Introduction
The reading “Black Women Built That: Labor and Workers’ Rights,” written by Heydemann (2018) on Black Women’s history, provides a context on two critical black women activists fighting for better working conditions and fair treatment of black people in labor. The reading was dedicated to Black History Month to represent how African American activism changed the social order in the US and influenced the modern perception of the workforce. The reading identifies two time periods – the second half of the 19th century and the second half of the 20th century.
Although different, both periods represented the oppressed women’s groups that tried to fight for common rights. Generally speaking, it is evident that, along with racism, women faced sexism in a strongly patriarchal society. However, black women’s social groups played an essential role in shaping the political and social life of the country.
Black Women’s Labor Activism and Historical Misrepresentation
The primary context for the issue is the criticism and prejudice that black women activists faced, along with the working inequality they tried to change. In the example of Lucy Parsons and Hattie Canty, the reading shows how working conditions were changed to more fair treatment through constant fights and demonstrations. The most outstanding case is the longest strike provided by Hattie Canty, which lasted for six years and positively influenced the fair working conditions in the hotel where she worked (Heydemann). The importance lies in the vulnerability of social minorities in the US, and that they will protect themselves through any means. Another important consideration is that despite a six-year-long strike, there was no attempt by the government to change the situation, which is the author’s intent to show systematic racism and prejudice towards working women.
In my opinion, the reading provides a great example of the situation of working minorities in the US. The spirit of fighting that Hattie Canty or Lucy Parsons showed can be similarly used in the modern context, since inequality is still a significant issue in the US. However, the reading lacks context on the differences in periods used in the text, so it needs clarification.
As Lucy Parsons fought for eight hours of work in the 1880s, Hattie Canty was actively involved a century later (Heydemann). Both of these ages provide completely different political, social, and economic situations for the country, and although bound by the context of activism, they lack objectivity. Despite this, reading provides an essential lesson in teaching more about the history of black women activists to show how they have impacted the society we live in now.
The context in the reading is close to the ideas shown in The Combahee River Collective Statement (1977), in which black women activists fight for rights that should be granted to every vulnerable social group. The reading, however, reflects the misconception of black people’s activism that most of history represents only white political leaders as the driving force of society, neglecting minority groups that constantly fought for their rights. It coincides with other vital feminists like Sojourner Truth, who advocated for including women’s rights in the Constitution (Sheftal, 35).
A similar idea is shown in the institution of slavery, which is based on racism and sexism. In this sense, there is a clear new perspective regarding historical moments. Specifically, those that impacted the whole society, like the eight-hour shift initiated by Lucy Parsons.
Conclusion
Overall, it is important to review the question of black women’s activism from a new perspective of heroism and their impact on US social and political life. There are still stories and changes that remain untold and unheard about women who changed society despite facing racism and sexism. Black women in US society, being the most oppressed and vulnerable group, were still able to fight for both their rights and the rights of all other minorities.
Works Cited
Guy, Sheftal B. Words of Fire: An Anthology of African American Feminist Thought. The New Press, 1995.
Heydemann, Sara D. “Black Women Built That: Labor and Worker’s Rights.” National Women’s Law Center, Web.
“The Combahee River Collective Statement”. The Library of Congress. 2015, Web.