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Women and the Class struggle (1978) by David Fenton

Tiara Gaymon

Dr. Zenzele Isoke

Women, Gender, and Sexual Studies

3/14/25
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I decided to choose this picture from the article “What Happened for Women’s Rights

during the 1960s?” taken by David Fenton. I chose this picture because it highlights the role of

Black women in the women’s liberation movement and their passion for fighting for both gender

and racial equality. The black and white photograph captures an important moment in the

Women’s Liberation Movement, showing a group of Black women marching together for justice

and equality. Their serious expressions, confident body language, and the strong messages on

their signs make it clear that they are fighting against oppression. By them raising their fists on

the banner which is a well known symbol of resistance, showing their strength in the face of

oppression/injustice. The signs they carry, such as “Free Our Sisters, Free Ourselves,”

(Napikoski, 2019) makes it clear that they are demanding that they want real change to happen.

In "The Plot of Her Undoing," Saidiya Hartman highlights that transformative actions often

begin at the grassroots level: "It begins with the earth under her feet." (Hartman, 2). This quote

shows that real change starts from the ground up, beginning with the actions of everyday people.

The movement is demonstrated by the image, which illustrates how women are coming together

in their communities to challenge injustices. This image reminds us that the fight for women’s

rights is deeply connected to struggles against racism, socialism, and other forms of inequality.

By looking at this artwork through at least 4 core concepts, we can better understand how it

challenges harmful stereotypes.

The way the photograph is taken contributes to the impact that’s being shown. The

women’s expressions and body language show that they are determined and confident. The black

and white format makes the contrast between oppression and resistance stand out even more. The

raised fist on the banner is a symbol, often associated with the Black Power movement,

expressing how the fight for racial justice is tied to the fight for gender equality. The protest
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signs, especially “Free Our Sisters, Free Ourselves,” (Napikoski, 2019) highlight their focus on

freedom and justice, not just for themselves, but for all women. The crowd’s movement in unison

suggests unity and collective strength. The positioning of the women at the front of the march,

rather than in the background, demonstrates leadership and refusal to obey against a system that

often forgets women, particularly Black women. The composition of the image places the

women at the center, forcing the viewer to acknowledge their power and presence.

Angel Davis’s work on prison abolition and feminism is also relevant here (Davis, 2003).

Davis argues that the prison system is deeply connected with racial and gender oppression,

disproportionately targeting Black communities and reinforcing systematic inequalities. Many

Black women struggle with both racism and sexism, which puts them at a higher risk of being

jailed, especially if they are poor, experience domestic violence, or don’t have good legal

support. W.E.B. Du Bois’s idea of double consciousness explains how Black people see

themselves. In the article, “Take Any Shape but That: On the Arch of Hysteria,” Bottici and

Webster said "Du Bois's concept of double consciousness applies to both of them because

women were the second sex, in the same way in which black folks were the second race."

(Bottici and Webster, 33). This quote shows how Du Bois’s idea of double consciousness applies

to both race and gender, as Black people and women have both been seen as "second" in society.

In the photograph, the women marching are fighting for their rights in both ways. They are not

just standing up as women demanding gender equality, but also as Black women pushing back

against racial oppression. Their presence at the protest challenges the idea that feminism has only

been about white women, and it also fights against the stereotype that Black women should be

silent or invisible in social movements.

The message “Free Our Sisters, Free Ourselves” (Napikoski, 2019) directly relates to

Davis’s argument that mass incarceration is not just a criminal justice issue but a feminist issue

as well. The women in the photograph are not only protesting gender inequality but also

protesting a prison system that unfairly locks up Black women for small crimes or just trying to

survive. This challenges the stereotype that feminism should only focus on equality under the

law, instead on the need to remove unfair systems that hurt disadvantaged communities.

Bell hooks’s analysis of controlling images (hooks, 1981) helps us understand how this

photograph challenges racist and sexist stereotypes of Black women. Throughout history, the

media has often shown Black women in ways that reinforce unfair stereotypes and

discrimination. These include the stereotype of the “angry black women,” which portrays Black

women as overly aggressive and hostile, often dismissing their frustrations with systematic

injustice. In contrast, this photograph strongly opposes these damaging stereotypes by presenting

Black women as strong, independent, and engaged in activism. They are neither overly

emotional nor submissive but are focused and determined, demonstrating leadership and self

advocacy. Additionally, the photograph challenges the idea that Black women must constantly

bear the weight of their struggles in silence. By organizing and protesting, they demand

recognition for their rights and their voices. Hooks argues that controlling images are used to

uphold gender and class structures, but this photograph undermines those stories by portraying

Black women as active activists as compared to oppressed people.

In her essay “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology

and Feminist Theory,” Butler explains that society punishes people who do not follow traditional

gender roles, stating that “we regularly punish those who fail to do their gender right” (p. 522).

This shows how society enforces strict gender roles by punishing those who do not follow them.
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Women are often expected to be quiet, gentle, and focused on their appearance. However, the

women in the photograph go against these expectations by standing strong, looking serious, and

focusing on activism rather than beauty. They show that femininity does not have to mean

weakness or silence.

This photograph also challenges hegemonic femininity, which refers to the dominant

social expectations of how women should look and behave (Connell, 1987). Traditional

femininity has been associated with beauty standards that prioritize white, middle class ideals.

Women are often expected to be soft-spoken, delicate, and primarily concerned with their

appearance. However, in this image they go against these stereotypes by presenting themselves

as strong, courageous, and focused on political activism rather than worrying about beauty

standards. Their clothing choices reflect this rejection to hegemonic femininity. Instead of

wearing “feminine” attire designed to appeal to traditional gender expectations, they are wearing

headscarves, sunglasses, and warm coats which are suitable for protests. hegemonic femininity

often dictates that women should be more observed than participants. By protesting, these

women are showing what it means to be feminine, showing their strengths, activism, and

leadership.

Judith Butler argues that gender is constructed through actions, behaviors, and

performances rather than being a fixed identity. She states, “Gender reality is performative which

means, quite simply, that it is real only to the extent that it is performed” (Butler, 1988, p. 527).

Therefore, Butler shows that gender is not fixed but is created and reinforced through how

people act and behave in society. The women in the photograph reject traditional ideas of

femininity by marching, protesting, and holding signs instead of being passive or staying at
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home. Their activism is a performance of strength and resistance, showing that gender roles are

not natural but created by society.

This photograph is a strong reminder that feminism is most effective when it includes all

people, no matter their race or class. By showing Black women as leaders in the feminist

movement, the image helps correct historical narratives that have often erased their input. It also

challenges outdated ideas about gender expectations and power. Looking at this photograph

through the ideas of Bell hooks and Angela Davis, we can see that it is not just an image from

the past but it is a call to action. Feminism is not just about individual empowerment. It is about

creating real lasting change for everyone. This photograph captures that belief, showing that

feminist activism has the power to make the world better for all, no matter their gender, race, or

background.
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References:

Bottici, Chiara, and Jamieson Webster.“Take Any Shape but That: On the Arch of

Hysteria.”

Butler, Judith. “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and

Feminist Theory.” Theatre Journal 40, no. 4 (December 1988): 519.

Connell, R.W. Gender and Power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics. Stanford University

Press, 1987.

Crenshaw, Kimberlé. "Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist

Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory, and Antiracist Politics."

University of Chicago Legal Forum, vol. 1989, no. 1, 1989, pp. 139–167

Davis, Angela Y. Are Prisons Obsolete? Seven Stories Press, 2003.

Hartman, Saidiya. Notes on Feminisms 2. Feminist Art Coalition

hooks, bell. Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism. South End Press, 1981.

Napikoski, Linda. “What Happened for Women’s Rights during the 1960s?” ThoughtCo, August

10, 2019. https://www.thoughtco.com/1960s-feminism-timeline-3528910.