Abstract
This study explores how three Black women – Angela Davis, Nina Simone, and Audre Lorde – influenced the idea of self-definition during the Black Power Era. This thesis describes how each of these women stressed their own identities to others. Angela Davis emphasizes this through her experiences in prison and with violence, Nina Simone through her music, and Audre Lorde through her literature, particularly poetry. Both primary and secondary sources such as song lyrics, essays, and interviews were used to further examine Throughout history, Black women have had little say over how they view themselves because of how they have been defined by white society. Often subjected to numerous stereotypes, this group has been faced with difficulties of defining themselves in a language that is central to their own oppression. The ideas created by these Black women were also displayed through their contributions to the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements. The thesis concludes with the idea that because of how Davis, Simone, and Lorde contributed a great deal to these movements, Black women in today’s society have followed their lead, contributing to movements, such as #BlackLivesMatter.
Advisor
King, Shannon
Department
History
Recommended Citation
Williams, Grace, ""If I Didn't Define for Myself, I Would be Crunched into Other People's Fantasies of Me and Eaten Alive." An Exploration of how Angela Davis, Nina Simone, and Audre Lorde Influenced the Notion of Self-Definition During the Black Power Era" (2018). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 8190.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/8190
Disciplines
Inequality and Stratification | Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | United States History | Women's History
Publication Date
2018
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2018 Grace Williams