Blackness
In the White society, the black color is used as a symbol of savagness and the images of black females as wild beasts and animal like creatures are so prevalent that they assist in maintaining the prejudice against them. The symbolization of black women as uncivilized humans aids the dominant group in continuing the oppression and their subordinate status. The symbol of savageness is used to make the treatment of black women appear as normal and natural. The whites use this symbol as a justification for their exploitation of black women. The females of color are attributed as ‘mammy’, which depict them as defeminized blacks, ‘matriarch’ which demonstrates economically unfit beings or ‘hoochie’ which represents them as hypersexual black women. Because of the association of these qualities with black women, their oppression, though in fact unjustifiable, is depicted as justifiable.
Whiteness
White skin color has been employed as a symbol of civilization, and the Whites are regarded as the most civilized people. The author has reinforced this symbol by contrasting it with blackness. The whites enjoy all the privileges of life due to belonging to a race which is considered as civilized and sophisticated; white females are given an eminent position in society and they work in higher offices, while black women are relegated to the periphery. The blacks are persecuted because of the lack of whiteness in them. The white people possess the authority of even naming the black people because of their symbolic importance. Black women resisted the naming by the civilized group and demonstrated their own consciousness or self-definition. This consciousness is considered as illegitimate by the whites and they provide all the necessary justifications for their behaviors with the black females.
Absence of Black Feminist Voice
Another recurrent motif in the book is the absence of black feminist voice in Feminism. The author has stated at several points that white feminism does not include the problems of black women and their issues have been ignored. Collins says, ‘Ironically, Western feminisms have also suppressed Black women’s ideas.’ Although feminism seems to be the torch bearer of the rights of females but the black women is still deprived of its rights owing to the absence of the fight for their rights in feminism. In fact, the feminists suppress their voices and compel them to keep quiet.
Oppression
The most recurrent motif in the book is the oppression of black women both by the white society and the feminist thought in America. They are treated brutally by White men and the females also show derogatory attitudes. Their voices are suppressed and they are not allowed to speak of the oppression that they encounter on daily basis in their offices, public places etc. Furthermore, Collins says, ‘we have not been full participants in White feminist organizations.’ The black women’s problems are ignored by western feminists and they are not raised by the international organizations. They are held responsible for their own persecution by the whites and their exploitation is considered as normal. The author has reiterated that ‘Traditionally, many U.S. White feminist scholars have resisted having Black women as full colleagues.’ The black females only get the jobs of house servants and even in that job they are not paid by their masters. Their views are ignored and they are not given a proper place in society.
