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African Canadian Women and the Question of Identity

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African Canadian Women and the Question of Identity African Canadian Women and the Question of Identity Njoki Nathani Wane, Centre for Integrative Introduction Anti-Racist Research Studies (CIARS), "Black" and "woman" are the two words that immediately University of Toronto, conducts research and come to mind whenever I'm asked to describe myself. I teaches in the areas of Black feminisms in am always "Black" first and "female" second. Canada, African feminisms, African indigenous (Riviere 2004, 222) knowledges, anti-racist education in teacher education, African women and spirituality, and Canada is a nation that embraces ethno-medicine and has published widely on diversity and multiculturalism as its corner stone these topics. for building the sense of belonging for all her citizens. However, Himani Bannerji is quick to Abstract point out that, in her opinion, the notion of Canada is a nation that embraces diversity and diversity and multiculturalism, although multiculturalism as its corner stone for building characteristically "Canadian," do not effectively the sense of belonging for all her citizens. Many work in practice. She states: "It does not require Black Canadian women, however, feel much effort to realize that diversity is not equal excluded and not part of the Canadian mosaic. to multiplied sameness; rather it presumes a This paper shows the complexities associated distinct difference in each instance" (Bannerji with understandings and interpretations of 2000, 41). In her discussions on Black women's identity and discusses Black women's question identity, Adrienne Shadd pointed to some of the of identity as situated in Black Canadian stereotypical questions that some racialized feminist theory. Canadians face and, particularly, the question Résumé of, "Where are they really from?" Shadd noted Le Canada est une nation qui encourage la that by asking this question, one is diversité et le multiculturalisme comme sa "unintentionally" denied what is rightfully pierre de coin pour bâtir un sentiment hers/his and at the same time rendered d’appartenance pour tous ses citoyens. Un bon vulnerable in her/his host country (Shadd 1994, nombre de femmes noires canadiennes, par 15). Francis Deng defined identity as the way contre, se sentent exclues et de ne pas faire individuals and groups define themselves and partie de la mosaïque canadienne. Cet article are defined by others on the basis of race, montre les complexités associées avec la ethnicity, religion, language, and culture (Deng compréhension et les interprétations de 1995, 1). Richard Jenkins described identity as l’identité et discute de la question de l’identité the ways in which individuals and collectivities des femmes noires telle que située dans la are distinguished in their social relations with théorie féministe de la femme noire other individuals and collectivities (Jenkins canadienne. 1996, 4). In 2000, Jenkins observed that in common-sense, everyday speech, the notion of identity is used in connection with personal individuality, life-style, social position and status, politics, and bureaucracy and citizenship. Many Black Canadian women are not excluded from the discussion of their identity and the question of where they are really from, nor from the challenging question of how they should define their ethnicity in terms of whether www.msvu.ca/atlantis PR Atlantis 34.1, 2009 149 they are Canadian, African Canadian, Black Racial Identity and Black Canadian Canadian or simply Black or African. Riviere Feminist Thought (2004, 222) explains, "I do not quite accept the According to Françoise Baylis, a idea that that choice is fully 'ours' to make." Canadian of Caribbean descent, "For some, "Black women in Canada are never black or racial identity is a fairly stable aspect of an women. They are always both" (Herbert 1989, individual's personality, for others it is a 274). developmental process influenced by This paper draws in part on research environmental and personal factors" (Baylis findings from a larger three year Social Science 2003, 142). Nevertheless, she acknowledges and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of the fact that there are multiple ways in which Canadian study on Black Canadian feminisms. one can own her identity. I remember telling The broader goal of the study was to examine students in my class that what is important to what constitutes feminisms among women of note in terms of identity is that often there is a African ancestry. This paper however, focuses conflict between the frames that one uses to on eight participants' understanding of their own define one's self and the frames that society identity. The paper shows the complexities uses to define them. However, as Riviere notes associated with understandings and "when those two frames meet, they diverge interpretations of identity. It provides a brief from each other....What is left from that point of discussion about identity in general and Black divergence is who you really are" (Riviere 2004, women in particular. The discussion is situated 229). Additionally, transnationalism makes it in Black Canadian feminist theory that has even more difficult to speak of specific identities emerged as a result of Black women activists' in relation to a particular nation (Spitzer and and scholars' feelings of being far removed Okeke-Ihejirika 2004). As a result, how identity from White, middle-class, liberal feminist gets constructed becomes an "intellectual discourses (Few 2007, 455). April Few adds exercise, because the myriad forces which that Black feminism is a standpoint theory that shape that identity are constantly moving, transcends the arguments of mere identity constantly changing" (Riviere 2004). According politics and actively examines the politics of to Castells (2000), identity formation is not an location in the lives of Black women and the individualistic effort. It cannot be carried out in groups of which they are a part (2007, 454). It isolation; rather, identity becomes a material is important to note that when speaking of force and a material source of meaning, when Canadian Black feminist theory, one is it has been enforced enough over time. speaking of a body of knowledge or "the Koppelman (1996) argues that Black women's practice of theorizing by and about Black simultaneous embodiment of blackness and women living in Canada" (Amoah 2007, 106). It femaleness leaves them between the is through this theory that the paper explores categories of race and sex, thus forcing them to Black women narratives about their journeys of divide and prioritize their identities that are self discovery; shifting identities; and coping integral to their self-concepts and life strategies that they utilize to mitigate the experience. The concept of "double jeopardy" myriads positionings. which is often evoked (Beale 1970 cited in Reid The study employed a qualitative 1984, 247) puts Black women in situations research methodology and generated data where they must decide between their dual through interviews and focus groups with 400 identities as Blacks and women. This double women from the cities of Toronto, Calgary, jeopardy, therefore, takes central space in Ottawa, Halifax and Saskatoon. The sample Black Canadian feminist theory. consisted of Black women of African ancestry Black Canadian feminist theory focuses who were over 18 years and with various on social justice for women and creates a backgrounds in religion, ethnicity, age, sexuality space to acknowledge their racialized orientation, language, educational levels, class, experiences. The theory broadens and deepens etc. the historical and social analysis of black women, exposes the multiplicity of oppressions 150 Atlantis 34.1, 2009 PR www.msvu.ca/atlantis and deconstructs neoliberal thinking. This fluidity of Canadian Black feminist theory is not an end in itself, but rather a thought...Black feminist thought occupies pedagogy that may be directed towards greater multifocal transnational space and gains its social justice for all people. According to Rai strength and momentum from critical Reece, "Black Canadian feminist thought exploration though multiple entry points" (2007, occupies a meaningful space in activism, since 275). Similarly, Patricia Hill Collins describes the interlocking oppression that Black women Black feminism as a critical social theory or as face...are the molds that provide foundation bodies of knowledge and sets of institutional from which [Black women] stand (Reece 2007, practices that actively grapple with the central 271). Njoki Wane defines Black Canadian questions facing groups of people differently feminism as: placed in specific political, social, and historic contexts characterized by injustice (Collins a theoretical tool meant to elucidate and analyze the 1998, 276). historical, social, cultural, and economic relationships of April Few argues that Black women women of African descent as the basis for development exist within an intersectionality matrix - a of a liberatory praxis. It is a paradigm that is grounded in location where multiple systems of oppressions the historical as well as the contemporary experiences of simultaneously corroborate and subjugate to Black women as mothers, activists, academics and conceal deliberate, marginalizing ideological community leaders. It is both an oral and written maneuvers that define "Otherness" (Few 2007). epistemology that theorizes our experiences and can be In this unique location within the matrix, specific applied to situate Black women's past and present "historical, geographical, cultural,
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