Black Women Empowerment Research Paper

Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, the only acceptable social media images of the day were of white people. Blacks, especially women were either prostitutes or maids. At the age of 13, I attended a predominately white catholic high school in an affluent area of Los Angeles. Teachers (mainly white nuns) and administrators were constantly reminding me of my intelligence, my luck to have been admitted and the hardship my parents must be going through to be able to afford the tuition. Toward the middle of junior year, the school tried to release me, not expel (they had too many black faces on the graduating class picture). They were however able to release about 15 Black fellow classman that year. By remembering Angela Davis, Kathleen

Newton and Bobby Seale, the BPP sought to protect and empower the Black community As a result, it became the birth child of “Black Power”. “Blacks not only voiced more militant demands but became critical of Black subjectivity implicit in civil rights ideology” (Pulido pg 90). BPP’s culture recognized Black women as equals. “…the party offered tremendous opportunities for female empowerment, and women’s participation was not only vital but recognized as such.” (Pulido pg 186). The white feminist movement appeal was limited. BPP women were interwoven in the fabric of black consciousness and worked within the BPP framework. “[Elaine] Brown assumed his [David Hilliard] position as second in command, eventually becoming the chair. (Pulido pg 190). Erica Huggins and Andrea Jones, were elected in 1972 to the Berkeley Community Development Council Board of Directors. Kathleen Cleaver, was the first female to become a part of the decision making body within the party. White feminist movement had little to offer Black women and according to Elbaum, “…white women did not invite Black women to one of the first major feminist conferences because of worries they would shift the agenda too heavily toward racism. (Elbaum pg 137). Most BPP women saw their struggle alongside Black men, and defined gender equality within BPP. “The message was clear: authentic Asian American, Latina, Black, and American Indian women stood by their men,

On May, 2013 during a video interview with “By Democracy Now” Angela Davis states, “I find it really interesting that the FBI decided to focus quite specifically on black women because somehow they feared it seems to me that the movement would continue and grow and develop particularly with the leadership and involvement of black women…That when the grandchildren of those who were active in the late 60s and 70’s are becoming involved in similar movements today, there is this effort to again terrorize young people by representing such important figures Assata Shakur as a terrorist.” The current plethora of interviews, crowded audiences on their public speaking tours and the ability to raise funds, public awareness and support in their fight for international social justice, shows that their gender had little impact on their ability to send powerful messages throughout world. From early colonialism to today, police brutality, racial discrimination and unfair social economic status are experienced equally by both Black men and women gender plays a small role in Black activism. BPP women are Abolitionist, Civil Right activists, Black Panther Party members and Black Lives Matters supporters. BPP women have not let up in their determination and resolve to effectuate change within our global society yesterday, today and