History of the Combahee River Collective
The Combahee River Collective first met in 1974. During “second-wave” feminism, many black feminists felt that the Women’s Liberation Movement was defined by and paid exclusive attention to white, middle-class women. The Combahee River Collective was a group of black feminists who wanted to clarify their place in the politics of feminism.
The Combahee River Collective held meetings and retreats throughout the 1970s. They attempted to develop a black feminist ideology and explore the shortcomings of “mainstream” feminism’s focus on sex and gender oppression above all other types of discrimination.
Influences
The name of the Collective comes from the Combahee River Raid of June 1863, which was led by Harriet Tubman and freed hundreds of slaves. The 1970s black feminists commemorated a significant historical event and a black feminist leader by selecting this name.
The Combahee River Collective can be compared to the philosophy of Frances E.W. Harper, a highly educated 19th-century feminist who insisted on defining herself as a black American first and a woman second.
The Combahee River Collective Statement
The Combahee River Collective Statement was issued in 1982. The statement is an important piece of feminist theory and description of black feminism. It includes the following points:
- The Combahee River Collective is committed to fighting race, sex, and class oppression.
- As black feminists, members struggle alongside black men to fight racism, but against black men to fight sexism<./li>
- If black women were free, everyone would be free, because that would mean all systems of oppression had been destroyed.
- The Collective would continue to examine politics, including racism in white women’s feminism.
- The members believe in the organization of work to benefit workers instead of bosses.