Wofa Akwasi,
That's easy. It's someone/ some ones' personal choice and that always means personal preferences – even if they're trying to be "universal" about it.
It's supposed to be of rank and file importance and therefore a list of the fifteen most important/ relevant Black Feminist Books Everyone Should Read according to Diamond Sharp.
First of all, we've got to make a distinction between Black and African. Egypt's current military leader El-Sisi, may be the leader of an African country, but does he define himself as "Black"? We can ask him.
Gaddafi was crowned King of Kings of Africa by a coterie of Black Chiefs and local kings, but did Gaddafi identify himself as Black to the Arab League to which he invited Israel to apply for membership?
Let us suppose that Nawal el-Saadawi is not there because according to certain definitions she may not be classified as" Black" – or Black enough to merit being on that list – she is certainly darker than Germaine de Geer or Suzanne Brogger since she happens to be Arab (don't know what colour that is ) but certainly not " West African sepia"
I'm puzzled as to why Soul Sister Angela Davis or just Angela Davis is not included in the top fifteen – thinking of her Women, Race and Class
I lament that my son is not here, since he is a specialist (on feminism) whereas some Soul Brothers are mostly only specialists on perfumes and connoisseurs of "the feminine mystique"
Are you aware Dear Wofa, that there was a time when an edict was issued saying that anyone who says that Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (the Prophet of Islam) – salallahu alaihi wa salaam - is Black "is killed" – not will be killed, but "is killed"?
In the case of Nawal el-Saadawi it could also be a matter of self-definition. Does she say that she is Black or is she first and foremost Arab? She is very popular with the Swedish feminists and like Buchi Emecheta (a good friend of the late Brother Bedu Annan) has been here (Stockholm) a couple of times…
You lament the absence of Ama Ata Aidoo - that too is a dilemma. By the same token there are other nationalists who probably lament the absence of Ebuchi Emecheta from the list of the top fifteen – in this case it would seem mainly polemicists.
Dark, black, swarthy,
Sincerely,
On Sunday, 18 August 2013 01:39:50 UTC+2, Assensoh, Akwasi B. wrote:
Dear All:A writer in London is asking about the list of 15 black feminist books and their authors, and why the following feminist writers are not included: Ama Ata Aidoo (Ghanaian), Nawal El Sadaawi (Egyptian), Amina Mama (Nigerian), Oyeronke Adeyumi (Egyptian), Fatima Mernissi (Morrocan), Ife Amadiume (Nigerian), Molara Ogundipe-Leslie (Nigerian), and others.
http://www.theroot.com/views/15-black-feminist-books- everyone-should-read
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15 Black Feminist Books Everyone Should Read
Solidarity may be for white women and black power for black men, but these books are for everybody.
- By: Diamond Sharp | Posted: August 16, 2013 at 4:03 PM
Sister Citizen, Melissa Harris-Perry; Sister Outsider, Audre Lorde; Black Girls Are From the Future, Renina Jarmon (Amazon.com)Black Feminist Books: Beyond the Hashtag ConversationSolidarity may be for white women and black power for black men, but these books are for everybody.Solidarity may be for white women and black power for black men, but these books are for everybody.
Solidarity may be for white women and black power for black men, but these books are for everybody.08/16/2013 - 16:03(The Root) -- White feminism's disregard for black women's issues is nothing new, and sexism in black power movements from the United States to South Africa is also well documented. So it was no surprise when Twitter exploded on Monday with the #solidarityisforwhitewomen trending topic. Writer Mikki Kendall started the tag in response to the insensitivity of some noted white feminists toward victims of writer Hugo Schwyzer's vicious attacks on feminists of color.
On Tuesday, Ebony's Jamilah Lemieux's #blackpowerisforblackmen continued the conversation, this time focusing on the plight of black feminists within the black community. With these hashtags, black feminists used Twitter to revisit discussions that are often ignored in both mainstream feminist media and historical accounts of black liberation struggles. Unsurprisingly, by the end of the night, the #solidarityisforwhitewomen stream was full of tweets from people who clearly don't read books about black feminism. The #blackpowerisforblackmen hashtag was filled with comments from those who refused to acknowledge black male privilege.
It's not a good idea to tell black feminists anything about black feminism if you don't know what you're talking about. Or, as my grandmother always tells me, don't open your mouth if you don't have anything intelligent to say. While I'm tempted just to tell everyone to Google this information on their own, I've also compiled a list of black feminist books that everyone should read before entering conversations like the ones these hashtags started.
1. 'Feminism Is for Everybody,' by Bell Hooks
Feminism Is for Everybody (Amazon.com)Feminism Is for Everybody -- which explores topics such as reproductive rights, violence, race, class and work -- is essential reading by Bell Hooks, one of the most prominent black feminist writers. Her book proves that feminism is, in fact, for everybody.
2. 'Sister Citizen,' by Melissa Harris-Perry
Sister Citizen (Amazon.com)I am a "stan" for Melissa Harris-Perry. In this book, she delves into the four tropes of black women -- Jezebel, Mammy, Sapphire and Strong Black Woman -- and presents her thesis of the "crooked room" that black women live in because of the multiple oppressions they face. This is an important read for contemporary feminists.
3. 'Blacks,' by Gwendolyn Brooks
Blacks (Third World Press)Gwendolyn Brooks' collection of poems explores the everyday life of black Chicago. It also includes her novel "Maud Martha," in which readers are introduced to a self-aware and determined black woman facing the realities of being black in 1940s Chicago.
4. 'Black Girls Are From the Future,' by Renina Jarmon
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