å Saturday, September 2nd, 2017

Angela Davis utilizes numerous figures and events in her effort to discuss the early women’s rights campaign and the issues that reside within. In particular, the Seneca Falls Convention is an excellent embodiment of what Davis argues in regards to the relationship between gender, race, and class. First of all, the terms gender, race, and class are similar in that they are all categories where inequality exists. The world categorizes different individuals into each of these sections and often time people are judged depending on where they belong. Moreover, this sets a boundary among people who are not in the same category.

The Seneca Falls Convention began as an effort to address women’s rights. Created and operated by female abolitionists Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the convention discussed issues regarding male supremacy and female inequality in many aspects of life. According to Davis, what it lacked was the consideration for the working-class women and the Black women (1981:58). Mott and Stanton, like most female abolitionists, were middle-class women who had the time and the resource to spend on their extraordinary activities. On the other hand, women of the working class and of the Black community experienced totally different life styles. Unlike those of the middle-class, these women had to fight to live through each day, hence falling victim to racism and injustice within their own distinctive environments. Whatever these women suffered, the women of middle-class were most likely oblivious to it. This is evidenced when Davis mentions how workingwomen and Black women were literally being ignored, despite their efforts to fight against male supremacy and female inequality in their own unique way (1981:60).

Davis almost portrays the female abolitionists as racists themselves, as they go out of their way to exclude and inferiorize the Black community. Quite an irony, seeing as how they identify themselves as those against the act of slavery, and fighting for the freedom of those under slavery. Abolitionists were the ones who segregated Frederick Douglass’ daughter from her school (1981:64). They were the ones who disrespected and disapproved of Sojourner Truth speaking at their convention because she was Black (1981:67). One can infer that these abolitionists were only against the “act” of slavery, for their horrendous infliction on another human being, yet they were still racists in their own way of judging others because of race and class.

Davis is pretty clear in his argument that the women’s rights movement had flaws. The reason for that is because of gender, race, and class; it separates people into groups, making it hard to step out of one mindset and understand the experiences of those different from them.

My name is Katherine De La Cruz. I’m originally from the Dominican Republic and live in Brooklyn.  I’m an Anthropology major in my Junior year. I have never taken a formal women and gender studies class so I am excited to learn more about women’s movements and activism.  I believe that being knowledgeable about issues of sexuality and gender will make my anthropological research more complex.