Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around

Description

Silver Winner, 2014 ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year Award in the Women's Studies Category
2015 Lambda Literary Award in Lesbian Memoir/Biography presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation
2015 Judy Grahn Award for Lesbian Nonfiction presented by the Publishing Triangle

As an organizer, writer, publisher, scholar-activist, and elected official, Barbara Smith has played key roles in multiple social justice movements, including Civil Rights, feminism, lesbian and gay liberation, anti-racism, and Black feminism. Her four decades of grassroots activism forged collaborations that introduced the idea that oppression must be fought on a variety of fronts simultaneously, including gender, race, class, and sexuality. By combining hard-to-find historical documents with new unpublished interviews with fellow activists, this book uncovers the deep roots of today's "identity politics" and "intersectionality" and serves as an essential primer for practicing solidarity and resistance.
List of Illustrations
Foreword by Robin D. G. Kelley
Preface by Barbara Smith
Acknowledgments

1. Chronicling an Activist Life

Virginia Eubanks and Alethia Jones

2. Home Grown: Early Roots of Activism

Roots of Beloved Community
Barbara Smith, “Interview by Loretta Ross,” Voices of Feminism Oral History Project (Smith and Ross 2003)
Interview with Barbara Ransby
“Klunder, Bruce W.,” The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History (1997)
Interview with Barbara Ransby

College Life and Activism
Barbara Smith, “Interview by Loretta Ross,” Voices of Feminism Oral History Project (Smith and Ross 2003)
Interviews with Barbara Ransby, Matt Richardson, and Alethia Jones

What Would It Mean to Be a Lesbian?
Barbara Smith, “Interview by Loretta Ross,” Voices of Feminism Oral History Project (Smith and Ross 2003)
“Taking the Home Out of Homophobia: Black Lesbian Health,” Jewelle Gomez and Barbara Smith (1990)
Barbara Smith, “Interview by Loretta Ross,” Voices of Feminism Oral History Project (Smith and Ross 2003)

3. Building Black Feminism

A New Era of Black Feminism
Interview with Virginia Eubanks
National Black Feminist Organization Statement of Purpose, National Black Feminist Organization (1973)
The Combahee River Collective Statement, Combahee River Collective ([1977], 1979)
Interviews with Kimberly Springer, Barbara Ransby, Alethia Jones, and Virginia Eubanks

Black Feminist Organizing Tactics
“Black Feminism: A Movement of Our Own,” Barbara Smith ([1984], 1997)
“Who Is Killing Us,” Terrion Williamson (2012)
Interview with Kimberly Springer

Building Linkages across Difference
“Face-to-Face, Day-to-Day—Racism CR [Consciousness Raising] Guidelines for Women’s Groups,” Tia Cross, Freada Klein, Barbara Smith, and Beverly Smith (1979)
“Breaking the Silence: A Conversation in Black and White,” Laura Sperazi (1978)
Interview with Virginia Eubanks

Unfinished Business
“Establishing Black Feminism,” Barbara Smith (2000)
“African American Women in Defense of Ourselves,” Elsa Barkley Brown, Deborah K. King, and Barbara Ransby
“Black Women Still in Defense of Ourselves,” Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw (2011)
Interviews with Kimberly Springer, Virginia Eubanks, and Alethia Jones

4. Building Black Women’s Studies

More Than Academic
“Doing Research on Black American Women, or; All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave,” Barbara Smith (1975)
“The Politics of Black Women’s Studies,” Gloria Hull and Barbara Smith (1982)
“‘Beautiful, Needed, Mysterious’: Review of Sala by Toni Morrison,” Barbara Smith (1974)
Interview with Beverly Guy-Sheftall

“Irrevocable Acts”: Navigating Dangerous Waters
“Black Women Writers and Feminism: Toward a Black Feminist Criticism” (Bowles 1979)
“Black Women Writers and Feminism Questions & Answer Session” (Bowles 1979)
Interview with Beverly Guy-Sheftall

Truth Telling in the Academy
“Racism and Women’s Studies,” Barbara Smith (1980)
Interview with Virginia Eubanks

5. Building Kitchen Table Press

Black in Print
“Black Women and Publishing,” Modern Language Association Commission on the Status of Women in the Profession (1976)
“Our Stories: Women of Color,” Barbara Smith (1984)
Interview with Matt Richa

Sujets

• Regional
• Activism
• Region
• Ethnic studies

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 novembre 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781438451169
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

AIN’T GONNA LET NOBODY TURN ME AROUND
SUNY series in New Political Science
Bradley J. Macdonald, editor
AIN’T GONNA LET NOBODY TURN ME AROUND

Forty Years of Movement Building with
BARBARA SMITH
Edited by
Alethia Jones
and
Virginia Eubanks
with
Barbara Smith
Cover photo of Barbara Smith by Vicki Smith.
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2014 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
www.sunypress.edu
Production by Ryan Morris
Marketing by Fran Keneston
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith / Alethia Jones and Virginia Eubanks, eds., with Barbara Smith
ISBN 978-1-4384-5115-2 (hc : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4384-5114-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4384-5116-9 (ebook)
2014947017
0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
From Alethia
For my mother, grandmother, and Angela and the sacrifices they made. For my sister, Tamara, if only …
From Virginia
For my second family, the feminist activist community of the Capital Region of New York, for their integrity, fearlessness, and compassion.
From Barbara
For my sister, Beverly, and everyone who takes a stand for justice.
Contents


List of Illustrations
Foreword by Robin D. G. Kelley
Preface by Barbara Smith
Acknowledgments
1. Chronicling an Activist Life
Virginia Eubanks and Alethia Jones
2. Home Grown: Early Roots of Activism
Roots of Beloved Community
• Barbara Smith, “Interview by Loretta Ross,” Voices of Feminism Oral History Project (Smith and Ross 2003)
• Interview with Barbara Ransby
• Box: “Klunder, Bruce W.,” The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History (1997)
College Life and Activism
• Barbara Smith, “Interview by Loretta Ross,” Voices of Feminism Oral History Project (Smith and Ross 2003)
• Interviews with Barbara Ransby, Matt Richardson, and Alethia Jones
What Would It Mean to Be a Lesbian?
• Barbara Smith, “Interview by Loretta Ross,” Voices of Feminism Oral History Project (Smith and Ross 2003)
• “Taking the Home Out of Homophobia: Black Lesbian Health,” Jewelle Gomez and Barbara Smith (1990)
• Barbara Smith, “Interview by Loretta Ross,” Voices of Feminism Oral History Project (Smith and Ross 2003)
3. Building Black Feminism
A New Era of Black Feminism
• Interview with Virginia Eubanks
• “National Black Feminist Organization Statement of Purpose,” National Black Feminist Organization (1973)
• “The Combahee River Collective Statement,” Combahee River Collective ([1977] 1979)
• Interviews with Kimberly Springer, Barbara Ransby, Alethia Jones, and Virginia Eubanks
Black Feminist Organizing Tactics
• “Black Feminism: A Movement of Our Own,” Barbara Smith ([1984] 1997)
• “Who Is Killing Us,” Terrion Williamson (2012)
• Interview with Kimberly Springer
Building Linkages across Difference
• “Face-to-Face, Day-to-Day—Racism CR [Consciousness Raising] Guidelines for Women’s Groups,” Tia Cross, Freada Klein, Barbara Smith, and Beverly Smith (1979)
• “Breaking the Silence: A Conversation in Black and White,” Laura Sperazi (1978)
• Interview with Virginia Eubanks
Unfinished Business
• “Establishing Black Feminism,” Barbara Smith (2000)
• Box: “African American Women in Defense of Ourselves,” Elsa Barkley Brown, Deborah K. King, and Barbara Ransby (1991)
• “Black Women Still in Defense of Ourselves,” Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw (2011)
• Interviews with Kimberly Springer, Virginia Eubanks, and Alethia Jones
4. Building Black Women’s Studies
More Than Academic
• “Doing Research on Black American Women, or; All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave,” Barbara Smith (1975)
• “The Politics of Black Women’s Studies,” Gloria Hull and Barbara Smith (1982)
• “ ‘Beautiful, Needed, Mysterious’: Review of Sula by Toni Morrison,” Barbara Smith (1974)
• Interview with Beverly Guy-Sheftall
“Irrevocable Acts”: Navigating Dangerous Waters
• “Black Women Writers and Feminism: Toward a Black Feminist Criticism” (Bowles 1979)
• “Black Women Writers and Feminism Question Answer Session” (Bowles 1979)
• Interview with Beverly Guy-Sheftall
Truth Telling in the Academy
• “Racism and Women’s Studies,” Barbara Smith (1980)
• Interview with Virginia Eubanks
5. Building Kitchen Table Press
Black in Print
• “Black Women and Publishing,” Modern Language Association Commission on the Status of Women in the Profession (1976)
• “Our Stories: Women of Color,” Barbara Smith (1984)
• Interview with Matt Richardson
Our Books Were Lifelines
• “A Press of Our Own: Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press,” Barbara Smith (1989)
• Interviews with Matt Richardson, Barbara Ransby, and Kimberly Springer
• Box: Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press titles 1983–1992 and The Freedom Organizing Pamphlet Series
The Cost of Independence
• “Packing Boxes and Editing Manuscripts: Women of Color in Feminist Publishing,” Sojourner Editorial Collective (1993)
• Interview with Matt Richardson
6. Building Multi-Issue Movements
Forging Coalitions: Fighting Homophobia, Racism, and Classism
• “Soul on Hold,” Barbara Smith (1985)
• “Blacks and Gays: Healing the Great Divide,” Barbara Smith (1993)
• “Where Has Gay Liberation Gone? An Interview with Barbara Smith,” Amy Gluckman and Betsy Reed (1997)
• “Will People of Color Pay the Price? A Statement by People of Color in Support of the Ad Hoc Committee for an Open Process,” Ted Beck, Mandy Carter, Chandra L. Ford, Kara Keeling, and Barbara Smith (1999)
• “Organizing in Albany: Justice for Diallo,” Barbara Smith (2000)
• Interviews with Joo-Hyun Kang and Kimberly Springer
• Box: “Please Don’t Fan Flames of Bigotry,” Barbara Smith (2011)
• Box: “It’s a Diverse World, and That Includes Sexuality,” Barbara Smith (2011)
• “A New LGBT Politics Seeks to Marry Issues, Not Just People,” Jamilah King (2012)
Embraced by the Black Radical Congress
• “The Struggle Continues: Setting a Black Liberation Agenda for the 21st Century: Call for Participation in the Black Radical Congress,” BRC Organizing Committee (1998)
• “Dialogue between Barbara Smith and Kimberly Springer,” Democracy Now! (1998)
• Box: “Black Radical Congress Principles of Unity,” BRC Organizing Committee (1998)
• Interviews with Barbara Ransby and Alethia Jones
7. Building Progressive Urban Politics
A Movement Builder on the Campaign Trail
• “Black Feminist Activism: My Next Chapter,” Barbara Smith (2012)
• Interviews with Vera “Mike” Michelson and Joo-Hyun Kang
In the Belly of the Beast
• Interviews with Vera “Mike” Michelson, Alethia Jones, and Virginia Eubanks
• Box: Flyer for Albany Neighborhoods First
• Box: “WAMC Commentary on Gun Violence,” Barbara Smith, July 21, 2008
• Box: SNUG rally flyer
• Box: “WAMC Commentary on Education,” Barbara Smith, November 6, 2008
Radical Visions versus Reformist Institutions
• Interviews with Alethia Jones, Vera “Mike” Michelson, Barbara Ransby, and Virginia Eubanks
• Box: Peace and Unity Resolution
• Box: Immigrant Rights Resolution
8. “Took Root, Bore Fruit”: Legacies and Futures of a Black Feminist Life
Sheroes and Foremothers
• Interview with Alexis Pauline Gumbs
• Box: University of Alabama letter from Robin Boylorn
• Box: “Ella’s Daughters’ Seven Sisters Campaign,” Ella’s Daughters (n.d.)
The Legacy of Kitchen Table Press and Black Women’s Studies
• Interview with Alexis Pauline Gumbs
• Box: University of Alabama letter from Lisa C. Moore
• Box: University of Alabama letter from Sheri Davis-Faulkner
The Legacy of Combahee: Identity Politics and Interlocking Oppressions
• Interview with Alexis Pauline Gumbs