Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

The Fight to End Abusive Behavior Towards Black Women
Ken Morgan
22 Nov 2017
🖨️ Print Article
The Fight to End Abusive Behavior Towards Black Women
The Fight to End Abusive Behavior Towards Black Women

“To bury Black women’s oppression embodied in Black oppression once and for all, we need to transform society.”

Sexual assault, domestic violence, and the like represent facets of women’s oppression. Black women get extra doses. Capitalism’s culture continues to connect to dehumanizing women’s bodies, inferior social women’s status, and looking at women as a commodity.

Women speaking out through social media continue to flush out public figures that sexually harassed and abused women. Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, Republican senatorial candidate Ray Moore and U.S. Democrat Senator Al Franken all have been accused of some form of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassing and abusive behavior take place in the black community as well. Bill Cosby, John Singleton, and Clarence Thomas’s alleged offenses come to mind. In the case of politics or the workplace or the family, or friends, it often comes from an abusive male-dominated power over females connected to capitalism. The workplace is one key venue.

Under capitalism, women are often disbelieved when they charge sexual harassment, behavior, or abuse. Yes, we should believe women. Accusing someone does not mean that the person is guilty.

We need not wipe away hard fought gains that provide a chance for the accused to defend themselves or to face their accusers in the courts of law. Black people continue to fight against kangaroo courts, the “just us” system, and racist stereotypes.

“Women are often disbelieved when they charge sexual harassment, behavior, or abuse.”

Too often black men were accused of raping white women and lynched. The Scottsboro boys’ drama stands out as a classic case. Too often, Black woman were disbelieved, whether men were white, black or green.

No entity or persons should present themselves as judge, prosecutor, and jury. Advocate the presumption of innocence.

Women’s oppression existed before capitalism. Mark the beginning of class society as a starting point. Believe it or not, classes did not always exist as anthropologists such as Lewis Morgan put forth. Friedrich Engels based his writings of The Origin the Family, Private Property, and the State on Lewis Morgan’s premise.

Primitive societies that saw no difference between women and men as equals. In other words, no women’s oppression existed. Factually, women headed wise councils that predated the beginning of class society.

Yes. We need to continue to fight against the sexually abusive behavior. We need to fight for women’s equal pay with men. We need to fight for the right of women to control their bodies.

To bury Black women’s oppression embodied in Black oppression once and for all, we need to transform society. Eliminate profit and greed. Base society on human need and equality. Equally share the wealth.

Grace Campbell and Claudia Jones know what I mean.

Dr. Morgan is a Black, and internationalist activist and scholar. He can be reached at kmorgan2408@comcast.net.

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • Trump Derangement Syndrome Returns
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Trump Derangement Syndrome Returns
    17 Aug 2022
    Why would Black people laud the FBI or criticize protection against self-incrimination? The FBI search of Donald Trump's home has reawakened Trump Derangement Syndrome.
  • ESSAY AND PETITION: Massacre at Attica, The Black Panther Intercommunal News Service, 1971
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    ESSAY AND PETITION: Massacre at Attica, The Black Panther Intercommunal News Service, 1971
    17 Aug 2022
    ​​​​​​​To commemorate Black August and in memory of the forty-two men massacred during the September 13, 1971 Attica Prison uprising we reproduce below an essay and petition from The Black Panther…
  • …and who paid for the raid?
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    …and who paid for the raid?
    17 Aug 2022
                                                         
  • BAR Book Forum: Tanya Katerí Hernández’s Book, “Racial Innocence”
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Tanya Katerí Hernández’s Book, “Racial Innocence”
    17 Aug 2022
    This week’s featured author is Tanya Katerí Hernández. Hernández is the Archibald R. Murray Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law. Her book is Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-…
  • The City Has Failed University City Townhome Residents. They Should Pay For It — Literally
    Ernest Owens
    The City Has Failed University City Townhome Residents. They Should Pay For It — Literally
    17 Aug 2022
    The traumatizing clearing of the University City Townhome encampment in West Philadelphia symbolizes the ongoing racial injustice of gentrification. One solution: The city should buy the…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us