Black Feminism
The most prevalent theme in the book is black feminism which has been considered as different from white feminism. According to the author, the white feminism does not include the problems faced by black women in their everyday lives and especially in their workplaces. Collins has demonstrated the oppression faced by black women in US and the problems regarding choosing between their identity as a woman or as an African American person. They are compelled to show their solidarity with either their identity as a female or an Afro-American. They are depicted as ‘mammy’, ‘matriarch’ or ‘hoochie.’ They are blamed for their own problems and are considered as either having no erotic passions or only focusing on their sexuality. Their experiences are tormenting because they are not considered a part of white society. Collins has propounded the theme of black feminism by giving an account of the life experiences of black women in American society in general and her own experiences in particular. She asserts, ‘For many African-American women, racism is not something that exists in the distance. We encounter racism in everyday situations in workplaces, stores, schools, housing, and daily social interaction.’
Dialogical Relationship
Another important theme in the book is to make people aware of dialogical relationship. Collins has put much emphasis on experiential knowledge and the necessity of variation in beliefs and consequently change in actions. She states that when experiences are changed it may lead to altered consciousness. The change in beliefs and eventually the change in consciousness have been defined as dialogical relationship. According to the author, the diversity in experiences provides a vehicle, reaffirms and re-articulates the expression. She states that there is a necessity of black women intellectuals to make people aware of new challenges and the potential difficulties regarding them. The black feminism should stay in contact with other projects of social justice owing to the interlinking of empowerment and human rights.
Activism
The oppression of women of color and the resulting resistance or activism is another theme in the book. Collins has demonstrated the ways in which black women tackle the problems of racism and sexism. The oppression compels them to live as ‘outsider-within.’ They are relegated to the lower level jobs while white females work in higher institutions. Despite of working for the upper-class whites as domestic workers, the black women remained active and observed their surroundings as outsiders. The author has urged the black women to rebel against their suppression in a society which is dominated by the whites. In order to demonstrate this, the author has alluded towards the activism of black women in the fields of music, poetry and literature.
