Blog # 10

1. How did African American women approach the issues of reform and suffrage?
During this time, African American women were treated differently because people were prejudice against them. They were not involved in many of the things that others were, causing them to be separated. White women were allowed to have education, while African American women did not have that right. “New areas of women’s paid work were beginning to emerge in the early twentieth century” (Pg 408). However, they fought back and made different organizations to become just as successful as the whites. For example, there were female clubs that allowed them to teach and educate them themselves and their children. Soon black women became doctors, nurses (in particular) and held normal jobs like everyone else. One woman by the name of Madam C.J. Walker “built an immensely successful hair care and cosmetics business” allowing other women to work for her and make some money (pg. 424). Even though the NAWSA tried to hold them back from a lot, they didn’t give up and continued to be successful. Walker was also a provider to the National Association for the Advanced of Colored People’s antilynching organization (pg 24). These poor African American women had gotten so much trouble from a number of different organizations, from the AFL to the WTUL, but that never stopped them from being successful.

2. What were the main differences between the emerging feminist movement and the suffrage movement?
To start off, both the feminist movement and the suffrage movement worked towards women trying to gain some kind of freedom, or to prove a point against their gender. Since women were not able to vote and do a lot of the things that men were, the suffrage movement took place. This was a group of educated women who fought for the sake of politics and involvement in that area. However, the feminist movement was a little bit different. Feminists were basically women who thought that they were being treated different just because they are females. “Feminist ideas in the early twentieth century created a fervor of excitement among young women eager to challenge the gender role” (Page 434). This was about things such as “sexual restraint by insisting that women had sexual desires as well as maternal capacities” (page 435). These women were trying to prove that everything is about men and that things such as birth control were not being used effectively. Women wanted to have “greater amounts of sexual intercourse freed of the threat of pregnancy” (page 435). I think that if it wasn’t for these brave women who fought for all of this, the lives for women nowadays would be very difficult.

Textbook document
1.What were the various definitions of feminism according “Talks of Feminism.”?
“Many definitions of feminism were given, differing in details, but agreeing in the essential fact that the movement sought freedom for women” (page 460). Some women said that feminism was more of a fight or a form of fun. I think that the main answer to this is that women should have the same rights as men and be treated the same. That is why the idea of feminism started in the first place right? I really agree with the comment that it “means that woman want to develop her own womanhood (pg 460) and just have the right to do the same humanly things as men. Everyone had something different to say which all pretty much lead to the issue of inequality, whether it was for womanhod or education.

2. What role does women’s economic independence play in feminist thought?
Women’s economic independence is veryy important. The reason for this is because women now are not dependent on their husbands. Most women are strong and knowledgeable to survive on their own if needed. Now men and women are looked upon more equally because a lot of women are more successful than their spouse. And also women don’t need to be objects anymore, and don’t need to turn to prostitution for money. Even a female that comes from a family with no money, there are still opportunities through education and can still have a chance to live normally.

2. What is your own definition of feminism?
My own definition of feminism is just the idea that women are called a “feminist” because they want to be treated exactly like men, and no different. However in a world like this, we will always be differentiated somehow. Women just want to have the same power and be looked at the same way as a man. For instance in a job, you want to be treated just as seriously with important issues as a man. Females have become so powerful and independent that now a woman does not need a man to survive. I think feminism is a very STRONG word and it represents that strength in women that we all have. No woman likes to feel any less than a man or be treated any less.