The Black Woman: An Anthology [Paperback]

Toni Cade Bambara (Editor), Eleanor W Traylor (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 2005

A collection of early, emerging works from some of today's most celebrated African American female writers

When it was first published in 1970, The Black Woman introduced readers to an astonishing new wave of voices that demanded to be heard. In this groundbreaking volume of original essays, poems, and stories, a chorus of outspoken women -- many who would become leaders in their fields: bestselling novelist Alice Walker, poets Audre Lorde and Nikki Giovanni, writer Paule Marshall, activist Grace Lee Boggs, and musician Abbey Lincoln among them -- tackled issues surrounding race and sex, body image, the economy, politics, labor, and much more. Their words still resonate with truth, relevance, and insight today.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Washington Square Press (March 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743476972
• ISBN-13: 978-0743476973
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 3.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #355,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Anthology on Women in The Movement, December 5, 2005

By 

Dr. Mindy Chateauvert (University of Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Black Woman: An Anthology (Paperback)

Until it went out of print, I assigned this book for years in my college course on the civil rights movement. Even though many new books on women in the Civil Rights and Black Power movements are now available, Cade's anthology is an excellent collection of contemporary documents covering issues such as the sexism of welfare, the role of women in the Revolution, and abortion and reproductive rights. Although some of the materials may seem "dated" to younger readers, these are authentic "back in the day" voices of Black women who were in the middle of the feminist and Black Power movements.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Black woman writers, July 22, 2010

By 

Mizkaja - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Black Woman: An Anthology (Paperback)

I haven't finished this book but so far it is for surely a keeper the stories in here are just amazing, and to think the voices comes from northern writers, southern writers simply beautiful and strong and passionate awesome!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ONE OF THE EARLIEST AND MOST ENLIGHTENING COLLECTIONS, November 30, 2010

By 

Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Black Woman: An Anthology (Mass Market Paperback)

Toni Cade Bambara (1939-1995) was an American author, social activist, and college professor.

She writes in the Preface to this 1970 volume, "This then is a beginning---a collection of poems, stories, essays, formal, informal, reminiscent, that seem best to reflect the preoccupations of the contemporary Black woman in this country. Some items were written especially for the collection. Some were discovered tucked away in notebooks. Many of the contributors are professional writers. Some have never before put pen to paper with publication in mind. Some are mothers. Others are students. Some are both. All are alive, are Black, are women. And that, I think, is credentials enough to address themselves to issues that seem to be relevant to the sisterhood."

Contributors include Nikki Giovanni; Audre Lorde; Alice Walker; Toni Cade herself, and many others. Topics include "Motherhood"; "Dear Black Man"; "Who Will Revere the Black Woman?"; "Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female"; "Is the Black Male Castrated?"; "The Black Social Workers' Dilemma"; "The Black Revolution in America," and more.

There is now an updated version of this book (The Black Woman: An Anthology.