We are often taught we have no control over our “feelings.” Yet most of us accept that we choose our actions, that intention and will inform what we … - bell hooks

When feminists acknowledge in one breath that black women are victimized and in the same breath emphasize their strength, they imply that though black women are oppressed they manage to circumvent the damaging impact of oppression by being strong — and that is simply not the case. Usually, when people talk about the “strength” of black women they are referring to the way in which they perceive black women coping with oppression. They ignore the reality that to be strong in the face of oppression is not the same as overcoming oppression, that endurance is not to be confused with transformation.

To counter the fixation on a rhetoric of victimhood, black folks must engage in a discourse of self-determination.

The soul of our politics is the commitment to ending domination.