Alice Walker

Being a half black male, primarily raised by his half black mother, I am incredibly sympathetic towards the plight of the black woman. I have been fortunate to have a successful black mother, removing me from many of the stereotypes that are accompanied with the situation but I have also been given a unique perspective. I most definitely believe that the plight of the feminist, is drastically different than that of the plight of the black feminist. White women are not oppressed by the black man, they are oppressed on the by the white man, and in many regards, have had the ability to establish some sort of equality amongst themselves and their male counterparts. Black women are also oppressed by white men as well. However, not only are they oppressed by white men, they are also oppressed by the black male. Now, I am fortunate enough to have had my father in my life for all of my childhood up until the time I graduated high school. But for many black women (and half black women for that matter) are oppressed by black men. My grandmother, my mother's mother, was abandoned by my mother's father upon discovery that she was pregnant. This was because she was a black woman and he was a white man. She was unable to overcome her devastation and died at 27, when my mother was just 7 years old. I think the black feminist has a much tougher struggle than the white feminist does. I believe many black women are incredibly courageous to continue to fight everyday, especially when they are put up against to much adversity.