“Protection is not in and of itself a bad thing. Patriarchal societies such as ours foster misogyny from which all women need protection. A racist patriarchal society is particularly dangerous for black women. However, protection need not be equated with possession. Of course, until the day arrives when we no longer live in a patriarchal society, women need to be protected from misogyny and paternalism; however, instead of fighting simply to protect women from misogyny, we must all engage in the fight to eradicate patriarchy as well as racism. …Finally, it is one thing to protect an individual so that she may actually live with a greater degree of freedom, that is, make our streets safe so that women may walk alone at night. It is another thing entirely to “protect” someone and in so doing to limit their freedom and mobility. We must be careful to distinguish offers of protection that are made in a context that places limitations on women’s freedom.”
- Farah Jasmine Griffin. 2001. ‘“Ironies of the Saint”: Malcolm X, Black Women, and the Price of Protection.’ in Bettye Collier-Thomas and V. P. Franklin, eds., Sisters in the Struggle: African American in the Civil Rights-Black Power Movement. NYU Press: 217-8. (via james-bliss)
- Farah Jasmine Griffin. 2001. ‘“Ironies of the Saint”: Malcolm X, Black Women, and the Price of Protection.’ in Bettye Collier-Thomas and V. P. Franklin, eds., Sisters in the Struggle: African American in the Civil Rights-Black Power Movement. NYU Press: 217-8. (via james-bliss)