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How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
washed_guapi_lee's review against another edition
5.0
You probably know Keeanga Taylor for her contributions to the 13th documentary. She has also written extensively about BLM, voter suppression, and national politics. Keenaga is one of our most brilliant activist-scholars. Here, she creates a primary document through oral histories of the Combahee River Collective, which I first learned about through Robin DG Kelley's Freedom Dreams, back in 2002. Taylor interviews Beverly and Barbara Smith, and Demita Frazier, the lead members of Combahee, and they all individually paint this inspiring portrait of Black liberation struggle from the perspective of radical Black Lesbian Feminism across three decades. Their threads connect to SNCC, CORE, The Panthers, the Anti-Vietnam War Movement, Marxism, college education & student activism, and Audre Lorde. All three are also very clear about while Kimberly should get love for coining the term "intersectionality," the concept of interlocking systems of oppression comes from them. Their manifesto from 1979, which Taylor reprints here, only makes that evident. Taylor ends the book by interviewing Alicia Garza, which if you have been active in organizing in any capacity over the past 15-20 yrs will speak to you directly. READ THIS BOOK. At the nexus of Black liberation struggles, with the most radical analysis, perspective, and labor, has always been Black Lesbian Women.
wellreadsinger's review
informative
reflective
Feminism is not just for women. Rather if more people engaged with the work of black feminists, they would eventually see how this practice doesn’t just have the potential to save women, it could save all of us. But therein lies the dilemma because historically listening to black women is not par the course. Erasure, silence, and anti-black rhetoric are common tactics that, for lack of better terms, continue to whoop our ass as collectives that allegedly have a common goal of liberation.
How We Get Free highlights the CRC Statement which is almost like sacred text for black feminists because of the way it clearly defines identity politics while being explicitly anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, intersectional in its analysis of oppression. The interviews with members of the CRC statement and co-founder of BLM organization felt personable and emphasize how simply being in conversation with one another about our experiences as marginalized people is essential to this work.
If black women were free, then everyone would be as our liberation necessitates the annihilating of any all systems and vehicle of oppression such as capitalism, imperialism, and patriarchy. Our struggles are intricately woven together, but confronting the ways they intersect is not sufficient; we must have the common goal and a plan of how to combat our common enemy.
greenleafclarke's review
3.0
Useful for locating the Combahee River Collective's statement against the backdrop of contemporary justice movements and understanding how their ideas have aged alongside society. That being said, I was underwhelmed with the format and unengaging style of interview used to convey those ideas.
taratearex's review against another edition
4.5
This book is a collection of interviews, along with the original Combahee River Collective statement. The interview format did make it a bit of a slower read, but I added the audiobook which helped- I definitely still needed the physical book since I highlighted so much. Really amazing resource and well worth your time as the collective's statement continues to be relevant and important to social justice organizing today.
itsmeamethyst's review against another edition
5.0
"As Demita Frazier says, the point of talking about Combahee is not to be nostalgic; rather, we talk about it because Black women are still not free."
Listened to the audiobook and immediately wanted to re-read the physical book to be able to highlight and absorb the information in another way. First learned about the Combahee River Collective through [b:Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019|54998251|Four Hundred Souls A Community History of African America, 1619-2019|Ibram X. Kendi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600089396l/54998251._SY75_.jpg|85778194] and wish it was taught in schools. The collective was active from 1974 to 1980. In their statement (1977), they wrote, "Above all else, Our politics initially sprang from the shared belief that Black women are inherently valuable, that our liberation is a necessity not as an adjunct to somebody else's may because of our need as human persons for autonomy...We reject pedestals, queenhood, and walking ten paces behind. To be recognized as human, levelly human, is enough."
Grateful for Black feminism and how they have learned from global movements and inspired current and future activists.
Listened to the audiobook and immediately wanted to re-read the physical book to be able to highlight and absorb the information in another way. First learned about the Combahee River Collective through [b:Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019|54998251|Four Hundred Souls A Community History of African America, 1619-2019|Ibram X. Kendi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600089396l/54998251._SY75_.jpg|85778194] and wish it was taught in schools. The collective was active from 1974 to 1980. In their statement (1977), they wrote, "Above all else, Our politics initially sprang from the shared belief that Black women are inherently valuable, that our liberation is a necessity not as an adjunct to somebody else's may because of our need as human persons for autonomy...We reject pedestals, queenhood, and walking ten paces behind. To be recognized as human, levelly human, is enough."
Grateful for Black feminism and how they have learned from global movements and inspired current and future activists.
serenabereading's review
5.0
Black Feminism with no fluff. Loved it and the history of the Combahee River Collective.
zmorris1923's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. My favorite interviews were with Barbara Smith, Demita Frazier, and Alicia Garza. Definitely something I will have to reread and annotate. I borrowed my copy from the public library, but I want this book in my personal library as well as the LGBTQ Iowa Archives and Library.
The interview with Barbara Smith highlighted the importance of intersectionality, identity politics (and the origin of the phrase!), and coalitions which seemed to be a theme throughout the series of interviews. Working together is essential to making each organizations' fights easier because one would have so many more people on one's side.
The perspective of pre-Roe v. Wade was also necessary because obviously we now live in a post Roe v. Wade country--the differences from now and then are minimalized and it accentuates the similarities. The fights that are still going on for bodily autonomy and reproductive freedoms, as well as fights against sterilization, genocide, and colonialism.
On the future of organizing and rebellion: We need to be able to not only organize, but show we can govern. Not gentle capitalism, nor neoliberalism. But something else. I say anarchism, some say socialism and communism or Marxism. Something needs to change and we need to be willing to be that change.
I found it incredibly inspiring reading this book. Activism is a job, it's work that needs to be continually done. It needs to be recognized and supported. I want to do this work for queer and trans people, but that work cannot ONLY be done for QT people, it also needs to recognize the intersection of oppression. Working alongside other organizations is how we can do that.
I think being too broad as an organization can potentially be detrimental. Many organizations, working as committees almost, who focus on their specific field and show up for each other is an ideal I think. I want to show up with all of LIAL for Black Lives Matter protests, for disability rights protests, for climate activism protests. And I want those people to come to our own events.
This book inspires me to be better and to keep fighting. Hearing their stories helps me write my own.
The interview with Barbara Smith highlighted the importance of intersectionality, identity politics (and the origin of the phrase!), and coalitions which seemed to be a theme throughout the series of interviews. Working together is essential to making each organizations' fights easier because one would have so many more people on one's side.
The perspective of pre-Roe v. Wade was also necessary because obviously we now live in a post Roe v. Wade country--the differences from now and then are minimalized and it accentuates the similarities. The fights that are still going on for bodily autonomy and reproductive freedoms, as well as fights against sterilization, genocide, and colonialism.
On the future of organizing and rebellion: We need to be able to not only organize, but show we can govern. Not gentle capitalism, nor neoliberalism. But something else. I say anarchism, some say socialism and communism or Marxism. Something needs to change and we need to be willing to be that change.
I found it incredibly inspiring reading this book. Activism is a job, it's work that needs to be continually done. It needs to be recognized and supported. I want to do this work for queer and trans people, but that work cannot ONLY be done for QT people, it also needs to recognize the intersection of oppression. Working alongside other organizations is how we can do that.
I think being too broad as an organization can potentially be detrimental. Many organizations, working as committees almost, who focus on their specific field and show up for each other is an ideal I think. I want to show up with all of LIAL for Black Lives Matter protests, for disability rights protests, for climate activism protests. And I want those people to come to our own events.
This book inspires me to be better and to keep fighting. Hearing their stories helps me write my own.
annasreadinglist's review against another edition
5.0
this book is clear, and so educational. the interview style allows for so much insight to be poured into one small package. the impact of the theory and work of the Combahee River Collective and what it means for modern feminist organizing is beautifully outlined. it is a very good read.