaret Burroughs - Poet, teacher, activist, artist and founder of the DuSable African-American History Museum in Chicago.

Hit the libraries and check out "When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America" by Paula Giddings.

There was a lot of criticism (from the usual suspects) when it first came out, but I think it's still timely and worth reading.

More peas:

- Shirley Chisholm
- Barbara Jordan
- Dorothy Height (social work)
- Inabel Burns Lindsay (social work)

And many more.

#7 is so amazingly true

My husband was clueless about the differences between white feminism and black feminism when we first started dating. He thought all women were pretty equal in the world of feminism. Over the years he has seen how black women have had to put our race ahead of our gender time and time again and that black men actually perpetuate this via their privilege.

I've seen this list on another forum (black folks, male and female) and the members kinda picked it apart. I'm interested to see what happens here.

"I don’t agree that black women make less than black men. I believe black women are in a kind of renaissance right now, but it’s more complex."

We are in a type of dichotomy, there is a segment of Black women that are doing better than our ancestors ever dreamed we would do. We are also probably the most potentially powerful group of BLack women on the planet. On the otherhand. We are also distant from some of the segments of our community who's lives don't look all that much different that 1938. the only additional burden is our concept of family and community have changed.

regarding your conclusion that we make more than Black men, I would like to see your stats.Every study I have seen on equal pay says we make less than Black men. You also have to consider the fact that there are many Black women with college degrees who make less than Black men with none AND the fact that although Black women outnumber Black men in undergrad, that trend reverses in graduate and professional schools.

Although, Black women with professional degrees are the ONLY group that make more money on average than our white counterparts, HOWEVER, that has to do with choice.

Thanks for this post Gina.

I recall feminist sites giving a list of male privilege. Men responded with a list just as long citing female privilege. Both genders are privileged in different ways. Women get less prison time than men for the same crimes are are likewise less likely to get the death penalty for the same crimes. Women can cry, yet if I cry I'm a sissy and a punk. Women can seek out traditional male jobs, yet if I seek out traditional female jobs, my sexual orientation comes in to question. Women can get away with sexually harassing men much more than the reverse. Women don't have to register for the draft nor do they have to ever fear being drafted against their will and sent to war. Men are far more likely to be killed on the job. Employers tend to favor black women over black men. People are far quicker to come to the aid of a woman in distress. It is normal to expect a man to foot the bill on dates and to be the main providers in the home. A man who is a homemaker is viewed as a sorry out-of-work bum. We can go on.

Also, there is research that indicates that women do get near equal pay for the same work and I imagine that black women go beyond "near" and actually get at least the same pay as black men for the same work.

Men make more money due to their tendencies to choose higher paying professions and to work longer hours.

Thank you rich for offering your perspective on this matter without resorting to calling all Black women a bunch of man-hating feminazis. You have a point.

I still say Black women earn less than Black men. A lot of Black women THINK they are earning more than Black men, but they aren't. All the DATA says otherwise on the equal pay issue.

I hear you Rich. Men are even expected to die for women in crisis situations (think Titanic and natural disasters). I think my life is just as important (actually more) as a woman I have never met.

We are relegated to Secret Service agents who have to robotically open and hold doors, protect women's safety, pull out chairs, etc.

If women are measured by their looks, men are measured by their W2. We are reduced to a walking paycheck or job title on the auction block (are you still dating that doctor/lawyer/baller/pre-med student?).

Women also have the social freedom to quit a stressful job. If a man does that, he's weak.

Women have an ace up their sleeve; they have the power to grant and withhold sex, which can only be countered by having another woman on the side, Outsourcing (Going to Brazil), or jumping through women's hoops/putting up with their shiznit. This is what motivates men to work on their W2's and I9's, to make themselves more attractive to women.

I recently asked a buddy of mine why he works 7 days a week. He said, and I quote, "As a man, you ARE your W2".

Men build things with their bare hands, like buildings and roads, putting extreme wear and tear on their bodies. We therefore die sooner, and you get the assets and live to meet your youngest grandchildren.

Hmm, given all of this feminism, maybe I should jump-start a Masculinist movement...

great post gina. i sent it to my brothalove family members and friends. i am gonna make it a topic for our thanksgiving, christmas, and kwanzaa family gatherings this fall and winter. i heard jewel speak on cocoa's corner with shawna renee and was impressed by his insights regarding black men and brazil trips. he is doing some powerful work. peace.

So Rich has emboldened y'all and now y'all want to start comparing Okay.

As form as a Masculinist movement, you already have that. its called politics, pop culture, religion, education. Its all Masculinist-dominated.

Please Brother's share with us your gender oppression. I want to hear more.
Women do not have to social freedom to quit a stressful job. Thats disresepctful to the women who go to work everyday to back breaking grinding work to take care of their families. 55% of all families who are in poverty are lead by women.

OH this should be an interesting discussion, but please continue with your frankness. We need to have this all out in the open.

What's wrong with protecting a woman? Why is that a burden on you? Is that a male thing or a Black male thing?

Reread my comments above.

You don't see what's wrong with a man protecting a woman with his life, other than someone close to him? Are you implying that my life is worth less than yours?

Would you protect me with your life? I would assume that a forward thinking woman like yourself wouldn't hesistate to do so.

You can't have the privilege w/o responsibilities.
I don't know if its just me, but I usually only hear black men make complaints like this, its like some want to have it both ways. They want to be seen and masculine and want to be taken care of at the same time.

My dad is kind of a sexist when it come to a womans place in the world, but at least he didn't complain about getting up and going work everyday to buy the food he wanted my mom to cook and the "burden" of protecting his wife and family.
We either drop all gender conformity and barriers or just keep it as a give and taken situation.

Actually, it's mostly white men who make these complaints.

http://www.feministcritics.org/blog/2008/06/08/female-privilege/

http://the-niceguy.com/Checklist.php

As form as a Masculinist movement, you already have that. its called politics, pop culture, religion, education. Its all Masculinist-dominated.

Those are not movements. That's just the reality of testosterone fueled male aggression and competitiveness. Do you want men to stop giving it their all when competing against women in non-physical pursuits? Unequal outcomes don't necessarily mean unequal opportunities.

Please Brother’s share with us your gender oppression. I want to hear more.

Women do not have to social freedom to quit a stressful job. Thats disresepctful to the women who go to work everyday to back breaking grinding work to take care of their families. 55% of all families who are in poverty are lead by women.

That's why he said "social freedom" and not "economic freedom". In a situation whereas both the man and woman in a marriage is capable of making the same income, yet only one income is needed, society accepts that either they both work or he works. If she works and he doesn't, he is ostracized. Therefor she has the "social freedom" to stop working that he doesn't.

What’s wrong with protecting a woman? Why is that a burden on you? Is that a male thing or a Black male thing?

There is nothing wrong with it, yet it is a burden, albeit a burden that men have traditionally accepted and often embraced. Most men will jump in front of bullets to save their wives while most wives would not do the same for their husbands. It's a double standard that women embrace because that particular double standard benefits them. When a double standard doesn't benefit them, they want to eliminated it. That's where the problem lies. Many modern women want the advantages of being protected and catered to while not wanting any of the responsibilities.

What you get today are a lot of women declaring that being a man involves taking the leadership role and taking responsibility for the community, the protection of women and children, etc. When women do wrong, it is our fault for not being there to guide them. What folks don't want to understand is that by doing so, you place men in the position of parent over both women and children and this tends to demand that women to some degree submit to men in the way that children submit to parents. This is why the phrase "women and children" has often been proclaimed whether if precedes the term "first" or the phrase "seen, not heard".

When we get nostalgic and talk about how men were chivalrous back in the day and provided for , protected and catered to women, we fail to acknowledge that many times, these women did whatever these men said and often asked for permission before even making a comment in a social gathering. This is extreme, yet it illustrates that men have always been willing to allow double standards that benefit women as long as men themselves received certain desired privileges. As is seen today, as men lose such privileges, they are less willing to accept double standards that benefit women.

Black men have less male privilege than white men and black women are more aggressive in demanding the dominant role and this has contributed to black women commonly being left to fend for themselves.

Let the church say...AMEN!

Actually, it’s mostly white men who make these complaints, not black men.

Actually, it’s mostly white men who make these complaints, not black men.

Bingo. Go to any masculinist site and it is comprised predominantly of white men. Often times being a masculinist is considered unmasculine since men are supposed to be stoic and never complain. The hyper masculinity commonly practiced by black and Hispanic men doesn't allow for such complaining. If you are complaining like this, you don't know how to "keep your women in check".

Here is a good article entiled "The War Against Boys":

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200005/war-against-boys

The research commonly cited to support claims of male privilege and male sinfulness is riddled with errors. Almost none of it has been published in peer-reviewed professional journals. Some of the data turn out to be mysteriously missing. A review of the facts shows boys, not girls, on the weak side of an education gender gap. The typical boy is a year and a half behind the typical girl in reading and writing; he is less committed to school and less likely to go to college. In 1997 college full-time enrollments were 45 percent male and 55 percent female. The Department of Education predicts that the proportion of boys in college classes will continue to shrink.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education and from several recent university studies show that far from being shy and demoralized, today's girls outshine boys. They get better grades. They have higher educational aspirations. They follow more-rigorous academic programs and participate in advanced-placement classes at higher rates. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, slightly more girls than boys enroll in high-level math and science courses. Girls, allegedly timorous and lacking in confidence, now outnumber boys in student government, in honor societies, on school newspapers, and in debating clubs. Only in sports are boys ahead, and women's groups are targeting the sports gap with a vengeance. Girls read more books. They outperform boys on tests for artistic and musical ability. More girls than boys study abroad. More join the Peace Corps. At the same time, more boys than girls are suspended from school. More are held back and more drop out. Boys are three times as likely to receive a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. More boys than girls are involved in crime, alcohol, and drugs. Girls attempt suicide more often than boys, but it is boys who more often succeed. In 1997, a typical year, 4,483 young people aged five to twenty-four committed suicide: 701 females and 3,782 males.

Here is a good paper detailing the modern trend for black men to be discriminated against not only for race but for gender and how employers prefer black women over black men:

http://www.allacademic.com//meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/8/4/2/9/pages184295/p184295-1.php

Yep.

"Data from the U.S. Department of Education and from several recent university studies show that far from being shy and demoralized, today’s girls outshine boys. They get better grades. They have higher educational aspirations. They follow more-rigorous academic programs and participate in advanced-placement classes at higher rates."

Heck, yeah we do! Those of us who have been blessed enough to have a measure of success have had it beaten into us, that we have to fight and win if we're going to support ourselves and a family.

Often, empathy is left for boys. Girls are often forced to get their act together early. My neighbor had two boys and two girls. The girls did all of the cleaning, made all of the beds, ironed all of the clothing.

I remember once as a teenager, one of the girls remarked to me how grateful she was that her brother was "willing" to wear jogging pants that day, so she didn't have to iron for him.

I thought she was nuts. There were no girl versus boy jobs in my home. Everyone did everything. I'll give you one good guess as to which of them today seem to not only be surviving but flourishing.

Needless to say, I use my parents model.

I think that the leadership and politics section is much less controversial than the upcoming sections but it is still debatable nonetheless.

I just want to add that the black community coddles and embraces some of the most violent and sexist men in the world. Half of our so-called "heroes" and "leaders" were wife beaters and adulterers. But bring that up and people (male and female) think you're crazy.

I am sick and tired of blackfolks acting as if being black gives some of these men the right to act like animals. One form of oppression does not justify another.

"Half of our so-called “heroes” and “leaders” were wife beaters and adulterers."

Huemanity that is something that I am just now finding out. I was so sick when I learned how horribly so many black women activists were treated. I foolishly thought that the vitrol being aimed at women and particularly feminists was a recent development of my generation.

I always thought that leader meant being held to a higher standard and judged more harshly than others. I thought it meant integrity, honor, and good character in all areas of your life. It was something that you not only demonstrated through your actions, but you couldn't help but to have those behaviors because that is who you are at your core.

Huemanity, you are 100% correct. A lot of it is due to the stereotypes of manhood (tough, ruthless, violent, hyper-masculine, insensitive). Look at Bush and Cheney. They come off tough, ruthless, and insensitive. It is not just stereotypical of black men. War mongers are usually loved by their people and romanticized, like Napoleon, Attila the Hun, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, and King Henry VIII, who killed wives who wouldn't bear sons. These were all ruthless killers and womanizers on a grand scale, yet they are though well of in history.

We have to change our perception of manhood.

"Half of our so-called “heroes” and “leaders” were wife beaters and adulterers."

Not to mention rapists.

All I can say is that Jewel is one very insightful man. Thanks for this post Gina.

@Mod and Rich

Men want it both ways as well.

They still want to benefit from various male privileges but then don't want to do the work that that requires.

My biggest pet peeve in dating and relationships today is that to many young men want to embrace the traditional masculine rolls of being the head of the household or relationships but don't want any of the responsibility that comes with that.

i.e. paying for dates, taking care of and protecting family etc.

As far as your giving your life for a woman - it has nothing to do with privelege and more to do with biology...you need lots of women and children for a society to continue...you only need a few men.

In WW! when something like 60% (don't quote me on my numbers but it was extremely high) of young men were lost in Europe b/c of the war...it wasn't the end of the world. Europe re-populated rather easily.

When you look at the Jewish population...they have never been able to get their numbers up since the Holocaust...too many women and children were lost.

In great disasters you need the women and children to survive if society is going to continue.

That's all that's about...not some warped sense of privilege.

"As far as your giving your life for a woman - it has nothing to do with privelege and more to do with biology…you need lots of women and children for a society to continue…you only need a few men."

That's easy for you to say; how convenient. That's a good spin on the idea that a man's life is worth less than yours. The Liberated man is not buyin' it. We have seen our grandfathers and fathers work themselves to death so the wife can enjoy another 25-30 years of life with someone else.

Uh-uh.

Following your reasoning, since we only need a few men, you black women should be okay with your hubbies and boyfriends having multiple women. After all, you only need a few men to repopulate...maybe misogynistic rap videos are good for keeping the population vibrant, eh?

I must be honest no matter how harsh I may sound. I really don't see any evidence in society of black male privilege. If this is the same list I read before, I doubt this list represents the feelings of most black men. If so, that would mean black men are generally perverted. I don't know most black men, but I can say they generally aren't perverts.

But back to the point, I just don't see how there is such a thing called black male privilege, at least not in the white male dominated western world.

White males have the most privilege in our society whether or not they admit it (especially white MRA's).

There is this huge misconception that men who are black will not oppress women who are black because they themselves are oppressed. This is a lie.

Men who are black have male privileges too. It's shown every time women who are black spoil their sons and are hard on their daughters. Some will say that it’s because these men are “oppressed” but no one realizes that it is also because they are male. Also, it’s shown when men who are black are given a pass for irresponsible sexual behavior but women who are black are condemned as hoodrats and whores. Men who are black will state that they have less privilege than men who are white BUT no one discusses how men who are black perpetuate white skin privilege amongst other blacks. No one openly discusses how men who are black perpetuate white skin shade privilege due to their personal bias for white skin. Also, no one discusses how this behavior severely damages the self-esteem of young black girls. White male privilege and white supremacy is null and void when those who complain about drive white skin privilege.

Men who are black drive the myth that they are being oppressed in various ways. By stating that employers favor women who are black over them, black men continue to drive this myth. This is why black women think that they are making more money than black men. In reality, men who are black get paid more than women who are black because they are men. They have male privilege.

Men who are black drive racist stereotypes of black Americans for their own purposes. A lot of them will use the poor behavior of some black women to perpetuate stereotypes that black women are sapphires, jezebels, welfare queens and other things that are stereotypical.

I could say more but that is where I will start.

" It’s shown every time women who are black spoil their sons and are hard on their daughters"

Thats a cop out, because men are harder on their sons than they are on their daughters thats the way it is.

"Also, it’s shown when men who are black are given a pass for irresponsible sexual behavior but women who are black are condemned as hoodrats and whores."

That is wrong, men are given hell for not raising their kids and the spread of HIV.

"Men who are black drive the myth that they are being oppressed in various ways. "

Myth? Racial profiling, police brutality and out right murder, unfair hiring practices, bias sentencing in criminal courts, those are myths?

"Men who are black drive racist stereotypes of black Americans for their own purposes."

Really like who? Rappers? BET? What secret organization of black men do you know runs around calling women sapphires, jezebels, welfare queens.

Better yet what role do women play in that?

Mekare,

I believe that there are some black men who want and will try to oppress black women, but they can't. Black men in America (and probably the world) do not have that much power. An oppressor needs power in order to oppress. I believe that black women are suffering the woman hating in black culture only because we allow it. For a long time, we avoided issues surrounding gender. What makes our plight different from white women is that their men are actually the ones with power so their fight will be that much difficult. The only thing black womanhood has to do is assert herself and stop giving black men a pass for anything and everything they do. That must be the reason why I'm not so cynical about progress for black women in the world.

@JJ where did you get that info about WWII?

@Lormarie..Lormarie said "What makes our plight different from white women is that their men are actually the ones with power so their fight will be that much difficult."

That quote right there is worthy of an entire post. It demonstrates a complete and total lack of understanding about power. No matter who has MORE power, human beings will always seek to use what power they do have, even if that power is the power to make other people more miserable than they are.

Good lord. Do you really believe that the only thing oppressing Black women is her unwillingness to assert herself? Do you apply that same standard to Black men?

Sexism isn't merely some individual inconvenience, it is systemic and it's consequences widespread.

We all have POWER. Go read the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Talents. Everybody has power.

You think Black women just HAPPEN to be physically assaulted at a rate that far outpaces our White and Hispanic counterparts. We just HAPPEN to be raped seven times more often. We just HAPPEN to be excluded from the history books and we just HAPPEN to be missing from leadership roles in major Black organizations. PLUUUEEZ.

Sexism and racism are kissing cousins.

You really think Black men can't oppress Black women? Go to a battered women's shelter and tell me they aren't oppressed?

That's not all Black men, but your unwillingness to acknowledge that this exists at all is why the man had to come up with the list.

Did you say Black men throughout the world don't have power? Gee tell that to the folks in Zimbabwe who were getting their kneecaps destroyed with iron bars for voting against Mugabe or the family of the 2 year old baby that got slammed to the ground breaking both of its legs.

To acknowledge some systemic oppression isn't an indictment of Black men. The Black community OUGHT to be a shining example of human rights and dignity, yet here we are a group of educated Black people arguing to maintain the status quo.

"Men who are black drive racist stereotypes of black Americans for their own purposes. A lot of them will use the poor behavior of some black women to perpetuate stereotypes that black women are sapphires, jezebels, welfare queens and other things that are stereotypical."

Really? Are you talking about rappers? What caliber of black men do you all deal with? None of my BM friends are like this.

"That’s a cop out, because men are harder on their sons than they are on their daughters that’s the way it is."

Mike, we are talking about black male privilege. What I said was:

"It’s shown every time women who are black spoil their sons and are hard on their daughters"

There is a myth that black men do not have male privilege or will not oppress black women because they are oppressed and that is a lie. There are a lot black mothers who spoil their sons partially because they are men. That is a male privilege that black men have.

You are said

"That’s a cop out, because men are harder on their sons than they are on their daughters that’s the way it is"

And then said:

"That is wrong, men are given hell for not raising their kids and the spread of HIV."

Mike, we are talking about black men in particular. Are you indirectly acknowledging that there are not a lot of black men in their homes? Because I will say that, there are not a lot of homes were black men are present to be hard on their sons.

I am saying that black men are given a pass on irresponsible sexual behavior, which is a sign of black male privilege. Black men are continuously allowed to behave sexually irresponsibly BECAUSE it is the womans responsibility to take every single precaution to prevent AIDS, unwanted pregnancy, STD's, ect and if the woman is harmed it's on her because the male will not be around.

"Myth? Racial profiling, police brutality and out right murder, unfair hiring practices, bias sentencing in criminal courts, those are myths"

Mike, this is a dangerous statement. A lot of black men use the sympathy generated from this statement to take advantage of black women. A lot of black men will use statements like these to focus attention on their issues only. However, they will not give a second thought to the well being of black women because they are women. Your ability to do that is part of male privilege and black male privilege.

Also, statements like the one above ignore black males role in perpetuating racism and skin shade hierarchies among black Americans. You mentioned BET and rappers and that is an obvious example. Why shouldn't someone ignore black males getting on TV and perpetuating racism?!? And why wouldn't an everyday black man engage in this behavior? It's an ugly secret but it is a reality. There are a lot of black men who have a bias for white and light skin, mixed race women, light skin women, ect, ect and there is no shame in that. But damaging the reputation of black women and self-esteem of black girls is hideous.

Lormarie,

There is a flaw in that statement. You do not have to be ruler of the world to oppress and hold someone down. A lot of men in the world oppress women and black men are no exception. There is this myth that men who are black men will have the best interests in mind of women who are black because they are “oppressed” and women in general are oppressed so they can relate when they can not. That has been historically proven. There is an unhealthy closeness between black men and women and it has to be broken.

I’m going to come out and say this. Black men in America are no longer oppressed. They can build countries, families and take from the white man just like they take from us.

"I believe that black women are suffering the woman hating in black culture only because we allow it"

Lorie, there is a whole system set up in black America that forbids women who are black to speak against black men because they are "oppressed."

You say we "allow" it but whenever the topic comes up, the responsibility is on the woman to fix things. This is part of black male privilege and sexism.

Women who are black are still women. We cannot handle what is going on in black America. We are not strong enough. It is our responsibility to resume our role as women, get married, raise families, protect our interests, live and die. That’s all we can do.

Good lord. Do you really believe that the only thing oppressing Black women is her unwillingness to assert herself? Do you apply that same standard to Black men?--Gem2001

Actually, it is you who lacks understanding of power as well as the meaning of assertion in this context. Black men do not control the institutions necessary to oppress. Black women historically and presently have not asserted their rights when it comes to being victims of sexism. This is all due to the desire not to see another brother in jail, or at any rate in trouble. Until we start asserting our right to be respected or to live free of violence this will only get worse. In other words, we should care more about our own lives instead of a black thug out to do us harm. You say that people will use the power they do have. I still say that black women aren't asserting the power we have.

Did you say Black men throughout the world don’t have power? Gee tell that to the folks in Zimbabwe who were getting their kneecaps destroyed with iron bars for voting against Mugabe or the family of the 2 year old baby that got slammed to the ground breaking both of its legs.--Gem2001

Yes, I still say that black men lack power. Why? Mugabe is only in power because the white western powers that be allow him to stay in power. Do you honestly believe that Britain or the US couldn't unseat him if they wanted to?

To acknowledge some systemic oppression isn’t an indictment of Black men. The Black community OUGHT to be a shining example of human rights and dignity, yet here we are a group of educated Black people arguing to maintain the status quo.--Gem2001

Please, you don't even know me or my views, LOL. Black women are NOT oppressed by black men. We simply do not assert the power we have.

You mention that black women are assaulted by black men. Well, black men are assaulted by black men as well.

As soon as we start asserting our rights meaning:

Stop supporting black men who harm black women and children (R Kelly)

Take steps to protect ourselves physically (self-defense, firearms)

Stop buying music that degrades black women

We will see changes. Until then, I stand by what I said.

Black men cannot oppress black women if we don't let them.