Right away when I started reading this article I found myself having questions in response to Hooks’ arguments. For example, I failed to understand how Hooks could repeatedly suggest that only American women are experiencing an unknown ignorance in regards to racism. I would argue that this ignorance can be applied to both sexes. I am curious as to whether or not Hooks is making the claim that women are suffering from this ignorance more, or if she is simply just discussing this issue in regards to American women. The first line of her chapter four reads “American women of all races are socialized to think of racism solely in the context of race hatred”. I could not help but wonder if the exclusion of American men of all races is left out for a reason, because I, as an American woman, undoubtedly remember sitting in class, filled with young boys and girls, and learning of racism being basically race hatred. This was not only taught to the girls in class, it’s a similarity that I would say goes across gender, sex, race, or class lines amongst Americans.Hooks brought up the issue of how and what is taught to American children in favor of maintaining a perfect image of America. This issue has always been intriguing to me and I use to try to give the benefit of the doubt to teachers, I guess society as well. I figured since American history is taught early on the reality of this country’s history would be too complex for grade children to really grasp, and once these children are older, discovering the truth may cause more harm than good, in regards to inbreeding the sense of patriotism that this country maintains.
An issue we discussed in class that I found interesting and had never truly thought of was the fact that American women, although history of the women’s movement suggest otherwise, have always been divided due to slavery and all that took place in the molding years of this country. Due to this country’s early obsession with race, women have not really shared in a feeling of connectedness even when there was a movement that was thought to be for the benefit of all women.
In class we mentioned that ignorance has power because it can derail movements. I wonder if the separation amongst women during the first wave of the women’s movement ultimately shaped the future of how women exist in this country, I can’t imagine that this separation did not have a lasting effect.
We now are forced to live in a world in which the women were divided during their own movement, imagine the untapped potential this country will miss out on because of this division that existed during such an important movement for not only the women in this country, but for the country as a whole.
