Fighting for Our Education, Fighting for Our Future: Black Women’s Leadership in the Black Studies Movement
Author:
Natalie K. Hodge
Degree Date:
May, 2003
Committee Chairperson:
James Turner
Call Number:
Thesis DT 3.5 2003 H63
Description:
vii, 110 leaves; 28 cm.
Abstract:
This thesis traces the contributions of Black women who participated in the Black studies movement (1966-1970) to contemporary developments and trends in Black Studies. Three primary themes emerge as a result of the work: 1) the importance of Black Nationalist ideology in the development of Black Studies programs, 2) the variety of experiences Black women activists had in Black Nationalist organizations, and 3) the strategies Black women incorporated to re-invent themselves through the development of Black Women's Studies.
The critical element of my research is the examination of the Black Studies movement at Howard University and Cornell University. Primarily, I provide a historical account of the movements while highlighting the contributions of two key female activists - Adrienne Manns Israel and Andree McLaughlin. Some attention is also given to how campus activism impacted the career paths of Mans Israel and McLaughlin.
Finally, the discussion of Black women's contributions to Black Studies is broadened by comparing and contrasting Manns Israel and McLaughlin's experiences with those of other Black women affiliated with Black Nationalist organizations off campus. The effects of gender inequalities in the movement, as well as women's responses to such actions are explored. Specifically, the emergence of Black Women's Studies is discussed as a solution to inequalities in academia.