Project: The Women’s Diary Centre Term - GER 150 “When Women Speak”
By Joseline Viera Canas, Jessie Strader, Molly Samonds & Seth Gosser
Entry Day 1
There is a passion in my heart for the movements and politics that make up feminism. This itself, alongside my work, draws men and women who are outside the feminist struggle in. “Throughout the work my thoughts have been shaped by the conviction that feminism must become a mass based political movement if it is to have a revolutionary, transformative impact on society”.1 The biggest factor in achieving this impact on society is understanding what the margin and center theory is. In the center lies privileged women who are responsible for the majority of feminist work, but this center excludes those marginalized groups who do not have the privilege to fight the same fight that those in the center do. In order to achieve feminism as a mass based political movement that has the power and influence to change society in an equitable way, we need to expand the center to include the voices of those on the margins. I was surprised by the backlash from other women of color after releasing my book, with hostile comments made about the ideas and me, yet a conversation was started. “Despite their responses I share with them an ongoing commitment to feminist struggle.”2 Social hierarchy and the imbalance of power among women, men, and corresponding categories of marginalized people sets us as people against each other whereas the real power will come from our unity and allyship with other sides in order to defend a cause, in this case, the feminist cause. The idea is instilled in us as women that we ought to be competitive with each other. “Sexism teaches women woman-hating, and both consciously and unconsciously we act out this hatred in our daily contact with one another.”3 However, if we approach the feminist movement from this perspective, animosity quickly develops between various racial and socioeconomic groups of women, and those lacking in privilege and power are easily excluded. Developing a feminist movement that works for all women is reliant on investing the time in unlearning both the ideas instilled in us by the patriarchy and the racist ideas held by many of the movement’s current leaders. The feminist movement that I have witnessed has always been led by, and therefore elevated the voices of, the white bourgeois women. Too often have I seen them promote the idea that we as women all share a common struggle, that all women are oppressed in exactly the same way. They use this narrative of a common oppression and victimization to develop the concept of “sisterhood,” a method which is only truly functional and inclusive for those women who fit the same mold of the white women that have designated themselves the leaders of this movement. Being a unified group is essential for us to be able to address the struggles faced by all different
1 hooks,bell. (1984). Preface, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center (pg. 10)
2 hooks,bell. (1984). Acknowledgments, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center (pg. 7)
3 hooks,bell. (1984). Sisterhood:Political Solidarity Between Women, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center (pg. 59)
groups of women, but when we choose to ignore or not adequately address the oppression faced by those of us on the margins, little progress will be made for those people. - Perspective of Bell Hooks, 1984
A Male Response to Bell Hooks’ chapter “Men: Comrades in Struggle”
To humbly accept a place among those who struggle for freedom carries with it a burden Atlas himself could be proud of. To push against an invisible tide of potential catastrophic consequence is the device which either breaks an individual or ascends them to godly proportions. Do “I”, a male, aid the sex that has placed this burden on top of their shoulders so that their backs might not crumble? What if I do not? What if I do? When fighting for a cause one must know exactly what it is you are fighting for or your efforts will most likely be in vain. If you request “I” join your alliance and hand me your words then say, “Kill this phantom menace!” I will inevitably attack only the air in front of me; however, if you instead present to me a dagger and shield then we just might have a fighting chance; therefore, if you want to begin to change the world and its institutions you must engage with more than condemning accusations screamed from the hilltops where no one listens. Although it may not be common knowledge, the best revolutions always start with pamphlets. “I” may not be a feminist, but the enemy of my friend is my enemy. To aid freedom of the oppressed is a righteous cause so unity is in the best interest of me and you. All I ask is if you would like to be comrades, please ask politely. This is why I applaud Ms. Hooks.
Entry Day 2 Although we have made immense progress it is not by understanding the necessity of women's suffrage, but that step by step, we have forced the state to grant us such rights through our constant strength and use of union and right to assembly. We have used these tools to back the state and ruling class men into a corner where we demand suffrage, and the equal right to directly input into politics, the right to vote. Proletariat women are already essential in the political successes of the working class, yet despite our efforts and contributions in that sphere, the ruling class has still refused to grant us suffrage. If women’s suffrage is truly the end goal, we must recognize that men must also fight for that goal, as it will bring benefits not just for the women, but for the entire working class. We, unlike the women of the bourgeoisie, actively contribute to a society in which it would seem worth is determined through one’s contributions to the capitalist system. “Today, millions of proletarian women create capitalist profit like men-in factories, workshops, on farms, in home industry, offices, stores. They are therefore productive in the strictest scientific sense of our present society.”1You would think that by acknowledging
the significance of working-class women in the functioning of our society, the ruling class could understand the justification to grant us suffrage. - Perspective of Rosa Luxemburg, 1912
1-Luxemburg, R. (1912). Women’s Suffrage and Class Struggle. (pg. 3)
A Poem for Rosa We pass out all your pamphlets We run the political showboat But we don’t have what every man gets The equal right to vote
- Original Poem by Jessie
A Modern Perspective on the Ideas of Rosa Luxemburg:
Currently in society all around the world there are still several issues regarding feminism and women rights. There has always been a competition among women because of multiple things that divide them, such as: race, economic status, ethnicity and even the color of their skin. Rosa Luxemburg believed all women had to come together to end the oppression that women face, because one white woman cannot represent a black woman, as they have different struggles. A white woman is still oppressed by men but has more privilege because of the color of their skin. Rosa Luxemburg primarily focused on political and economic theories but was against men oppressing women. She believed that the capitalist system was a common theme running through many kinds of oppression. Women have always been oppressed by men, and to change that we would have to change the way the system is structured.
Rosa Luxemburg’s Take on 21st Century America:
Luxemburg is coming to America in 2021. Let us imagine for a moment that she dodged a bullet (literally) and acquired a time machine that led directly to the states in our current time. How would she perceive our world and what would her critiques be? Would Luxemburg have anything positive to say about our current political and economic climates? She was not technically a feminist in the early nineteenth century, but would she be a feminist today? May the purely hypothetical take us down a rabbit hole with the hopes of granting us with a nugget of understanding of one of the most prominent figures in early nineteenth century feminist history. During my time I highly advocated for the socialist party because the final goal of socialism constitutes the only decisive factor distinguishing the Social-Democratic movement from bourgeois democracy and from bourgeois radicalism. The goal was to bring about a mass movement that was not for women alone but a common class concern for women and men of the
proletariat. I could see that any system that lacked political rights for women was a remnant of a dead past that would inevitably come to a conclusion. Now I must ask the question of what systems of government and economics has brought about consistent long-term stability besides that of a Democratic Capitalistic state? My question was that of either reform or revolution and I chose the latter. Capitalism was the enemy of women’s political rights during the early nineteenth century because of conservative practices; however, newly reformed ideologies have allowed for nearly everything I fought for in my time, including suffrage and the opportunity to abandon antiquated expectations. It is the fight for equality that brings us ever so closer to a utopia, and the light at the end of the tunnel is at least visible. A hundred years ago a Frenchman Charles Fourier wrote, “In any society, the degree of female emancipation is the natural measure of the general emancipation.” I see these words coming to fruition through education, opportunities, and social norms. There is, however, a blight in the world of today, as I predicted there would be. Militarism and toxic chauvinism are bringing the world to dark places that will potentially end with catastrophic consequences. In the end, it is our responsibility to take the leap of faith into the radical revolution of critical thinking and enact change through uncompromising reform.
Entry Day 3
It seems as though every time I am interviewed, the interviewer simply cannot resist asking me about my supposed status as a “sex symbol.” To be clear, as I took on the various roles of career, I was not unaware that many would define my main source of value as my physical attributes. Despite the perception of the general public, I have maintained a strong confidence in who I truly am. I have never and will never rely on my sexual appeal in searching for success in my personal life, regardless of that tendency seen in my characters. Yet I feel that by choosing to take on some of my roles in which the looks of my character were seen as a form of entertainment, I was able to take more command over the public narrative that was already building around me. I possess many of the qualities of the hotly debated “New Woman,” and though many other Germans may look down on that admission, I feel that I am very capable of exercising the confidence and self-assuredness associated with that idea in making beneficial career and personal choices. - Perspective of Marlene Dietrich, 1969
Although the war was a time of worry and support in our nation, the absence of men called for more women to play a more pivotal role in the workforce taking on jobs that men would typically occupy. Although I was already helping around the store, I became a store clerk with increasing responsibilities. I had never been one to fit in among the mothers and housewives, so this new freedom became a new way to express myself along with the women around me. I have recently had the economic freedom to stop by cafes with some other women, smoke, and conversate. We have slowly integrated new, masculine, and more practical garments of clothing into our wardrobes. In the span of several years, I am beginning to see the newfound social freedom among women, but an increasing divide between the youthful workforce women and the conservative bourgeois women. While some embrace this new generation of productive, masculine, and independent women, others fear for the family life and children of Germany. - Perspective of Working-Class Woman, Germany 1920s
We must fight this rebellion; this is an abomination to our society, and it is not right. Our husbands work so hard to feed us and our family, and women should stay home and take care of their family. Women get male haircuts and dress as if they were men, wearing tuxedos. It is not right; it is an aberration. We should end this and educate our daughters, so they know what is right and make a difference in the future. What is so wrong with wearing a dress and staying home with our family, being thankful for the life we have and our husband? We must embrace our femininity. Women are saying that this is a way to express themselves, but it is not, this is rebellion, and it can cause severe consequences for our nation. Let's try to convince everyone to stop this and go back to our normal and regular life. - Perspective of German Bourgeois Women, 1920s
The story of the Die Neue Frau is as old as Genesis. Take for example the narrative of Adam and Eve. After she is tempted by the serpent, she devours the forbidden fruit gaining the knowledge of good and evil but receives the wrath of god as a consequence. Afterwards, she offers the same opportunity to Adam and he takes the bait unknowingly influencing their narratives for the worst. Now we see the women’s liberation movement and the rise of feminism along with the fight for suffrage. Nearing the end of WWI, Germany has been decimated by the war. We have lost nearly 4.2 million young men and our country has been shamed by the Treaty of Versailles. Morale is at an all-time low and the death of masculinity looms over the hills. The opportunity arose for women to take action and gain independence and control by challenging antiquated social norms and embracing the role of power by adopting masculine traits such as cross dressing, gaining economic independence through sexualizing themselves, and occupying
jobs that were held by mostly men. Also, a large number of men had been killed in the war allowing many women to join the workforce and gain economic independence through means such as being a store clerk and working in a setting other than the home. So where does the Biblical narrative come into play? In this case, women choosing to sexualize themselves is the forbidden fruit because by doing so they gain the benefit of further liberation but reap the consequences of being seen mostly through an objective lens. For men, consuming this new narrative and no longer having the discipline to sexually repress themselves means we will no longer have the control over women that we once did, and this revolution could be the death of masculinity. The only difference between the Biblical narrative and Die Neue Frau is that the New Woman defeated God. By pushing against the current and seizing the opportunity for further liberation the consequences of eating the forbidden fruit are negligible. When Friedrich Nietzsche wrote the infamous phrase “God is Dead!” he was emphasizing the change in society, how the old ways had died, and a new era had begun where beliefs that once dictated the mass had been extinguished and new ones had risen. The rise of the New Woman is another example of antiquated ideas collapsing and a new solid foundation rising from the ashes to give way to progress. In this story, Eve is the liberator instead of the temptress. On second thought, perhaps she is in both. - Perspective of German Men, 1920s
Entry Day 4
I can sense that I am nearing the completion of work on my War series. I am revived by the thought that other women, especially the other mothers, will finally be able to see a war experience that they understand represented in my works. I know that many of our men wish only to portray the physical, brutal aspects of the war, but even if they fail to acknowledge the perspective of my work, I still sense a level of significance to my attempt at showing the profound effects of war on all aspects of our society. The men who fought in the war already have their voice in the way it will be remembered, but they cannot know the struggle that women faced on the home front, as we lost our sons and now try to rebuild the nation. I can only hope that my work is incorporated into the post-war narrative of this country. - Perspective of Kathe Kollwitz, 1922
Kollwitz Inspired Art: Most sources talk about the war through the perspective of men during war, but we do not have many sources that verbalize what women went through. Even though women were not in the battlefield, they lost their husbands and children, all while increasing their support in economic and social areas as they took on the jobs typically occupied by men. Allowing for different perspectives gives more historical context for wars and might help future viewers understand not only the political complexity of war, but the cultural, economic, social, and emotional complexity as well. (artwork pictured left to right: Jessie, Joseline, Seth)
Entry Day 5
One of the most important things I learned upon my arrival in the concentration camp, if not the most important, was the necessity of connections with other people, a sisterhood if you will. Enduring the horrors and mistreatment we did, it became clear that survival depended on resilience and hope, which we found in each other. People begin to form small groups that take care of each other, other women and mothers “adopting” people they do not even know, but with good intent and a common goal. This sisterhood became a lifeline to emotional and social needs, sometimes even physical needs. Without this lifeline, desperation and depression became a quick spiral down to hopeless death. We began to hear rumors that we were nearing the end of the war and it was not good news to the Nazi leaders. Although this notion gave a glimmer of hope, we knew that many would be in danger, particularly the “rabbits”. These girls had already endured the worst and were a great threat to those responsible if word got out post-war. Our group of prisoners collectively decided to hide these girls before the camp guards came for them. We
would hide them by exchanging numbers for confusion or sneaking them into the typhus block with those who were dying. Although morbid, this area was safe because camp guards avoided interaction with the sick. - Perspective of Prisoner at Ravensbrück (Helping the rabbits)
I have witnessed all the atrocities women have gone through during their time in this concentration camp; I have not seen any worse treatment than this. I have seen how the Nazis use women’s limbs to recreate soldiers’ wounds and then introduce bacteria to the wound and try to heal it. It is inhumane and unbelievable how a human being can do this to another human, which is why we, as sisters, should remain united and help each other if we want to survive and we must come up with a plan. Our plan is based on hiding, we must stay underground as long as necessary. We have a common goal which is getting out of this awful place alive. All people here have lost family, and now we are family because we share the same painful experience, we have helped one another not just by taking care of each other but giving each other hope and moral support, this will be an unbreakable bond… - Perspective of Prisoner at Ravensbrück (Helping the rabbits)
I will never forget the fear I felt when I learned that those of us called the rabbits had finally been sentenced to death, a day I knew was coming, despite having done all I could to retain some hope that our liberation would arrive first. My experience at Ravensbrück was indescribably awful. I could never have imagined the physical and emotional toll of being subjected to those experiments. However, even when we reached a point at which they had so mutilated us that we were no longer deemed useful, I did not want to die. I had come to develop such a strong familial bond with the women in the camp who shared my experience, and beyond that I was determined to share my story in the hopes that we could find some sort of justice, though nothing will ever make up for the pain and intentionally cruel experiments they performed on us. I am eternally grateful to the other women in the camp for saving us at that very last minute. I myself often struggle to believe that we were able to remain hidden and alive long enough to be liberated from the camp, but if nothing else, I hope that in telling my story I can provide details not only on the tragedies of the Holocaust, but also on the power of forming those familial bonds we had in the camp. - Perspective of a Ravensbrück Rabbit, many years after the liberation of the camp
Ravensbrück
A piece of glass a piece of spine I’ll pull it out, I’ll show you mine Am I a shadow roaming through black sand Or a hawk from an antiquated land
On dragons’ breath we came and conquered Your tears will be lost in rain Like gunpowder and rusty barrels imbued Your limbs will never be the same
A piece of glass a piece of spine I’ll pull it out, I’ll show you mine Metallic tongue soaked in crimson Takes away your maternal engine
A fallen angel weeps for rabbits God turns his blind eye Praise be to the fatherland Because in this land, I will die
I’ll turn you green, I’ll make you shook Hop little bunny, forget not Ravensbrück
— A poem written by Seth in the perspective of a Nazi officer affiliated with the Ravensbrück concentration camp
Entry Day 6
We’ve spent months now working every day to clear the rubble in our city. It’s so difficult to imagine if it is even possible for Germany to be rebuilt and for our lives to return to the way they once were, but in many ways, I feel they shouldn’t. It is becoming increasingly clear that once the city has reached a certain point of restoration, the women, at least those of us living in West Berlin, will be expected to return to our homes, despite all of the intensive work we’ve put in. This moment feels in many ways similar to what we experienced after the first war. The women are given the burden of both physically and emotionally restoring the country, but we make very few gains in our own rights
after these significant contributions. Despite all the signs that this is happening once again, I can hope that perhaps something will be different this time. -Perspective of a German Woman, living in what will become West Berlin, 1945
Original art inspired by the statues we studied in class from West and East Germany. Representative of the women who rebuilt the country post WWII.
^Seth ^Jessie
Joseline >
Entry Day 7
I grew up amidst the devastation of the war, and throughout my childhood and into young adulthood I have seen the way our country and society has rapidly and immensely changed. My mother often tells stories about her life during the war and her return to social norms afterwards while my father very seldom spoke of his experience during that time. As a young woman I knew little about politics but as I learned more about the RAF the more, I became interested. We share the same sentiments in our frustration and anger with the capitalist system put in place in our country. This is our country, Germany, not an imperial empire that can be governed and pushed around by those who do not value our people or understand our culture. The RAF resists the institutions in place in West Germany and the bias of the media. Those in power try to keep us at bay by implementing sexist propaganda that keeps families complacent in their situations. We will resist and fight for our lands. - Perspective of a Red Army Faction Woman, circa 1970
I have felt for a long time now a palpable tension in West Germany, particularly after the building of the wall and the start of the Vietnam war, but still, I didn’t expect a terrorist organization with the presence of the RAF to arise. I will say, I think most Germans can admit that our new capitalist system is not entirely perfect, but I have never had complaints on the scale that would lead me to even dream of using the means that this group utilizes. I am most shocked in seeing women as prominent figures in this organization. I have been made aware of a theory that the maternal instincts of these women are their source for these violent acts, an idea which I strongly resent. Those of us who are true mothers use those instincts to nurture and protect those around us but could never and would never act in this openly violent manner. I don’t know what it is about these women that leads them to their means, but I can assure you that it has nothing to do with their femininity. I must make clear that there is no room for any woman associated with this terrorism in the feminist movement, and I hope that both now, and in the future, people refrain from associating them with us feminists, as that association can bring nothing positive to our cause. - Perspective of a German Woman, not a part of the RAF, 1971
Male Perspective:
We can burn it down together. I’ll help you light the whole world on fire if you want. You bring the matches and I’ll bring the gasoline. How did you do it? All my irrational sensibilities encompassed in this conduit of chaos. Sometimes I wonder if we were made for each other. I wanted to write you a poem but knowing you I might get decapitated, maybe even castrated. Some people say you have brain damage. They say your transition from a journalist to a revolutionary terrorist is something only someone living in a mad world could do. But if you
really do have brain damage it's because you smacked your noggin falling out of the heavens. You were gone for so long, imprisoned at Köln-Ossendorf. For a year I felt this way: The feeling that your head is exploding. The feeling that the top of your skull must be going to split and come off. The feeling of your spinal cord being pressed into your brain. In the afternoon, when the sun shines in, it suddenly stops. You can’t shake off that sense of movement… Furious aggression for which there is no outlet. That’s the worst thing. A clear awareness that your chance of survival is nil. Utter failure to communicate that. Visits leave no trace behind them. Half an hour later, you can tell if the visit was today or last week only by mechanically reconstructing it. And oh, how I longed for those visits. Sometimes I reminisce back when days were simpler. You were so insecure in person but in your writings, you were strong, independent, bold, and daring. You always carried around a pistol when we broke into cars together. The practicality of things was never your strong suit. When we robbed banks, you left most of the money inside, you somehow managed to rip the wheel off the car when we stole it, and on more than one occasion you wrote the wrong address on our passports and parcels. We thought we were the spark for a mass revolution led by the working class when you said our group is influenced by a new sense of the importance of the ‘primacy of praxis.’ The right to act is justified by its feasibility. We would take journeys on the VW-bus to build our networking while investigating how to break into an arms depot. Your flaws were adorable. You were so nervous on the job and had the least stable stimulus threshold. I had to hide paper from you because you would roll them up into little balls which police started looking for in suspicious flats. “Material annihilation of imperialist rule. Destruction of the myth of the all-powerful system. The propaganda operation expressed in material attack: the act of liberation in the act of annihilation” This, I believe, sums up your manifesto. They found you dead in your cell… They will find me dead in mine. Like you once said, “The RAF is in the can of the masses. Strike the fascists where it hurts.” I’ll burn it for you. Oh, how I miss you, my darling, my sweet, my Ulrike Meinhof.
- Perspective love letter from Meinhof’s partner in crime
Entry Day 8
When lecturing or speaking about identity I often introduce myself as a black, lesbian, mother and warrior. I identify myself as black, lesbian, mother and a warrior, you must be wondering why a warrior or why do I represent as a mother, the answer is that even though we look different on the outside there is always something that we are going to have in common. I consider myself a warrior because I have a daily fight, we as women have a daily fight, which is fighting for our rights I think it is so important for one to see themselves and express parts of their identities that are not just consistent with the assumptions or labels placed upon them by a societal norm. Life is a journey that only we experience for ourselves. Through our experiences as different people, we learn more about ourselves and our identities, the hardest part being learning to love and accept these identities. I think about Bell Hook’s From Margin to Center. Everyone is different in their experience; the mere creation of “social norms'', labeling and marginalized groups, is not only destructive to those outside of the center but also teaches conformity and complacency to those in the center. The issues that I take on with the groups I’ve built are often intense, many of them topics that we all feel more comfortable avoiding. For the Afro-German women, it is both overwhelmingly positive to have a community in which to discuss these things, but it can often be challenging to open up about the way their race and gender has affected their lives. The white women also struggle with recognizing racism as an issue directly related to feminism and making the space to listen to the experiences that their Afro-German sisters have had. My vision is that by encouraging these women to be open about their lives and the aspects of those lives that define them, they will learn to view themselves as the complex individuals they are, and eventually be able to present this version of themselves to the outside world. I'll state my case of which I’m certain. I've lived a life that’s full. I've traveled each and every highway. Some days you're riding high in April and shoot down in May. I'm a woman, a mother, a poet, a lesbian, a warrior, and a queen. I’ve been up and down and over and out and I know one thing. Each time I find myself flat on my face I just pick myself up and get back in the race because that’s life. Regrets, I’ve had a few. Then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption. I've planned each charted course each careful step along the byway. Much more than this I’ve done it my way. There were times I sure you knew I bit off more than I could chew. But through it all when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way. I've Loved and laughed and cried. I've had my fill and share of losing and now as tears subside. I find it all so amusing. To think I did all that and
may I say not in a shy way oh no, oh no not me. I did it my way for what is a woman, what has she got if not herself then she has not to say the things she truly feels and not the words of one who kneels and did it my way. Let us see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars. In other words, hold my hand. So, come fly with me. We will fly away. - Perspective of Audre Lorde
Entry Day 9
What If Dialogue between May Ayim and Adichie Chimamanda
May Ayim: I was raised in Germany, in a German family, born from a German mother, but it was my consistent experience that people defined me far more from my African background than my German.
Adichie Chimamanda: Yes, it is almost as if because one’s heritage can be seen more easily in the color of their skin that their origins are assumed based on their appearance. As a woman from Nigeria, my experience traveling outside of my home country shines a lot of light and understanding on the misunderstandings that most western cultures have about Africa.
May Ayim: The people in these Western countries always seem to have the misconception that everyone in Africa needs saving, and oftentimes it was suggested to me that, due to my African heritage, that saving was somehow my responsibility. It always struck me as quite hypocritical for white people to suggest this, as though there were no people in Germany who might also need help.
Adichie Chimamanda: A frustrated response to commentary like that is completely valid and understood. I also have experienced many people making assumptions about my education level and ability to speak English. They think these skills are a great achievement that are out of norm and inspirational to the less fortunate in my country. I do not hold any anger towards people for these assumptions, but frustration at the lack of representation of various cultures and countries in Africa. I noticed from a young age the lack of representation in literature of different African cultures/countries. It seems we are similar in that our missions are more about helping educate others, so they understand their biases and stereotypes and open their minds to recognizing the misrepresentation of groups; However, I’m teaching others about my country, and you are teaching those within your country.
May Ayim: I certainly agree that trying to teach those around us is one of our best ways to move forward. Despite the differences in the way we approach this issue, helping people develop deeper understandings of their own backgrounds, or providing more accurate representation of cultures they don’t understand, helps us to elevate those groups that are so often underrepresented, particularly in Western countries. I think it’s so significant to acknowledge that we are not angry at those who have misconceptions or biases. When we look at the media and discussion around us, it becomes evident that only with a lot of difficulty would people be able to get a more complex understanding of the lives of those from different backgrounds. While I do find it concerning that even now there are so many misconceptions about African countries and those with African backgrounds, I hope that through our efforts we can help people to see the complexity of those lives and experiences.
Mary Turner
Oh sweet mother, a hundred years ago A band of howlin’ devils plucked an infant from your womb With pitchforks and razor blades With black hearts and blazing eyes They came
Oh black momma, in a time before King The masses of snow gathered to extinguish a fire You didn’t even have Yet Ashes upon ashes, slowly you rekindle Unforgotten, immortal
Yesterday was 1921, and little by little Snow slowly melts Overcome by a smothering flame That burns brighter and hotter every year Ashes upon ashes, slowly you rekindle Unforgotten, immortal Today is 2021
Tomorrow we remember a land before snow Today we remember the sins Of a hundred years ago —A poem Seth wrote inspired by the contents of an essay written by Audre Lorde concerning the murder of a pregnant black woman
Entry Day 10
Things have progressed and changed in my years living as a woman in the GDR. When I was young, I remember much more importance placed on the family unit and many more traditional motherly roles were expected of women, but as I grew older a need for more works called women to the workforce. I was a store clerk for several years but then became a factory worker with various other women. While I am not married and do not intend to be, I do have access to contraceptives and feel comfortable expressing my sexuality and talking with my friends about men at work. I have heard other countries refer to our country and government as godless. Abortion and contraceptive seem to be taboo topics causing a lot of controversy which I have trouble understanding. Democratic and capitalist countries like the United States speak so much of freedom yet have a white male ruling class that argue against these taboo topics that I would consider to be women’s health rights. What is freedom if women do not have the freedom over their own bodies and reproductive health. While every government has its flaws, I refuse to believe that our country's system is anymore “evil” or “godless” than the rest. - A Socialist Feminist perspective in the GDR
Would you like some advice? I’ll tell you a secret that will work more times than not. Be careful though, and do not tell anyone who gave you this forbidden knowledge. After all, you know what happened to Prometheus don’t you? Some may say I plucked this secret straight from the tree of life itself and I can promise you I am not giving it back. It may sound silly at first, but I’ll explain why. Okay, I know your ears are burning so here you go: if you're looking to get laid in America... just tell the women you're a socialist. There it is. If secrets were like great sea beasts, you might as well call me Captain Ahab because that’s one Moby Dick of a thing to know. But if that sounds strange to you then consider this: A survey of East and West Germans concluded, after reunification in 1990, that women on the socialist side had TWICE as many orgasms as western women. Now I know what you might be thinking, and yes, I lived in East Germany during that time period but not even someone of my caliber could skew the statistics that much haha. You see, the thing about it is women feel safer when doing the old in and out while being in a socialist state because a socialist state does not devalue their labor or punish them for having children. Now do not get me wrong, she does not call for a return to a soviet- style communism and that is for god-damn sure. Stick with the socialist way of things and let the sexual revolution that comes with it benefit the both of you. Who doesn’t love a win-win? I’ll tell
you who-Capitalists. One can only discriminate against women and trap them into dependent relationships for so long with the free market. I tell you, trying to win over a woman with capitalistic values would be like trying to make it flood with an ice cube. To be a capitalist means saying goodbye to your dreams of Niagara Falls because you just bought yourself an invalid ticket to the Sahara Desert and that’s for god-damn sure. Listen, women under capitalist rule are either culturally pushed into what type of work they want to do, or they end up with less bargaining power in the free market which means less economic freedom. I mean the state can intervene in the market by supporting things like universal childcare and paid maternity leave which ends up reducing the burden of women, but I will tell you, it's an awfully big burden and that’s for goddamn sure. I’ll tell you; love dies when the market starts to seep into your most personal relationships. Capitalism has found a way to commodify our emotions, our attention and our affections. A more progressive path to change is possible but those who traverse it must tread lightly. Until that day comes my friend, enjoy being a socialist because nothing gets a woman’s blood running red hot like a safety net. — An Old Man Giving Advice
Entry Day 11 Song Analyses
“Sweet Black Angel”- Rolling Stones
From the folk rhythm played on the acoustic guitar to the purposely skewed pronunciation of the lyrics, The Rolling Stones homage to a black political activist during the late nineteenth century has not aged well. The song itself was written shortly after a black female German activist was imprisoned and acquitted on charges of terrorism by the United States. President Nixon himself took to the stage to boast about the inevitable capture of activist Angela Davis. The lyrics in the song “Sweet Black Angel'' aim to fetishize and slightly dehumanize the activist, maybe not intentionally, while also culturally appropriating the bluegrass style of music popularized by the African-American community. From the opening lines of the song the singer sexualizes the black activist by equating her to the type of showgirl who rides motorcycles in a bikini by humming, “Got a sweet black angel/ Up upon my wall.” This line goes to show the lack of respect the singer has for the black female activist, Angela Davis. Further along the chorus the singer slightly dehumanizes the black community by chanting, “Ten little n*****/ Sitting on de wall.” The audacity for a white individual to use this language in order to give some kind of homage to the activist is by all means inappropriate. In the last couple lines of the song the singer quietly makes an exclamation to “Free de sweet black slave.” The purposeful distortion of the English language to imitate that of a stereotypical African American individual also serves to add to the condescending tone of the song as a whole. If one has trouble interpreting the juxtaposition between the sweet black angel and the sweet black slave, I can assure you the song promotes the latter.
“Angela”- John Lennon & Yoko Ono Lennon and Ono’s song “Angela” was written about Angela Davis in the aftermath of the uproar about her arrest and acquittal. While I’d like to think Lennon and Ono had good intentions of being supportive and culturally relevant to the time, they seem to have done the opposite. Not only was the song released after Angela was released, but the lyrics devalue her experience as a woman of color and activist. The lyrics “they shot down your man” seem to make Davis a victim instead of an activist as well as counteract her power as a woman by tethering her to a man. Additionally, referring to her as “sister” and mentioning her sisters and brothers might be interpreted as cultural appropriation or just claiming a closer relationship and understanding of the Black community which Lennon as a white man did not truly have. Lastly, the recurring sentence “they gave you everything” gives more praise to the government and institutions which internalize and profit off of the marginalized groups that Davis was fighting for. While the song may have been an attempt to show solidarity and promote her cause, it downplayed the severity of Davis's cause and turned her into more of a celebrity rather than an activist.
“Angela Davis”- Franz Josef Degenhardt Degenhardt’s presentation of Angela Davis in song is in many ways very direct. The song is designed to provide clear political commentary on her case and suggest a sense of solidarity through the sharing of common political views. His song does focus attention on the actual details of her case, but he still utilizes her story primarily to promote his views, which in this case happen to be the same anti-capitalist views that Davis held. He, similar to other artists who wrote songs about her, reduces her down to the part of her that best serves him, in this case her political affiliation. In reading the lyrics of the song, there is essentially no mention of Angela’s actual beliefs. Degenhardt’s view that the situation surrounding Angela’s arrest actually had very little to do with her is made clear in this method of writing. Presenting this view allows Degenhardt to reinforce his feelings on the American judicial system as presenting this view allows Degenhardt to make a commentary on the American judicial system. The song ends on a positive note, suggesting that the Communist Party will prevail over the injustices of the American system, but the intention to primarily reinforce the writer’s views remains clear.
Entry Day 12
It grows increasingly more frustrating to try to make a career in filmmaking as a woman. Women are perceived to lack the technical skills needed to begin directing, even when entering the field with a similar background as our male counterparts. I feel as though my creativity is constantly being stifled. I once wished to pursue a new style of film that would have combined the components of documentary and fiction film, but the men are so defensive about an art that they consider their own, that they were quickly able to prevent any funding for me. It’s incredibly difficult to get any funding for my projects, and essentially impossible when I wish to pursue anything outside of the norm. We are in a field in which we desperately need more women, as the male filmmakers so often misrepresent us. However, it’s difficult to recruit new women to this field with the lack of female role models and their eventual discovery of the incredibly toxic work environment. - Perspective of Helke Sander, German filmmaker, 1970s
Entry Day 13: Contemporary German Feminism
Maria 2.0: This movement is based in the German Catholic Church and is designed to encourage more equality for women, particularly in holding positions within the church, and to call for accountability for sexual assault within the church. A significant tactic used by this movement is strikes by women, demonstrating that without their volunteer work, many operations of the church aren’t functional. The significance of this movement is that it works within a sphere that is often forgotten in the feminist movement. Churches remain a typically male-dominated and conservative space. Women are very present in the running of churches, but their contributions are not acknowledged at the same level as men.
Black Feminism Racism is one of the main issues that the black community is fascism right now, and it has been a problem for a long time. Black feminists have a harder battle to fight, since they are not only fighting for their rights as women, but they are also fighting to end racism. Audre Lorde has been a role model and has influenced the lives of many women even after her death. Black feminist in Germany in 2017 organized a Black Lives Matter protest but not to fight for the rights of the Black community but to spread a message, they wanted Black people to embrace their color and culture. Audre Lorde was the main inspiration to organize this march.
Women’s Health Women's health movements were particularly active in Germany beginning in the 1970s where women began to create women's clubs and groups exclusively for women. Discussion was prompted in these groups pointing out the due imbalance of female doctors in the women's health field. 70% of women’s doctors were male with 30 % female. This women’s health movement worked to diversify the male dominated field of women's health where most doctors specializing in women's reproductive health were men. This movement gave rise to the women's health magazine Clio, one of many, which worked to share information and promote self-care. Women's health movements not only took place in Germany, but have, and currently are, taking place in the modern world. The women's health movements also work to give access to more information about contraceptives, abortions, and any other information pertaining to women’s sexual, reproductive, or mental health.
The Male Summary
A common misconception is that the movie Fight Club starring two of some of my personal favorite actors, Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, is purely about the primal masculine instinct to beat the shit out of another living man. The truth is, however, that masculinity is only a device used to facilitate a much broader and a much-overlooked fundamental principle that is in need of recognition. The message illustrated by Fight Club is exactly what is portrayed by the Yin and Yang symbol that has been popularized in western culture and in every oriental gift shop in America. The symbol is a circle that is half white and half black with a little circle of white in the black and a little circle of black in the white. This symbol represents order and chaos. The little circles of black and white living in the larger domain of their opposites represent how there is some chaos in order and some order in chaos. The most common theme of the Yin and Yang symbol, however, is the balance between this order and chaos. In the beginning of the film Edward Norton's unnamed character lives a life dictated by uncompromising order. He spends
his days watching advertisements on television and purchasing material that makes him feel like a productive member of society. The days grow long as he is struck with depression and insomnia until he manifests an alternate personality bred of pure chaos, Tyler Durtan or Brad Pitt's character. Near the end of the film his life is spun into disaster as his day to day transforms from bliss to complete and utter mayhem. The message this transformation represents is that when you take any of your ideologies, political affiliations, religious beliefs, principles, doctrines, creeds, etc. to their most extremes you lose balance and will inevitably reap the consequences of imbalance. If we relate this concept to femininity and masculinity, we assign the two to their appropriate corners in the ring. Femininity is chaos because women are the selectors of mates and the birth givers of new things. Also, the traits of the feminine resonate with that of a nurturing, caring mother such as compassion, intuitiveness, patience, forgiveness, and more; therefore, because chaos creates order, femininity must represent chaos. Traits of masculinity are that of assertiveness, competitiveness, cynicism and more. Masculine traits have less to do with the caretaking of others and more to do with the preservation of one’s self. This “orderly” way of life is thus masculine because it contrasts the feminine in that femininity has more to do with the nurturing of others. Over the course of the past few weeks in German-150 I have learned a great deal. Trying to “get in touch with your feminine side” is honestly more difficult than I anticipated. There is a natural aversion to embracing femininity because a facade of weakness surrounds the concept. For example, ask yourself why don’t men cry? Why do we bottle up emotions? The answer is that we are simply afraid of showing weakness to others because we are scared of emotion and experiencing life full throttle. Not crying is cowardly. You are resisting to experience the full spectrum of life which is understandable because life is filled with amazing things and horrible things alike. Sometimes masculinity has a difficult time accepting reality. Femininity on the other hand fosters these emotions and embraces them. Trying to embrace femininity so that more of a balance can be achieved is something I am currently working toward. Like all things, however, if either of these concepts are taken to their extremes one can easily overdose on them. Coming from someone who has witnessed those who have embraced too much of their ideology, I am guilty of it myself, I saw similar instances throughout the course where it seemed like the same thing was happening with feminism. Sometimes ideas or theories seemed too radical and forced rather than not. Sometimes the political activists did not appear to be the best role models for societal revolution. With that being said, all the information was valuable, and I would like to think I extracted at least a nugget of knowledge from each topic we went over. My final statement will have to be to simply work to find a balance between order and chaos because life is like a tight rope and traversing it with a heavy imbalance will inevitably end in your fall just like our favorite angel. J
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