Women Race and Class
Type: Women Studies Book review
Subject: Nursing book review
Subject area: Nursing
Education Level: Masters Program
Length: 2 pages
Referencing style: APA
Preferred English: AU English
Spacing Option: Double
Book Review, Women, Race and Class
Nam
Affiliation
Course Code
Supervisor
Date
The book Women, Race and Class by American Civil Rights Activist Angela Davis is very important as it reveals how much the world is not so concerned when it comes to the well-being of Black women, girls and femmes. In her book, Angela Davis deeply looks in to the powerful history related to the social and political influences of the white culture and elitism in the American feminism from the abolitionist days to the current (Davis, 1981). In the book, Davis demonstrates ways that the racist and the classist biases have continued to dominated in the Black woman’s ambitions. This is seen in the way black women in the United States are discriminated when it comes to social class, political leadership, employment and how they have been treated over the years (Davis, 1981). For decades, Black women in American have continued to struggle in meeting the demands of the American society, which also includes how they are treated with their fellow black men. It is interesting to see how Davis affirms they way Black women esteem has been lowered by the color of their skin to an extent that some of these women have sought to surgery and change of their pigment just to meet the American social class.
I feel that it is important to have various feminist movements that are compatible with each other as this will push Davis’s agenda of ensuring that there is equality among all women and not only the white women. As much as the world is struggling to ensure that there is equity, the fact is that black women still have to struggle extra harder. This is because in the past, the goals of feminism has not been acknowledged past the racial differences, and this is what still shapes the struggle of the black women (Davis, 1981). For example, when looking at the right of women to vote, it did not happen because all women (black and white) votes matter, but because American had to insist on the superiority of White women against the Black people, which also include Black women; this shows that there is also discrimination between white women on black women which women have to struggle with as well.
It is evident that there is a different meaning on the feminist struggle for equality and class even though women seem to be united in the theme of women rights. The reality however is that Black women are still undergoing second class racism from the American social, economic and political system and racism between white women and black women. Davis is right to show that the struggle for equality among black women is far much more serious than that of white women (Davis, 1981). On the issue of employment for example, a huge number white women run companies, have a chance in prestigious universities, are employed in high end companies unlike black women who mostly end up getting employed in skills based jobs due to poverty and denied opportunities. It is important to understand the needs of the black women community if we are to really fight the issue of racism in the society.
In conclusion, Davis book is a clear eye opener on how we understand women and equality since this is a major issue in the United States and the rest of the world. It is evident that Black women have a long way to go in regard to empowerment and equality, since when looking at the economic and social systems of the united states, Black still live under racist conditions which have denied them opportunities to have their voices heard in national leadership, lead their families due broken social systems in black neighborhood and opportunities to be economically empowered and live a better life like white women.
Also Read: Online Nursing Literature Review Help
References
Davis, A. Y. (1981). Women, Race and Class. Vintage Books, A Division or Random House, New York.
