(Un)archiving Black British Feminisms - Alexandra Wanjiku Kelbert

Black Feminism draws attention to the ways in which racialised, gendered and classed structures and discourses interact to position women differently in relation to white supremacist and patriarchal systems of oppression. In Britain, Black British Feminism offered not just a challenge to the white feminist theoretical claim to universal womanhood but offered a political space through which racialized women were able to develop their own political frames and build their own campaigns and struggles.
In this session we consider the lessons that can be learnt from Black British Feminist theories and struggles. The session also raises some epistemological questions about what histories we have access to or not, the gap between the ‘facts of what happened’ and ‘that which is said to have happened’ (Trouillot 1995) and ways to remedy some of these gaps, by drawing on insights from a project funded by the Feminist Review Trust.
While the session does not provide a detailed account of Black British Feminist thought and action, the resources listed below offer fascinating insights for Black Feminist enthusiasts.

Questions for discussion

1. What can we learn from Black British feminist thought and modes of struggle?
2. In what ways does Black British Feminist thought and activism challenge white feminist theoretical claims to universal womanhood?
3. What Black British feminist knowledge/stories are hidden? How might we recover or access them?

[PhD_Author]

Shadism or colourism was an often unspoken difference and source of tension between black women.