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black like my granddaddy's armchair.....
2003-09-23 - 4:20 p.m.

"Death is just god cutting to the chase to put you in a better place."

All these racism books have been making me feel extra militant. John Logan told me not too long ago that he thinks I'm secretly black sometimes. The "Reverse-Ionic-Dermetitus" or the "Hoch-Rappaport-Serch syndrome."

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Current Forum: discussion

Date: Tue Sep 23 2003 12:18 pm

Author: Bennett, Michael Raymond

Subject: Re: Gender oppression vs. racial oppression

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I'm reading a couple of books on racism right now, namely, Bell hooks' "Killing Rage" and Andrew Hacker's "Two Nations."

In Hacker's book, there's a quote from Gunnar Myrdal saying:

"sex and race fears are the main defense for segregation and, in fact, the whole caste order."

Also in the beginning of Hacker's book, he clearly says that the separation and division of blacks and whites "supasses even gender-in intensity and subordination."

It's quite evident that the enslavement and mistreatment of africans over centuries holds no rival in injustice and the devaluing and subordination of people since the beginning of recorded history, but many women also were being devalued and subordinated in (for the most part) more subliminal and gradual means.

I don't think designating one form of oppression "primary" more oppressive then the other isn't what hooks was trying to say.

Hooks has a particular interesting insight in being an African-American woman. What would it really accomplish to designate what kind of oppression she felt as she lives her life as being either Gender or Racial? I think she does have more sympathy for her gender, devoting her life to it and being one of the prominent speakers of the feminist movement can do that to you I would imagine. It's even plain in the language we speak, she is not a "woman of color" she is "Black" first and "woman" second.

No form of oppression comes into comparsion to the swift and direct, outright, mistreatment of africans that still permeates strongly into today's society. It might be a matter of opinion to some in the strengths of putting someone in physical chains or mental chains, but I think you cannot contest that that choice was never given to black people.

"Current Forum: discussion

Date: Sat Sep 20 2003 11:33 am

Author: Clemons, Theresa Carmella

Subject: Gender oppression vs. racial oppression

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On page 76 of our text, Hook is quoted," Sexist oppression is of primary importance, not because it is the basis of all other oppressions, but because it is the practice of domination most people experience, either as exploiter or exploited. Thus, challenging sexism is critical in the struggle to end all oppressions". Hook's statement caused me to reflect on the many years we have struggled to end racism through education, awareness programs, and civil rights policies. Despite these efforts, we have been unsuccessful. Not everyone has experienced racism but we have all experienced sexism; according to Hook as either the exploiter or the exploitee. Men argue there can be no equality because they are stronger physically. We can argue that we are stronger emotionally. Therefore, it is not our differences that should determine equality but our strengths. Do you believe that eliminating sexual oppression, an oppression apparent from the beginning of time, is the key to ending all oppression?

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