Nikhaule & The Wellspring of Black Feminist Theory

Nikhaule Martin

GWS 390

January 2018

The Wellspring of Black Feminist

Linda Burnham’s writing of The Wellspring of Black Feminist explained the multiple intersections of a black woman’s identity, and lived experiences and how these intersections were the catalyst for the creation of movements centered around black women.

In the writing Burnham mentions how women who opted to focus on issues as they pertain specifically to women were often “regarded as divisive.” The sentiment alone led me to think about women and the role they play within the Black Lives Matter movement, and the fight against police brutality. Although police brutality affects all minorities, including women, women have been left out of the conversation as the mourning and grief was saved specifically for black men. I have heard the cries of grief and pain for Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Oscar Grant but have heard very little for Rekia Boyd, Korryn Gaines, Kisha Michael, and Jessica Williams.

I have witnessed a plethora of women, black women, who have shown their boundless support towards movements that have, on occasion, spoke up for black men while simultaneously forgetting that black women are plagued by the same evils, and then some. Just as the Black Women’s Alliance was created out of SNCC, the Say Her Name movement seemed to stem from the Black Lives Matter movement to remember the girls and women that were also victimized by the police.

The reading helped me a lot to understand the tenacity that black women have always seemed to possess. It has also reminded me of how easy black women are overlooked despite their contributions to others. Although the theory was written about movements in the 1960’s and the 1970’s, the words still hold a lot of truth. The same intersections exist, and the struggle for equality both interracially and intra-racially continues. Our society today still focuses primarily on black and white issues, giving in to mainstream understanding of what feminism is leaving black women and women of color to speak for themselves. I would love explore the ways in which black woman have had to be strong and speak out in situations where they were not given a voice.