Customer Reviews

Women, Race and Class

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This book, or at least excerpts from it, should be a must read for everyone. Davis presents a side of the suffragette movement, the first wave of feminism, that many people will never be aware of--the conflict between women's rights and African American rights, and the underlying racism of the movement spearheaded by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Davis then effectively juxtaposes the first wave of feminism with the second wave of feminism in the 1960-70's to show the correlation between the two movements.

In both cases, the fight for African American rights took prescedence over the rights of women. While during the first wave of feminism, black women were ignored by the suffragettes, during the second wave of feminism, black women were faced with the choice of going forward in a women's movement that, once again, didn't really include them, or supporting the rights of African Americans as a race. A difficult choice. Davis clearly elucidates the failings of the both waves of feminism to include ALL women and shows how necessary it is for women, regardless of race, to work together.

Professor Davis provides a history of the Black, Women's and workers' movements in the US and documents the many points of common contact. She painstakingly supplies an abundance of historical evidence that demonstrates the fact that women, working people or people of color can only succeed in the attainment of their own liberation by working in conjuction with the efforts of the others. She also reminds us that the majority of women are workers and that the majority of people of color are workers, and points out that the outcome of the struggle these groups face will impact directly upon the future condition of all working people

If you are interested in an indepth analysis of the history of many of our current social movements this is the book for you. Angela Davis is brillient to be sure, but this book portrays her intelligence in understanding (and ability to convey) the conplex issues America must disern concerning gender, class and race. She also is able to articulate beautifully how these three issues intertwine. The book is worth the read for personal as well as acedemic growth.

This book had the most incredible and insightful research. The detailed information on the plight of the enslaved woman was amazing. Another favorite chapter of mine was, Racism, Birth Control, and Reproductive Rights. The previously mentioned chapter sheds light on widespread practice of surgical sterilization. Ms. Davis especially makes a point of how this practice was forced upon the poor. It was also refreshing to read about women who were influential in the Communist and Worker's Rights movements. There was also eye-opening accounts of how racism was rampant in the suffrage movement. This book was straightforward nothing but the facts. I would have liked Ms. Davis to convey more of her thoughts and feelings. You can gather her perspective to a degree but you do not close the book feeling like any certain view was being forced upon you.

If you are concerned about thedirection of the feminist movementin this country then, by all means add this book to your collection. Angela Davis is without equals in terms of herwriting. She examines the exploitation of the black womantracing the oppression back toslavery. If you havent already becomefamiliar with the writings ofAngela Davis. She is last greaticon of the black liberationmovement.

Ms. Davis is an excellent writer! This book can serve as a textbook or a book to highten your awareness into historical facts concerning race, class and gender. I bought this book in an attempt to carry on an intellectual conversation with other about the subject who were far more informed than I. As I read the book and talked with my friends, I realized that I was not only learning but understanding the information to the point where I could correlate my new found knowledge with other aspects of struggles for equality. I highly recommend this text - you won't be sorry.

Not since the works of Dr. W.E.B. DuBois have I encountered such in-depth work. This book is among Davis' early publications. Although the work is scholarly, it can be read by a wide audience. Research is extensive in three separate but intertwined issues that have contributed to human disparities around the globe. A shortcoming is that Dr. Davis confined the work to United States and Western Europe and, as a result, makes ethnocentric conclusions that are not applicable to a global perspective.

The author quotes a lot of notable historical figures to back her point and gives us truth that we aren't taught in school. It's a great read just for the history of black women in America, and a good starting point to delve deeper into the subject and do some research of your own. She just stated the facts and stats, and I can appreciate that. No overwording or overly bias opinions on the subject matter. I love that

ALL WOMEN ESPECIALLY BLACK WOMEN SHOULD FEEL VERY PROUD OF THE KNOWLEDGE SET FORTH IN THIS BOOK. A STORY TOLD SO CLEARLY. MAKES ME WANT TO CRY.

The book opens eyes on things people often take for granted when studying history. The book is not just informative, it grabs you and doesnt let go! I recomend highly!