Collins feels a dissatisfaction with current feminist because it is assumed by and dominated by white upper/middle class women who have already worked their way into a higher landscape. The current school of thought does not allow for consideration of intersecting oppressed groups. Collins draws on institutional racism to outline common challenges in order to define the black feminist standpoint. A standpoint is composed of your views and knowledge, what is considered valued knowledge is location specific. Those who have a front row standpoint believe that knowledge from the back row is irrelevant.
The diverse responses to common challenges within black feminism begins with segregation and the “struggle to survive”. Different experiential knowledge from these experiences develop, there is no single standpoint. Collins believes that black feminist practice and thought relies on a dialogical relationship; changes in beliefs lead to changed action and that altered experiences may promote a changed consciousness. She writes that this “affirms, rearticulates, and provides a vehicle for expressing”.
Collins stresses the importance of experiential knowledge and higher education; she finishes the piece by expressing the necessities for dialogical practices and black women intellectuals. Social justice projects need to be adaptable and as social conditions change knowledge/practices need to keep up. As advancements are made individuals need to become aware of new challenges and potential difficulties. U.S. black feminism and other social justice projects must be mindful of their relationship to other social justice projects due to the interconnectedness or human rights and empowerment.
