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Difficulty: MediumBlack Feminist and Womanist Movements

Read the following excerpt from the Combahee River Collective Statement (1977):

"We struggle together with Black men against racism, while we also struggle with Black men about sexism... We realize that the liberation of all oppressed peoples necessitates the destruction of the political-economic systems of capitalism and imperialism as well as patriarchy."

Based on this excerpt, which of the following statements best describes how the Combahee River Collective's political agenda differed from mainstream, second-wave white feminist organizations of the 1970s?

  1. It emphasized solidarity with Black men to combat racial oppression while simultaneously addressing gender inequality, whereas mainstream white feminist organizations primarily focused on gender discrimination.Answer
  2. B
    It advocated for complete political and social separation from men of all races to build independent matriarchal communities.
  3. C
    It rejected anticapitalist critique, focusing instead on achieving economic and political parity within the existing capitalist system.
  4. D
    It argued that Black women should delay their fight against sexism until racial equality was fully established in the United States.

Answer

The Combahee River Collective's political agenda emphasized solidarity with Black men to combat racial oppression while simultaneously addressing gender inequality, in contrast to mainstream white feminist organizations that primarily focused on gender discrimination.
The correct option is correct because the Combahee River Collective's statement highlights their intersectional approach: they work in solidarity with Black men to defeat racism while simultaneously confronting sexism within their community. This contrasts sharply with mainstream, second-wave white feminist groups, which primarily analyzed oppression through a single-axis lens of gender, often failing to address racial disparities or build solidarity with men of color.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary source excerpt to identify key themes regarding solidarity with Black men and the systemic targets (racism, sexism, capitalism, patriarchy).
The Collective outlines a dual approach: struggling together with Black men against racism and struggling with them about sexism, while noting the need to dismantle capitalism, imperialism, and patriarchy.
Understanding the author's stance on interlocking oppressions and relationships with Black men is essential to identifying the core argument.
2
Compare these identified themes with the goals and focus of mainstream, second-wave white feminist organizations of the 1970s.
Mainstream white feminist organizations predominantly focused on gender equality (a single-axis framework) and did not systematically address racial oppression or align with Black men, nor did they generally adopt a revolutionary anti-capitalist stance.
This comparison distinguishes the intersectional framework of Black feminism from the mainstream feminist movement.

Key Concept

Black Feminism and Intersectional Oppression
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Topics

Black Feminist and Womanist Movements

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