Should The Combahee River Collective Embodies Feminism?

In “A Black Feminist Statement,” the Combahee River Collective, a Black feminist group during the mid to late 70s, focuses on the origins of black feminism, the establishment’s principles and history, along with their triumphs and struggles, and their hope for the future (27-32). In this short paper, I will use “A Black Feminist Statement” to prove how the organization depicts feminism and highlights specific histories of feminism.
The Combahee River Collective embodies feminism through their courageous act. In the 1970s, a band of African-American women in Boston, Massachusetts branched out from the feminist movement to established their own organization due to racial discrimination (Combahee River Collective 27). Within the feminist circle, white women discriminated Black women who just like them were fighting for equality. Consequently, white women became the perpetrators of their teaching. On the other hand, the women’s newfound alliance provided a safe-net against African American men who used sexism towards them to prove their masculinity (Combahee River Collective 29). Despite the

The name that they chose for their association “came from a guerrilla faction led by Harriet Tubman, a Black abolitionist that liberated more than 750 slaves” (Combahee River Collective 27). By choosing a name that derived from a Black Historical battle, the women pay homage to past sacrifices. Furthermore, by doing so, they provided a voice to those (slaves, free-slaves, abolitionists) that were silence due to the limitation of their time. The women’s decision also demonstrated that they were proud of their roots and not afraid to express it loudly. Their actions reminded me of Mr. James Brown’s song “Say It Loud, I am Black, and I am Proud” – which appeared around the same time (1968). Like the song, the Combahee River Collective is not afraid to say that they are