Final Blog

 Final Blog Post

By- Ava Daniels

Before reading The Nortons Book of Women’s Lives by Phylis Rose, my thoughts on feminism were not nearly as developed or concrete. Of course I knew the text book definition; feminism is a social, political, and cultural movement that advocates for gender equality and seeks to dismantle systems of oppression based on gender. The core principles of feminism are grounded in the belief that women and other marginalized genders should have the same rights, opportunities, and freedoms as men. But other than that, I really had not put much thought into it. After reading the excerpts from multiple different talented, diverse, and strong women, I now have formed my own understanding of feminism.  

Audre Lorde was a feminist from the book that stood out to me. I think that her being black, lesbian, and a women all payed a part in her wanting to advocate for herself as well as women just like her. Someone who reminds me a lot of Audre Lorde is Maya Angelou. I think that despite Lorde being from the city and Angelou being from the traditional south, they still shared some of the same experiences and expressed themselves through their writing. I think that even though a lot of other women did not explicitly pout in their writing that they were feminists, they had characteristics that said otherwise. Instead of stating it I think that their actions proved it.  For example, Nisa, who talked about her life and upbringing in the !Kung tribe in Africa, went through a lot of pain and suffering as a child and in her early teen and adult years. I think that her not only going through that but also telling her story shows immense signs of strength and bravery. Another excerpt like this was Life and death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng. This story was about Cheng trying to survive her time spent in prison after being wrongfully convicted of a crime she did not commit. I think that the strength she showed was incredible and is a form of feminism. In the excerpt Motherwit by Onnie Lee Logan, Logan takes us through the process of delivering a baby as well as her thoughts about it. I think that this was a different form of feminism in the sense that she enjoys seeing new life be born and also plays a part in helping mothers deliver their babies. 

I think that after this semester and reading excerpts from The Nortons Book of Women’s Lives by Phylis Rose, my definition of feminism still stays the same, however, I now think that feminism doesn't always have to be explicitly protesting or wanting a law made for women. I think that if you empower other women or people to stand up for women's rights, or open the eyes of close-minded people, or even just play a part in the role of women's success, that is feminism.