“A groundbreaking look at
the controversial topic of sexism and gender politics within African
American communities.”—Ebony
In
the Black community, rape, violence against women, and sexual
harassment are as much the legacy of slavery as is racism. In Gender
Talk, Johnnetta
Betsch Cole and Beverly Guy-Sheftall argue powerfully that the only
way to defeat this legacy is to focus on the intersection of race and
gender.
Examining
why the “race problem” has become so male-centered and how this
has opened a deep divide between Black women and men, the authors
turn to their own lives, offering intimate accounts of their
experiences as daughters, wives, and leaders. They examine pivotal
moments in African American history when race and gender issues
collided with explosive results. Along the way, they present the
testimonies of a large and influential group of Black women and men,
including Byllye Avery, Derrick A. Bell, Farai Chideya, Kimberlé
Crenshaw, Michael Eric Dyson, Marcia Gillespie, bell hooks, and Faye
Wattleton.
Fearless
and eye-opening, Gender
Talk is required
reading for anyone concerned with the future of African American
women—and men.