#thisbridgecalledmyback

[dearbookshelves]

✨This Bridge Called My Back✨ . This Bridge Called My Back is a collection edited by Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua and was BY FAR my favorite read of the month. This is a collection of poems, speeches, and essays written by women of color that deal with topics such as intersectionality and the dangers and failure of white feminism among other things. Even though many of these pieces were written in the 80s, there are points that are still totally relevant today and sometimes it’s frustrating that we are still fighting the same fight, but that’s definitely part of the process of reading TBCMB in 2020. Part of why I wanted to (and had to) take my time reading this collection is because I constantly wanted to stop and make notes and underline sections while I read. I’m not really sure yet how to best review collections of work by various authors but I do want to end this review by mentioning a few of my favorite pieces from the collection. One piece I really enjoy is the introduction to the fifth section, “Speaking in Tongues” which is written by Gloria Anzaldua. This is a letter to women of color writers that discusses the importance of women of color to continue to write and take control of their stories. She also acknowledges the danger and difficulty that can come with that. It is a fantastic letter and really makes you think about the importance of writing. Another piece I really enjoyed was Pat Parker’s “Revolution: It’s Not Neat or Pretty or Quick.” This speech talks about the fact that real change takes a ton of time and you can’t give up quickly. This piece feels incredibly relevant now and I’ll just leave this review with a quote from this piece. “To end Klan or Nazi activity doesn’t end imperialism. It doesn’t end institutional racism; it doesn’t end sexism; it does not bring this monster down, and we must not forget what our goals are and who our enemies are. To simply label these people as lunatic fringes and not accurately assess their roles as part of this system is a dangerous error. These people do the dirty work. They are the arms and legs of the congressmen, the businessmen, the Tri-lateral Commission.” . #thisbridgecalledmyback #tbcmb (at Wilmington, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGIOzZJAPfw/?igshid=pomulxhojr7y

[enaheart-blog]

THIS BRIDGE CALLED MY BACK

We are Women 

We are the same 

But we are Women

Different cultures different oppressive actions and problems

But We are women 

from the First World to the Third World 

We are all women

Black and White and Green 

We are women

Women verses Men for Women vs Women 

Still I am a Women

We stand from Northern to Southern lands of will and opportunity for the White man

But what about ALL Women 

In the eye of Solidarity we write for understanding w/ no political expectations 

Because we are women 

From unpaid rent to the faces of racism we feel 

We are women 

1979 to 1983 our gender has not changed but the world are us has.

Still we stand Women 

Different Kinds OF Bridges that get to the same location 

Over sea of body but we are Women, 

Our Collective Reactions To enlighten OUR Feminism (Black)

Because We Are All Women Just Different Stories......

[dlorganics-blog]

Morning soul care.. . Words from NELLIE WONG.. . . " Your SKIN must be sensitive enough for the lightest kiss and thick enough to ward of the sneers. If you are going to spit in the eye of the world, make sure your back is to the wind... . . . Write of what most ñ8nks us to life, the sensation of the body, the images seen by the eye, the expansion of the psyche in tranquility: . . Moments of high intensity, it's movement, sounds, thoughrs. . . Even when we go hungry we are not impoverished experiences" . . . . 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕 #thisbridgecalledmyback #nelliewong #monday #testimony #miracles

[midnightsun1114-blog]

Post Five: Relatable Class Texts

The two in class texts that I thought really related to my topic were the poem The Welder by Cherrie Moraga from This Bridge Called My Back and The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism by Audre Lorde.

Audre Lords talks about anger that forms from being in oppressive systems. That anger is important because it warrants change. In the end, it helps everyone since the voice that emerges from that anger is criticizing and calling out what’s wrong in our society. People can’t fix the problem until they know what the problem is.

I think The Welder is relevant because the poem talks about bridging the gap between different races and becoming a whole community. It’s about seeing past the barriers and systematic structures that are designed to separate us. I think the message to take from it coupled with Lorde’s statements on anger mean to make a difference in the world and to not remain silent.

We have to stop waiting for the change we want to see and start taking action. If there aren’t enough well developed African American characters then we need to start writing and making them. There aren’t enough WOC writers and producers and directors so become one. If studdios don’t want to accept your script and don’t want an African American Woman as the lead make an independent film, raise the money and release it, or find one that will. Nothing’s going to change if we don’t make it and call attention to the injustices. Even the film audience plays a part because they have to go out and support these film and projects because when studios see these movies make money they don’t see it as a gamble from a business perspective. And if financially they can’t make a lot give reviews of the film spread the word on how good they are and maybe they can win critical acclaim. Movies like Hidden Figures, Fences, Moonlight, and Loving got Oscar attention and buzz which makes Hollywood see that good movies are good movies. Beyond Skin tone and gender if a story is engaging and evokes emotion then people will go see them.

[beafrantic]

💞 international womens day 💞

[venusinwaves-blog]

“The political writer, then, is the ultimate optimist, believing people are capable of change and using words as one way to try and penetrate he privatism of our lives. A privatism which keeps up back and away from each other, which renders us politically useless…

Coming to terms with the suffering of others has never meant looking away from our own. And, we must look deeply. We must acknowledge that to change the world, we have to change ourselves- even sometimes our most cherished block-hard convictions.”

Excerpt from intro by Cherrie Moraga, October 1983

[tiramisu-333]

Fall, 2015. In progress ... #art #painting #thisbridgecalledmyback #decolonization #xicanafeminism #foto #photo