DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Ain't I A Woman? newspapers, June 1970-July 1971

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Ain't I A Woman? newspapers, June 1970-July 1971

1970-11-20 "Ain't I a Woman?" Page 2

Ain’t I A Woman?
	I have been reading copies of your paper and in the October 9th issue there is a double page spread of stories on the Panther Constitutional Convention. The first story written by white women really horrified me at first. Then I read the second story which you credit as a reprint from Come Out where, also a white woman, at the Panther Convention was told by a friend that she came on like “whitey.”
	The first story written is full of racism – only the women writing it weren’t even aware of it. It seemed to me a repetition of the women’s movement when one of the leaders of the organization that worked closely with the abolitionist movement spoke out against “Sambo” after the Emancipation. This woman didn’t have to put down Black people in her anger, but she did it and it was a discrediting affair to the women’s movement.
	A fat lot of good the Emancipation did is recorded in history and one of the big reasons for the calling of the Constitutional Convention.
	I’d like to call your attention to the title of your paper. You know who said it and where it was said. I don’t remember who wrote this in her memoirs – but as she was participating in a rather large meeting she was very upset when Sojourner Truth showed up at this Women’s Convention. Yet, at this convention, Sojourner answered the stupid remarks made by prejudiced males in the most eloquent way. I came across this quote (of whomever this woman was who wrote this in her memoirs) and I copied it out in the notes I was making on another subject – I was so afraid I might never remember where to find it if I ever wanted to – I told my daughter about it – she was 9 or 10 years old then and everytime parts of it were quoted we both used to rejoice.
	My daughter introduced me to copies of your paper in the same way – the title meant Sojourner at the Convention (my daughter is 23 now). So, to read about the Constitutional Convention convened by Black people by racist sounding people in your paper is a hurt I can’t quite describe.
	I think white women are more alert to the Women’s Liberation movement right now. This doesn’t mean the Black women are not with it, there are other political problems where Black people are concerned. I haven’t head of a police shoot-up of a Women’s Liberation office or a Gay Liberation office. Angela Davis was put into solitary confinement on her arrest. Erica has been imprisoned for a year. When the establishment goes after Blacks they go with a vengeance. The writers in the article don’t seem to understand anything of the black people’s problems, not only in the historical sense, the present period, too.
Sophie Wessel

[Begin image description
Inline box contains woodcut image of Sojourner Truth, a Black woman clad in a dress, the style of which is typical of the 1800s. She wears glasses, a cap, and a shawl. Picture is captioned:] SOJOURNER TRUTH, “THE LIBYAN SIBYL”. [To the right of the image is the following quote:] “That man over there say that a woman needs to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helped me into carriages, or over mud puddles, or gives me a best place… And ain’t I a woman? Look at me. Look at my arm! I have plowed and planted and gathered into barns, and no mean could head me… And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man when I could get it, and bear the lash as well.. And ain’t I a woman? I have borned thirteen children and seen them most all sold off into slavery. And when I cried with a mother’s grief, none but Jesus head… And ain’t I a woman?” 
Sojourner Truth: Speech before the Woman’s Rights Convention at Akron, Ohio in 1851.

[hand drawn fist with BAM!]

AIN’T I A WOMAN? is published every three weeks by the Publications Collective of the Iowa City Women’s Liberation Front, P.O. Box 1169, Iowa City, Iowa 52240.

We are a collective of 10 women functioning either as a front for a world wide conspiracy of Radical Lesbians or the house cornfield of the Women’s Movement.

The voice of the Midwest needs to be heard in the Women’s Liberation movement. Ain’t I A Woman? will print without editing any laid-out page from a Midwest (New Mexico thru Ohio) Women’s Liberation group. We would like to encourage other women to start working collectively to avoid elitism and destructive power relationships that pit us against each other. We will send details on deadlines, page size, column length, etc. if you would like.

Send $4.00 for a 1-year subscription to Box 1169 Iowa City, IA 52240. Library or Institutional prices are $15.00. 

If your group wants to receive bundles of AIN’T I A WOMAN?, send 15¢ per copy. Minimum bundle: 20 copies

Page 2
Volume 1 No. 9
Ain’t I

Saving...

Ain’t I A Woman? I have been reading copies of your paper and in the October 9th issue there is a double page spread of stories on the Panther Constitutional Convention. The first story written by white women really horrified me at first. Then I read the second story which you credit as a reprint from Come Out where, also a white woman, at the Panther Convention was told by a friend that she came on like “whitey.” The first story written is full of racism – only the women writing it weren’t even aware of it. It seemed to me a repetition of the women’s movement when one of the leaders of the organization that worked closely with the abolitionist movement spoke out against “Sambo” after the Emancipation. This woman didn’t have to put down Black people in her anger, but she did it and it was a discrediting affair to the women’s movement. A fat lot of good the Emancipation did is recorded in history and one of the big reasons for the calling of the Constitutional Convention. I’d like to call your attention to the title of your paper. You know who said it and where it was said. I don’t remember who wrote this in her memoirs – but as she was participating in a rather large meeting she was very upset when Sojourner Truth showed up at this Women’s Convention. Yet, at this convention, Sojourner answered the stupid remarks made by prejudiced males in the most eloquent way. I came across this quote (of whomever this woman was who wrote this in her memoirs) and I copied it out in the notes I was making on another subject – I was so afraid I might never remember where to find it if I ever wanted to – I told my daughter about it – she was 9 or 10 years old then and everytime parts of it were quoted we both used to rejoice. My daughter introduced me to copies of your paper in the same way – the title meant Sojourner at the Convention (my daughter is 23 now). So, to read about the Constitutional Convention convened by Black people by racist sounding people in your paper is a hurt I can’t quite describe. I think white women are more alert to the Women’s Liberation movement right now. This doesn’t mean the Black women are not with it, there are other political problems where Black people are concerned. I haven’t head of a police shoot-up of a Women’s Liberation office or a Gay Liberation office. Angela Davis was put into solitary confinement on her arrest. Erica has been imprisoned for a year. When the establishment goes after Blacks they go with a vengeance. The writers in the article don’t seem to understand anything of the black people’s problems, not only in the historical sense, the present period, too. Sophie Wessel [Begin image description Inline box contains woodcut image of Sojourner Truth, a Black woman clad in a dress, the style of which is typical of the 1800s. She wears glasses, a cap, and a shawl. Picture is captioned:] SOJOURNER TRUTH, “THE LIBYAN SIBYL”. [To the right of the image is the following quote:] “That man over there say that a woman needs to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helped me into carriages, or over mud puddles, or gives me a best place… And ain’t I a woman? Look at me. Look at my arm! I have plowed and planted and gathered into barns, and no mean could head me… And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man when I could get it, and bear the lash as well.. And ain’t I a woman? I have borned thirteen children and seen them most all sold off into slavery. And when I cried with a mother’s grief, none but Jesus head… And ain’t I a woman?” Sojourner Truth: Speech before the Woman’s Rights Convention at Akron, Ohio in 1851. [hand drawn fist with BAM!] AIN’T I A WOMAN? is published every three weeks by the Publications Collective of the Iowa City Women’s Liberation Front, P.O. Box 1169, Iowa City, Iowa 52240. We are a collective of 10 women functioning either as a front for a world wide conspiracy of Radical Lesbians or the house cornfield of the Women’s Movement. The voice of the Midwest needs to be heard in the Women’s Liberation movement. Ain’t I A Woman? will print without editing any laid-out page from a Midwest (New Mexico thru Ohio) Women’s Liberation group. We would like to encourage other women to start working collectively to avoid elitism and destructive power relationships that pit us against each other. We will send details on deadlines, page size, column length, etc. if you would like. Send $4.00 for a 1-year subscription to Box 1169 Iowa City, IA 52240. Library or Institutional prices are $15.00. If your group wants to receive bundles of AIN’T I A WOMAN?, send 15¢ per copy. Minimum bundle: 20 copies Page 2 Volume 1 No. 9 Ain’t I