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Difficulty: MediumBlack Feminist and Womanist Movements

Read the following excerpt from activist and legal scholar Pauli Murray's 1964 address to the National Council of Negro Women:

"It is not too much to say that the civil rights movement will be crippled if it does not recognize and utilize the leadership and resources of Negro women... The Negro woman can no longer postpone her advocacy of her rights as a woman while she struggles for her rights as a member of a minority group. She must carry on both struggles simultaneously."

Based on the excerpt, which of the following best describes Murray's argument regarding the political activism of Black women?

  1. A
    Black women should focus exclusively on racial justice advocacy, leaving gender equality to be addressed after civil rights are secured.
  2. B
    Mainstream women's organizations adequately represented the needs of Black women by focusing primarily on middle-class gender equality.
  3. Black women experience simultaneous forms of discrimination, meaning they cannot separate their struggle against racial injustice from their struggle against sexism.Answer
  4. D
    Gender discrimination within the civil rights movement was minor compared to racial oppression, making a separate women's advocacy movement unnecessary.

Answer

Black women experience simultaneous forms of discrimination, meaning they cannot separate their struggle against racial injustice from their struggle against sexism.
The correct option is correct because Murray directly asserts that Black women must carry on both struggles—for racial justice and women's rights—simultaneously. This emphasizes the intersectional nature of their oppression, which cannot be neatly divided into separate single-issue movements.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary source text from Pauli Murray.
Murray argues that Black women cannot postpone their gender advocacy while fighting for racial equality and must carry on both struggles simultaneously.
To identify the core argument presented in the stimulus.
2
Evaluate the options against Murray's argument.
The option identifying that Black women experience simultaneous forms of discrimination and must address both race and gender injustice matches Murray's text.
To determine which option correctly reflects the analysis of the text.

Key Concept

Black Feminist and Womanist Movements
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Black Feminist and Womanist Movements

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