FEMINISM AND BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS

Feminism and Black Consciousness

Feminism and Black Consciousness could be said to be two movements which, respectively, the very existence of which would make men feel uncomfortable and whites even threatened.  Hopefully within a year or so, an in-depth study with this theme will be undertaken by the University of the Western Cape, in collaboration with among others Uppsala University. While feminism is becoming a force to reckon with in the West, for example in Sweden, black consciousness has not enjoyed the same keen interest. Being a movement that has risen out of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, it has even been deemed irrelevant in a post-apartheid situation.

It is easy to demonstrate, however, that in Western Europe, for example, racism rather is on the increase than the other way round, and it also seems that the stigma is remaining especially on those who differ in terms of colour, i.e. those who are real dark. Racism is also alive in South Africa very much indeed.

At the same time feminism seems to be most alive where women already have made great advances in terms of their human rights. Again, Sweden is a very good example.

The study will be done in close collaboration with for example the department of women and gender studies and the department of sociology and anthropology at the UWC. The owner of thr study, however, will be the department of religion and theology.

This gives us a theological rationale for the whole study. For example, one could state as a criterion, that all humans are created in the image of God, and for clarity's sake one should also say that man and woman are created in the image of God.

This study will open up new insights with probably far-reaching conclusions. One thing is that the study will cross over different cultural and national borders. It will take into account thinking in the West as well as what transpires in (South) Africa.

Two further comments would be sufficient at this stage. First, one can immediately see that the two movements differ. Women are not men and that has been part of the problem: in order to see justice women have tried just that, trying to become like men. The fact that there are such fundamental differences between the sexes has of course given men an argument for upholding their authority, even as God-given. Here it has, in almost all cultures, been easy to hide behind difference as an excuse for establishing a permanent situation of privilege.

This should not have been so easy when it comes to the relationship between whites and blacks. The whole thing is in fact ridiculous as the only difference in most cases is one of colour of the skin. It should have been easy to eradicate such difference one would have thought, with one stroke of the pen in the law book.

But history shows, also recent South African history, that it is not that easy. In South Africa colour goes together with culture, traditions and even mentalities. It is understandable with such a long history of difference, and yet to many quite astonishing. Now everyone is free to mix with anyone regardless of colour. Twenty years of freedom in South Africa give a different scenario. For example, the vast majority of all South Africans, regardless of racial background, find it detestable that their own daughter would come home with a young man from of another race.

Secondly one should also touch upon the issue of coercion. It is obvious that one has to legislate regarding the rights of all, so that women are treated equal to men and blacks are treated equal to whites. But again, there is a limit to how far you can legislate. You cannot force people to like one another. It would also not be a very good idea to enforce mixed marriages in South Africa, for example.

Here theology comes in as a wonderful assistant. The task is to find ways by which coercion can be bypassed. Theology does open up other venues where there is a possibility of grace, i.e. situations may arise where people feel inspired to go beyond themselves and create new meaningful collaborations, even fellowships. One may here even talk about the possibility of an ecclesiological approach which is to see the church as the vehicle for such change with the underpinning of a new kind of theology of liberation.