THE OFFICE OF WOMEN'S STUDIES THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY VOL. VI, NO. 8 APRIL, 1980 economically at risk. Recent Bureau of GUEST EDITORIAL Labor statistics reveal that black women have a higher unemployment rate (12.9%) SEXUAL HARASSMENT: WHY MUST WE than do white women (8.3%) and their in- BE DIFFERENT? come is generally lower: 88% of that earned by white women. They must offer more than their white counterparts in the way of saleable skills and intellectual CYNTHIA A. RENZ aptitude to be considered as merely "equal" to a similarly qualified applicant or stu- "A female is continually obliged to seek dent. Because of this institutional dis- survival or advancement through the crimination, they have the most to lose approval of men as those who hold power. by protesting unwarranted sexual advances She may do this through appeasement or of supervisors (who could hire or promote through exchange of her sexuality for them) and professors (who are often called support and status." upon to write letters of recommendation --Kate Millett, Sexual Politics. for a job or entrance to higher education.) In this respect, black women have been Sexual harassment can be broadly defined more able to grasp the essence of the sex- as unwanted sexual advances in the con- ual harassment issue earlier and more text of unequal power relationships (em- firmly than other, more advantaged, women. ployer/employee, faculty/student, male/ female, white/black.) It may be obvious As black women, they are faced with to a few that it is a condition to which another problem: the traditional myth no woman, black or white, young or old, that black women are more sexually acces- "attractive" or not, is immune. What is sible than others, that their main purpose perhaps not so obvious is the fact that is to be a sexual plaything for the male. black and white women may react different- The tradition of systematic sexual harass- ly to the situation. ment (and, at the extreme, rape) under slavery of their ancestors make them more Economically speaking, racism does not aware of this monetized or academic ver- allow an equal sharing of resources be- sion of harassment. This may also sensi- tween black and white workers and/or stu- tize them to a real commonality between dents. Although black women have not sexual harassment and sexual availability. historically been as dependent on black Given this, the black woman may more de- men as white women have been on white men, cisively make this distinction, however they, too, are subject to power games that the reality is packaged. Thus, they may men play. They are perhaps more disad- be radically less tolerant of the situa- vantaged as they enter the job market or tion than white women. academic community under the "double jeop- ardy" of being both black and female. Because black women have historically been Black males at least enter being male. faced with fighting both racism and sex- ism, (although the two issues were cooper- This double jeopardy puts the black woman ative in the 1860's), their experience is in a particular bind with respect to sex- invaluable in the fight to eradicate ual harassment. As blacks, they are more sexual harassment in jobs and schools - f' ',, ' ~. 'l<« $"." ·,,. 2 alike. It is unfortunate that the women's Maggie Kuhn ?rovides an excellent role f :t movement has been primarily a "white, model for women of all ages. The 74 year middle-class" action rather than one that old "wrinkled radical" vividly conveys involves women of all ages, races, and her enthusiasm for life, activism for so- social classes. For black women, they cial change, and involvement in issues will not be equal until affirmative action affecting women. Recently, she presented is taken in both racial and sexual mat- the Norman Thomas Memorial Lecture and ters. And although white women have not Honors Colloquium at OSU - ~Marion Campus. experienced racism, they too have experi- enced discrimination based on something "I should tell you right away that I am a } . over:_ which they have no control. In feminist and have been for many years," this capacity, they can at least offer she says. " My mother's oldest sister was sympathetic support, and at most take active in the women's movement of that day positive action against racism. In light in western New York. She told me lots of of the fact that February was Black His- things about her own life that made me tr tory month, it is time for both black and quite angry with the whole situation. I white wome~ tb assess the fallacy that the went to a college for women - Flora Stone women's movement is just for white women, Mother College (now Case Western Reserve and that the black movement is of concern University). I am very proud that I went only to bl'ack persons. It is time to to a women's school. Being instructed by merge the groups again, so that eliminat- women who were teachers and scholars ing both sexism and racism can be a real- taught me that I had a head and I had an ·~ ity rather than ideal It is not possible opportunity to use it." to do it separately. Maggie, now a retired racial relations Cynthia is a graduate assistant with the worker for the Presbyterian Church, has Office of Affirmative Action on the Miami been actively involved in reform organi- r,,· University Campus. She is doing graduate zations throughout her lifetime. Most work in the area of Environmental Science. recently, she faced mandatory retirement and "was not pleased with the prospect." This article first appeared in the Women's She and four of her friends, who were also Resource Center Newsletter, February, nearing retirement, joined forces to see 1980, Miami University. what they could do about the situation. They found new freedom as they were re- leased from their jobs. As Maggie says, "We (old people) have nothing to lose." Led by Maggie's deep sense of justice and human worth, the friends formed an action group and called it "The Consultation of Older and Younger Adults for Social Change. 11 Not long after the Consultation was established, the media dubbed it the "Gray Panthers" in recognition of the group's radical actions and dramatic techniques. The name was officially adopted by the group in 1971. According to Kuhn, ''We (Gray Panthers) are a coalition of people of different ages and we're not into 'old folks' issues. We're a radical group. We are very much concerned with basic social change and the movement of a whole society for jus- tice and humanness, and away from the military posture that we have had all along. We, as Gray Panthers, feel that no disadvantaged group, Black people, 3 Chicano people, aged people, Indian peo- less. We think that we ought to be ple, women, will get a fair shake unless moving in the direction of stressing not there are basic social changes - unless at this moment the equity factor as much we move in the direction of a democratic as the adequacy factor. We also think socialism." that somehow there has to be some formula for rewarding wives and mothers for the "We have socialism all over the place," goods and services that they've created. Kuhn adds. " The Defense Department is Their work is not part of the gross na- the most socialized thing in the whole tional product but it ought to be. country, the whole world. So is the Veteran's Administration. We've got so- "Compared with younger persons, older cialized medicine available for every mem- persons are not well off, and our chances ber of Congress, every member of the armed of being poor are 50% greater for the forces, all the veterans. Do you realize elderly than other age brackets. In 1974, that? It's good information to know. You one sixth or 3.3 million of all older can fire back at people who say, 'Well, persons (citizens over 65) lived in house- that's communism.' Well, if its communist holds with incomes below the official to be drafted and fight in Uncle Sam's poverty levels," Kuhn continues. "Many Army and have the benefit of the Veter- women happen to be poor because of our an's Administration, then you're a commun- inadequate pension and social security ist. Praise the Lord." systems." Kuhn has been interested recently in the Kuhn is also interested in working with extent to which women in our society are displaced homemakers. "I've had several "survivors." She notes, "We greatly out- students in the last few years who have number men in our later years. For every been older women who have divorced their hundred men who live to the ages 6~ - 68, husbands or their husbands have walked there are 130 women, and that imbalance out on them and they have no source of shows everyday. we· cioi'.i•t know whether it's income. The traumas that they have gone hormonal, lifestyle or role, but -there is through trying to find money even to stay a difference in Western society." This in school!" She is pleased to see that interest in women as survivors has prompt- "Ohio has legislat'.ion to help displaced ed research into the area of social se- homemakers find jobs, and tell them about curity benefits for women. 'reentry' things they can do in terms of getting jobs and going to school." Tish Summers, a fellow Gray Panther, has written a "gray paper," "Social Security: Kuhn and Tish Summers are also working Adequacy and Equity for Older Women." together on a "very special project.