Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment

Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment is work of nonfiction by Patricia Hill Collins, a distinguished sociologist specializing in the intersection of race, class, and gender in American society. Originally published in 1990, the book explores the rich intellectual tradition of Black feminist intellectuals and writers inside and outside academia. Drawing on academic writing, fiction, poetry, oral history, and music, Collins provides a broad overview of Black feminist thinking as it relates to the experiences of Black women in the past and present. The book received the C. Wright Mills Award from the Society for the Study of Social Problems in 1990 and the Jessie Bernard Award from the American Sociological Association in 1993. A foundational text in the field of Black feminism, the book not only draws attention to the ways in which race, gender, class, sexuality, and nation intersect to oppress Black women, but also addresses Black women’s varied and at times creative responses to this oppression.

This guide refers to the Revised Tenth Anniversary Edition published in 2000 by Routledge.

Content Warning: The source material contains discussions of racism, sexism, classism, anti-gay bias, and sexual violence.

Summary

Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment consists of 12 chapters organized in three parts. Part 1, “The Social Construction of Black Feminist Thought,” comprises two chapters. The first explains the need for Black feminist thought, while the second describes its main features. The overarching aim of Black feminist thought is to combat the oppression of Black women, arguing that so long as the intersectional oppression of Black women exists, there will be a need for Black feminist thought. Collins traces the oppression of Black women in the US to slavery, arguing that white-dominated institutions perpetuate and justify this oppression with racist and sexist ideologies. She identifies Black women’s resistance to oppression as a core aspect of Black feminist thought. Resistance can take many forms, such as the centering of Black women’s experiences to counter their marginalization in predominantly white institutions. Collins emphasizes the importance of flexibility in Black feminist thought. Adapting to social change keeps Black feminism relevant to contemporary Black women, while highlighting the links between past and present ideas and practices.

Part 2, “Core Themes in Black Feminist Thought,” comprises seven chapters, each focusing on central aspects of Black feminist thought. Chapter 3 addresses work and family, presenting the workplace as a prime site of Black women’s oppression and the family as a broad network that facilitates childcare and information sharing. Although work and family structures have changed over time, the workplace remains oppressive, and Black women continue to create cooperative community networks. Chapter 4 addresses Controlling Images and the Intersectional Oppression of Black Women. Collins defines “controlling images” as popular stereotypes or archetypes that determine how society sees Black women. Chief among these controlling images are the “mammy,” the “matriarch,” and the “welfare mother,” all of which are myths used to justify Black women’s oppression. Chapter 5 focuses on Black women’s self-definition as a form of resistance. Self-definition is the antithesis of the controlling image. It thrives in social spaces where Black women can speak freely, including homes, churches, and Black community organizations. Chapter 6 describes the sexual politics of Black womanhood, arguing that intersecting oppressions of race, gender, and class have silenced discussions of Black women’s sexuality. These oppressive systems interact with heterosexism, a system of power that presents heterosexuality as inherently superior to other forms of sexual expression, not only harming Black lesbians and bisexuals but also justifying the regulation of Black women’s sexuality. Chapter 7 addresses the complex love relationships between Black women and Black men, focusing on the ‘love and trouble’ tradition. It also addresses the internalization of oppressive images of Black womanhood by Black men, their rejection of Black women as partners, and the move some Black women have made toward erotic autonomy. Chapter 8 identifies five themes characterizing Black women’s standpoint on motherhood: the symbiotic relationship between bloodmothers and othermothers, the socialization of daughters, social activism, power, and personal meaning. Despite its hardships, motherhood can instill hope in Black women and fuel activism to improve children’s lives. Chapter 9 describes a distinctive Black women’s activism that is centered on lived experience. Black women’s activism dovetails with traditional forms of activism, such as protests and boycotts, which are dominated by men.

Part 3, “Black Feminism, Knowledge, and Power,” consists of three interrelated chapters about Black feminism, Black feminist epistemology, and the empowerment of Black women. Chapter 10 situates Black feminism in the US in a transnational context. In addition to identifying poverty as a shared concern for Black women globally, it sets the foundation for the development of a common agenda between US Black feminism, African feminism, and the feminisms advanced by other women of African descent. Chapter 11 defines a Black feminist epistemology, that is, a theory of knowledge that prioritizes lived experience, dialogue, and connectedness in the validation of knowledge. Black feminist epistemology threatens dominant models of knowledge because it challenges the basic processes used by dominant groups to legitimate knowledge claims, thereby bringing all knowledge claims validated by these models into question. The book concludes with Chapter 12, which examines how power is organized and operates to create a politics of empowerment. Power results from the conflict between oppression and activism. It circulates within interpersonal relationships as well as institutional ones. Black feminism as a social justice project requires developing complex notions of empowerment and attending to intersecting oppressions to bring about liberation for Black women and to build a more just society.