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When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America by Paula J. Giddings
jocelynw's review against another edition
5.0
The whole book is compelling and illuminating, but the chapters on the Moynihan Report and the failure of Shirley Chisolm's presidential campaign and the ERA are worth the price of admission alone.
litgirlliv's review against another edition
3.0
I learned leaps and bounds about Black women's contributions to enfranchisement and general racial and gender equality from reading this book, but I stress this text is WORK. It took me two months to consume. Paula Giddings is an impressive historian and this text is RICH with information so much so that I'm tempted to classify it as history more so than literature: the number of activists and organizations named is overwhelming, narrations rather than arguments seem to shape each chapter, and there are so many small details. Honestly, it's just a dense read. The last chapter does a lot of work in summing up the text and advancing a clear argument. (I really appreciated that.) But what I learned from this book, I wouldn't have learned anywhere else.
Lastly, Paula Giddings, my soror, is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and paid our early sorors, including Mary Church Terrell, Ida B. Wells, Mary McCleod Bethune, Margaret Murray Washington, Dorothy Height, Sadie T.M. Alexander, and Shirley Chislom, so much respect. Of course numerous women of other sororities are also featured: Anna Julia Cooper, Constance Baker Motley, Zora Neale Hurston etc. These inclusions further enriched my reading experience and made the work all the more worthwhile.
For a better reading experience, I would suggest picking up this book with the full intention to chip away at it over time.
Lastly, Paula Giddings, my soror, is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and paid our early sorors, including Mary Church Terrell, Ida B. Wells, Mary McCleod Bethune, Margaret Murray Washington, Dorothy Height, Sadie T.M. Alexander, and Shirley Chislom, so much respect. Of course numerous women of other sororities are also featured: Anna Julia Cooper, Constance Baker Motley, Zora Neale Hurston etc. These inclusions further enriched my reading experience and made the work all the more worthwhile.
For a better reading experience, I would suggest picking up this book with the full intention to chip away at it over time.
karschmidtholloway's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic, should be required reading in high schools. And this topic would be a valuable part of any college education. (Although discussion of the oppression faced and accomplishments made by lgbtqia+/disabled/etc black women is glaringly absent.) I shouldn't be just learning these things in my late twenties. It's time US society woke up and acknowledged the most monumental changes in its history weren't made by white men.
beverleefernandez's review against another edition
5.0
This is definite must read! When & Where I Enter is a comprehensive account of the impact race & gender play in African American women's lives. Some things that are particularly compelling are 1- the act of resistance in slavery. For whatever reason, it is assumed that enslaved people didn't rebel against their forced servitude. Giddings outlines several accounts of black women fighting, by acts that resulted in murder or by suing for freedom in the court. This is why "slaves movies" are important. It's not about feeling angry to see your ancestors treated as less than human. It's about remembrance, knowing that we must not be complacent in our relative comfort.
2- the definition of womanhood. You would think this is an obvious similarity shared by black & white women...no. Giddings explains that as far back as 1865, black women fought to not be forced to labor in the fields & in the home. The cult of true womanhood has never applied to black women & we have essentially always had some degree of feminist behavior. Fast forward to the Moynihan Report & the reason for the destruction of black families is black women are too assertive & do not allow black men to dominate them...wow.
I could go on & on, but I will simply close with this book is as relevant now as it was in 1984. It's difficult to fight a war without knowing what you're fighting & why. Black women are skilled at playing multiple roles simultaneously & I am proud to be a part of the group.
2- the definition of womanhood. You would think this is an obvious similarity shared by black & white women...no. Giddings explains that as far back as 1865, black women fought to not be forced to labor in the fields & in the home. The cult of true womanhood has never applied to black women & we have essentially always had some degree of feminist behavior. Fast forward to the Moynihan Report & the reason for the destruction of black families is black women are too assertive & do not allow black men to dominate them...wow.
I could go on & on, but I will simply close with this book is as relevant now as it was in 1984. It's difficult to fight a war without knowing what you're fighting & why. Black women are skilled at playing multiple roles simultaneously & I am proud to be a part of the group.
valkyriejmu's review against another edition
4.0
I read this eons ago (in fact, my paperback is an earlier edition with a different cover) but I recall being so impressed with it that I found it difficult to put down.
amandateal's review
5.0
I absolutely loved When and Where I Enter. I've had this book for a while and I'm glad I finally picked it back up. Giddings gives an extensive history on black women in America starting from slavery until the 1980's. I learned some names and historical events that I wasn't aware of before. Great read.
stacie_w_books's review
4.0
Everything has a historical context. It’s important to understand and recognize that fact. All of the movements we’re seeing today have a historical context. We’ll take the Women’s March for example. There was quite a bit of criticism leveled at the Women’s March because of its approach to intersectional feminism and what that would mean moving forward. Those criticisms were valid and rooted in the history of women’s movements. This book is a comprehensive look at Black women’s participation in liberation movements throughout the history of the United States. It looks not only at their participation in liberation of women but their participation in the liberation of Black people as a whole. It also stresses that for Black women especially, the fight for equally has meant an assault from all sides. From white women not taking into account the issues important to Black women because they didn’t want to focus on race, to Black men not concerning themselves with the uplifting of Black women in the fight and in many instances asking women to give up their independence in order for the man to have dominance.
I thought Giddings did a great job in structuring this book and in providing context for the information provided. The information is provided chronologically, which I found to be extremely helpful. In my opinion it’s important to understand where you’ve been in order to appreciate where you’re going. Diggings decision to provide everything chronologically made sense. Especially when patterns became obvious that regardless of the strides that had been made some of the same biases rear their ugly heads as time passes. This book as a whole does a great job of highlighting the work of Black women throughout history in many different forms and fashion. It takes a comprehensively look at the work that has been done and at the time of its original printing in the 1980s, the work that still needs to be done. If you’re at all interested in the history of Black women and the work they’ve put in towards equality then this book is a great introduction. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
I thought Giddings did a great job in structuring this book and in providing context for the information provided. The information is provided chronologically, which I found to be extremely helpful. In my opinion it’s important to understand where you’ve been in order to appreciate where you’re going. Diggings decision to provide everything chronologically made sense. Especially when patterns became obvious that regardless of the strides that had been made some of the same biases rear their ugly heads as time passes. This book as a whole does a great job of highlighting the work of Black women throughout history in many different forms and fashion. It takes a comprehensively look at the work that has been done and at the time of its original printing in the 1980s, the work that still needs to be done. If you’re at all interested in the history of Black women and the work they’ve put in towards equality then this book is a great introduction. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
gaianrena's review
4.0
This is a must have reference book for those seeking historical perspective on Black Women throughout the history of the antebellum south and beyond.
ardinareads's review
5.0
Such an incredible book! Covering history from the 1890s to late 1970s, specifically centering Black women’s role and achievements in the movements that have defined and influenced laws and practices in the US. My only lament is I wish it could extend to the present (obviously not a true criticism as this book was published in the 80s), but I hope to learn more about 80s to present through other work.
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