Combahee River Collective Statement

Another crucial aspect within the Combahee River Collective Statement was the purpose of Black feminism. The Collective emphasized the need for Black feminists and their differences from the mainstream feminist movement. The Black women of the Combahee River Collective recognized that Black feminism is needed to “combat the manifold and simultaneous oppressions” that is experienced by all women of color. This is because Black feminism acknowledges how the intersectionality of racism and sexism oppresses not only Black women but all women of color. This is something that mainstream feminism fails to address. It is important to understand that from the perspective of the Collective, mainstream feminism only acknowledged the challenges of white

It is crucial for feminism, specifically white feminists, to acknowledge the shortcomings of the movement. Kendall argues that white women must recognize their privilege and how it can be used to perpetuate oppression. She notes that white women are not just “passive beneficiaries” of racist oppression. Instead, they have actively participated in white supremacy and racism. Throughout history, the myth of white women lacking the power to oppress others has been perpetuated. While white men may have created white supremacy, white women have also upheld its legacy. A clear example of this has been the phenomenon of white women calling the police on Black people for no apparent reason. White feminism has taught white women that they have the right to occupy all spaces and dictate who is also in this space. This phenomenon has also been bolstered by white feminism’s relationship with the patriarchy. While white women have challenged the patriarchy to accomplish their goals, they still fall back upon it the moment they feel threatened by relying upon law enforcement to come to their aid. In doing so, they are using institutions to uphold white supremacy within society. This led to a further divide between Black women and mainstream feminism. Just as the Combahee River Collective indicated in their statement, Black women continue to feel separated from

White women’s tears refer to how when white women express pain or discomfort, society feels the need to immediately protect them. Cooper also notes that white women’s tears are usually in response to white women being held accountable for the negative consequences of their actions. When people try to tell white women about how their behavior is inappropriate, some chose to respond by claiming to feel attacked. In return, society rushes to their defense while completely forgetting about their poor behavior. This is the phenomenon of white women's tears. Overall, feminism has not held white women accountable for their continuance of racism and disrespect towards Black women. Feminism has failed to hold white women accountable for not using their privilege to advocate for the needs of all women. To enact change, white feminists must use their privilege to oppose white supremacy. White feminists must stop being afraid to lose their privileges in going against these systems of oppression. Instead, there is much to be