Lizdst’s Weblog

Race in many parts of the world and especially in American society is a factor that does indeed categorize and separate people. When introducing racial identity, one is inadvertently attached to a plethora of pre-conceived notions concerning one’s character. Knowing this, I am aware of the baggage that my race carries and am proud of all African Americans have overcome. Although many people think I’m biracial (black and white) I characterize myself as an African American woman. Both of my parents are African American, however, like most black people, my family is mixed with other ethnicities such as Native American.

As I learn more facts about the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill case, I realize that this situation is more an issue of race and gender rather than one of gender alone. Throughout history, there has been a clear hierarchy of race and gender, in which black women have been placed at the very bottom. Many people, black men included, associate black women with either one or both of two factors: anger/poor attitude and/or promiscuity. These stereotypes of the black woman come from the roles of black women in history. The rights awarded to black people and women many times did not apply to black women. Therefore, boundaries had to be broken, feelings had to be hurt and toes had to be stepped on in order for black women to receive the pseudo-equal rights in which we experience today. It is in the process of achieving these goals and gaining these rights that black women have been misunderstood and mistaken for short tempered, overly masculine and overall one-dimensional in being this way. Furthermore, black women have been made into sexual objects from even before the time Africans were taken through the middle passage. An ancient ritual in which African women underwent a procedure so they will not feel sexual pleasure is still practiced to this day, and contributed to the idea of the black woman as nothing but a means of reproduction. In this aspect, the black woman was reduced to an animal, as animals only engage in intercourse for reproduction purposes. This idea was carried onto slave plantations where black women were raped and often impregnated by white slave masters. Because of this, the black woman has formed and some have internalized these stereotypes to a certain extent. This explains the multitude of images that we often see in historical as well as modern-day media of scantily clad, overly sexed, animalistic, dependent black women. Due to these traumatic and frequent historical experiences, and to the times where black women (myself included) cater to the many stereotypes in which we carry, Anita Hill and other accusers in Clarence Thomas’ case had to suffer.

The fact that an educated woman of stature such as Anita Hill was reduced to a lying, destructive, sex addict is an absurdity in the legal system. This case just goes to show that the word and opinion of a black woman is lessened in our society.  There was a point made in class that in the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinski impeachment case, the testimony in which Lewinski gave to the court was never once questioned. Lewinski’s word as a woman was trusted by the court and by America. However, when Anita Hill had testified in court with a clear and detailed story, she was stripped of all her integrity as a college educated, intelligent and professional woman. Was this merely a difference in scenario? Or could this possibly be an illustration of my several points above, where stereotypes of the black women lessened her integrity? This case of sexual harassment may have also been acceptable if there weren’t so many other cases involving physically, sexually or emotionally abused black women similar to Thomas’ case. This includes the Duke lacrosse team rape case, in which a young black woman accused several members of the team of rape and derrogatory, racist verbal abuse. Within trial, the woman was slandered and accused of being promiscuous. In turn, the athletes were given minimal punishments.

In addition, black women still remain the most unlikely group of victims to report rapes, domestic abuse, murders and other crimes. The reason is simple; black women everywhere in the world are silenced when they undergo injustice. The trend throughout history seems that when a black woman speaks up, she’s either a whore, trying to be too masculine or generally insane for defending herself and her dignity.   However, the fact is that if black women don’t speak for themselves then who will? Clarence Thomas knew what was right and he didn’t speak for Anita Hill. Also, at times black men won’t even speak for their own black women, and sometimes add to the destruction of them (i.e. rap videos) leaving us to fight for our own rights, beliefs and values in spite of ridicule and stereotypes. 

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