Article "'Pragmatic Feminist' Views Black Experience"

Article "'Pragmatic Feminist' Views Black Experience"

This February 19, 1976 Collegian focuses on guest speaker Marcia Ann Gillespie -- editor-in-chief of Essence magazine -- who came to the Robins School of Business to speak for University of Richmond's Black History Month. The article acts as a transcription for Gillespie's speech. In her speech, Gillespie critiques the "white-feminist" movement, specifically of one of its leaders Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique. Gillespie had attended a conference where Friedan was speaking. In that speech, Friedan said the word followed by a recitation of Sojourner Truth's famous "Ain't I a Woman" speech. Gillespie noted that the crowd of mostly white women were moved to tears, something that confused her, "...(found) it interesting that we who are still fighting for freedom...had moved others to tears on the issue of women's rights...I was very hostile to Betty Friedan, the feminine mystique and the feminists." Gillespie made several critiques, including a critique on the Equal Rights Amendment and also the myth of the "Strong Black Woman." She also made critiques on white dominated news media that, she claimed, had a narrow perspective on black people and latinos. She encouraged black women to take up activism and expressed her desire to combat negative stereotypes of black women.

Starke, Wanda. "'Pragmatic Feminists' Views Black Experience." The University of Richmond Collegian 63, no. 18. (February 19, 1976): 3. ttp://collegian.richmond.edu/cgi-bin/richmond?a=d&d=COL19760219.2.9&srpos=7&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-

The Collegian, University of Richmond

1976-02-19

English

Collegian63.18.3-1976219.jpg

Richmond (Va.)