Abolitionism was the movement that sought to end the institution of slavery in the United States. White women actively participated in the movement, and their devotion in relation to the cause was crucial. As a result of their involvement in the campaign, antislavery women acquired a sense of awareness of their own oppressive condition that was directed into the women’s rights movement. Despite the efforts of both movements to achieve equality, episodes of discrimination towards Black women on the part of white women were common. Incorporating evidence from essays, books, and Black activists’ personal experiences, this study investigates the role of white women militants in the US during the nineteen century, focusing on the contradictions present in the abolitionist and women’s rights movement in an attempt to illuminate the pervasiveness of racism in American culture. By researching the relationship between white and Black women, it becomes evident that, because of their whiteness, the latter were unable to understand that race was a determining factor in the lives of women of color and displayed, consequently, racialized attitudes. This study argues that in order to work towards real equality, white people must acknowledge their privileges and assume an anti-racist stance.

Women and the Question of Race: A Study to Explore the Limits of White Antislavery Feminists’ Activism

STERLE, EVA
2021/2022

Abstract

Abolitionism was the movement that sought to end the institution of slavery in the United States. White women actively participated in the movement, and their devotion in relation to the cause was crucial. As a result of their involvement in the campaign, antislavery women acquired a sense of awareness of their own oppressive condition that was directed into the women’s rights movement. Despite the efforts of both movements to achieve equality, episodes of discrimination towards Black women on the part of white women were common. Incorporating evidence from essays, books, and Black activists’ personal experiences, this study investigates the role of white women militants in the US during the nineteen century, focusing on the contradictions present in the abolitionist and women’s rights movement in an attempt to illuminate the pervasiveness of racism in American culture. By researching the relationship between white and Black women, it becomes evident that, because of their whiteness, the latter were unable to understand that race was a determining factor in the lives of women of color and displayed, consequently, racialized attitudes. This study argues that in order to work towards real equality, white people must acknowledge their privileges and assume an anti-racist stance.
2021
Women and the Question of Race: A Study to Explore the Limits of White Antislavery Feminists’ Activism
abolitionism
feminism
white women
black women
racism
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12608/36006