Response to Dowdy's Black Women and Literacy

"Free at last! Free at Last! Thank God Almighty, we're free at last?!" http://blackwomansliteracy.com/. Web. 7 Sep 2010. <http://blackwomansliteracy0.blogspot.com/>.


In Black Women and Literature, Dowdy starts off by stating society’s view of the black women. In society’s eyes; “The Black women represents strength and endurance, yet she also represents what we consider to be at risk and poverty” (pg. 15). She may be considered poor because, “she has been and remains a member of the underclass”(15). This may be due to the fact that she has not taken full advantage of her ability to be literate. Dowdy then goes on and talks about the perspective of black women and literacy throughout history. She states how many of the writings refer to women and literacy but don’t mention black females, only white ones. She includes obstacles that black women have had to go through just to become educated. For example, the school hours were held early in the morning, due to society’s views of her being domestic, and needed to raise a family. Why was it that “educated and Black women and marriage were not compatible?” (18). This was because society wanted the black woman to chose between becoming educated in order to better herself or being married which was normal for her in society. Dowdy then goes on to talk about the effort black women took in order to become more literate, including developing programs to tend to their needs.


What do the black women have to do to change the way others view their relationship with literacy? Literacy does not mean to just read and write. There are multiple things that black women can be considered literate in. As Dowdy writes, “Black women must continue to place themselves in positions that challenge and improve the existing social order. No longer should they remain silent; rather they must speak out, act out, and effect change” (21). I agree with this statement because the only way change can take place is if black women speak up for themselves. We must challenge what society says is our place. Yet it is our job to continue what society tells us is our historical place, taking care of the home and children, or is that is not our place at all today?

We must stick together and prove that we are capable of doing anything that men are able to do. We must continue to, “epitomize the image of what Black women endured to become” (16). Women like Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth defied the expectations society placed on them; so we shouldn’t let their work and suffering go to waste.


Works Cited

Dowdy, Jonne. Readersof the Quilt. Cresskill NJ: Hampton Press, 2005.


"Free at last! Free at Last! Thank God Almighty, we're free at last?!" http://blackwomansliteracy.com/. Web. 7 Sep 2010. <http://blackwomansliteracy0.blogspot.com/>.