Womanism
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Though not yet coined as "womanism", the Black Panther Party in later years developed a focus on gender equality, specifically the plight of the black woman. With motifs such as "A Woman's Place Is In The Struggle", the group became known for their support and inclusion of women and marked sexism as a secondary evil to fight alongside the primary villain, racial and community issues.
The Party first renounced sexism within the movement in a 1969 article in the Black Panther Newspaper. The article, a poem style piece written by member Candi Robinson, called upon women to recognize their role in the struggle and men to view them as equals. Gender equality was further shown through the establishment of a female chair, Elaine Brown, in 1974. Although the party openly supported gender equality, female leaders were often disrespected and discredited. The underlying misogyny eventually led to Brown's departure from the party in 1977. |
Black Women, Black Women, Black Women, 1969, Source: Robinson
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