The topic of race is tough to cover in any forum, but felt especially strained in our class’ discussion, due to the fact that the majority of conversation in class is from the white perspective. What we covered in class is that women, black women in particular, find it difficult to fit into many “scenes”, which are dominated by men. What most people get out of being a member of a subculture is a feeling of belonging, which is difficult to find when you’re a member of the minority in a culture. This feeling of not quite belonging is what led to the creation of the riot grrrl culture, where being feminine and being punk were not mutually exclusive. The fact remains, however, that most of the girls involved in that scene were white. The feeling we got from the readings was that this left black women with no scene to call their own, as they felt excluded from all cultures due to either their race or their gender. Of course, our opinion is part of the white perspective, which proved to cause some strife in our class discussion. Still, even if we aren’t part of this marginalized group of women, can’t we question why it is that black women don’t have a specific subculture that belongs only to them?
We can certainly question it! I think what it really comes down to is a chain of effects. Firstly, as we have talked about in our discussions, subcultures are often participated in when people can "afford" to be a part of them. This includes monetary costs that could be associated with the group, as well as time, access to resources, and other life obligations. I also think, in this case specifically, we talked about how "race trumps all" for Black women. I really detest this theory because it creates singularity for our identities which is simply unrealistic. There are many sides to our personalities. With this being the case, Black women were not provoked or supported to create a group for themselves in the way that we've seen many groups do. I think this causes the chain of effect, with generation after generation of women not seeing a possibility to participate in a certain group, or being encouraged to do so, and therefore being stigmatized when they do decide to participate. However, when I think about groups of Black women that I know, I see that often, while their friendships are based on many different interests and activities, they do feel aware of their blackness in a way that is uniting and supportive. Sure, they aren't goths, or punks but they create supportive networks through their racial identity that function just as a subculture might.
ReplyDeleteFrom my perspective as a Black female, the "race trumps all" theory does have some relevance. Race is often a more salient barrier than gender. I would argue that there is currently more equality between men and women in our society, than there is between Blacks and the White majority in terms of access to resources and potential for social mobility. That being said, Shailer makes a really good point. Many Blacks, because of our minority designation, are more connected with our racial identity. Awareness of Blackness and Black female struggles serve as a uniting force among Black women, providing many of the same benefits as a subculture without the formal structure.
ReplyDeleteIt's important to note that it takes time and energy to actively participate in a subculture. Because Black women are often "holding down the fort" in providing the majority of emotional and financial support for their families, they may be too preoccupied to search for a subculture to join. However, I wouldn't say that there are no Black female specific subcultures. There are just no well known ones. For example, one of my good friends is a lesbian and she would assert that there is definitely a Black lesbian subculture .