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Ain't I A Woman? newspapers, June 1970-July 1971
1971-02-19 "Ain't I a Woman?" Page 4
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[2 female signs] [face screaming] Thoughts on the yin-yang; it is a composite of 2 figures; the limits of each of the 2 are determined by what is feminine the opposite what is masculine and by the whole what is human. The definition of woman is limited by the definition of man; in a male-dominated culture, all the important positive qualities are assigned to the male. A woman is not to define herself by the whole range of humankind because her limits are set by the inclusion of a rigidly defined male. "It's a hard world to get a break in / All the good things have been taken.." Political means physical relationships between/among people. How people are reaating to each other everyday is the political "climate". Culture describes the political climate and may indicate in some ways whether the culture is reflecting or falsifying what's actually happening. To identify with women, as women, is to identify with powerlessness. The power that a woman has, if any, is not recognized by the male power structure as being important enough for them to have already monopolized. Woman's power is outside of the economic-political market, confined to domestic situations. The only power relationships in which women can take control are with other women - sexual and otherwise; and with children - physical means of approval or denial, like spanking or controlling the child's food and activity. But the child often has the alternative of a man's support against the woman. So the only physical power a woman has is to relate physically to a woman. People are hesitant to legitimize power to people who are not usually in that position of power (liken to a child with her first dollar.) RAMBLING ON WOMEN- IDENTIFIED WOMEN I don't remember when that term or concept became meaningful to me - to us. I don't know I was afraid to break the ties (marriage)- I felt torn alliances. I did not identify - I didn't trust other women. I still felt like an exception somehow - better than most women - more male than most women - a prize for the exceptional male - only I couldn't find him - didn't have him. Anyway I felt all this at the same time as I was feeling - we cannot work together ( women - specifically the paper collective) unless we trust each other. Personally my experiences that made me not trust women generally were pretty the same. I established strong relationships with women only to have them fall apart - hurt - because they felt a stronger alliance with some man. Pretty simple - ha ha. Always knew to win anything - risks have to be taken. Knew real early to fight against, say job conditions you might lose your job. I knew that be a radical female must mean breaking the ties with men that offered some nooky - we had to risk losing if we were to win. Somehow it all eventually - sort of - fell together. The only thing I became sure of - the prerequisite for some kind of struggle - I (we) had to identify as women with women - a positive - a primary identification - to start thinking in terms of women - how does everything affect women - not torn by how it might effect my husband, too - no longer able to let my mind (our minds) muddle through worrying about everything else more or as much as worrying about women. I am primarily first and foremost a woman - my primary relationships are with women - my primary concerns are with women - my strongest commitments are with women. This has influenced everything I do - this has influenced our work on the paper. IT is not an end - but a necessary beginning - a crucial step which were it not to be taken we could never free women 'cause we couldn't define women. PUZZLE:: We want to unite with all women and as women free ourselves from the oppression women suffer because of being women. Find the women in this picture and just try to unite with them. [hand drawing] Perhaps it's the challenge of "Woman Identified Woman" That illustrates my life No way I can delude myself "Why I think anyone can be a woman identified woman." No way Maybe it's better that way. Nice and clear The mind runs the life which defines the mind. Know your mind. But work on it . Page 4 , Vol 1 No. 12, ain't I
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[2 female signs] [face screaming] Thoughts on the yin-yang; it is a composite of 2 figures; the limits of each of the 2 are determined by what is feminine the opposite what is masculine and by the whole what is human. The definition of woman is limited by the definition of man; in a male-dominated culture, all the important positive qualities are assigned to the male. A woman is not to define herself by the whole range of humankind because her limits are set by the inclusion of a rigidly defined male. "It's a hard world to get a break in / All the good things have been taken.." Political means physical relationships between/among people. How people are reaating to each other everyday is the political "climate". Culture describes the political climate and may indicate in some ways whether the culture is reflecting or falsifying what's actually happening. To identify with women, as women, is to identify with powerlessness. The power that a woman has, if any, is not recognized by the male power structure as being important enough for them to have already monopolized. Woman's power is outside of the economic-political market, confined to domestic situations. The only power relationships in which women can take control are with other women - sexual and otherwise; and with children - physical means of approval or denial, like spanking or controlling the child's food and activity. But the child often has the alternative of a man's support against the woman. So the only physical power a woman has is to relate physically to a woman. People are hesitant to legitimize power to people who are not usually in that position of power (liken to a child with her first dollar.) RAMBLING ON WOMEN- IDENTIFIED WOMEN I don't remember when that term or concept became meaningful to me - to us. I don't know I was afraid to break the ties (marriage)- I felt torn alliances. I did not identify - I didn't trust other women. I still felt like an exception somehow - better than most women - more male than most women - a prize for the exceptional male - only I couldn't find him - didn't have him. Anyway I felt all this at the same time as I was feeling - we cannot work together ( women - specifically the paper collective) unless we trust each other. Personally my experiences that made me not trust women generally were pretty the same. I established strong relationships with women only to have them fall apart - hurt - because they felt a stronger alliance with some man. Pretty simple - ha ha. Always knew to win anything - risks have to be taken. Knew real early to fight against, say job conditions you might lose your job. I knew that be a radical female must mean breaking the ties with men that offered some nooky - we had to risk losing if we were to win. Somehow it all eventually - sort of - fell together. The only thing I became sure of - the prerequisite for some kind of struggle - I (we) had to identify as women with women - a positive - a primary identification - to start thinking in terms of women - how does everything affect women - not torn by how it might effect my husband, too - no longer able to let my mind (our minds) muddle through worrying about everything else more or as much as worrying about women. I am primarily first and foremost a woman - my primary relationships are with women - my primary concerns are with women - my strongest commitments are with women. This has influenced everything I do - this has influenced our work on the paper. IT is not an end - but a necessary beginning - a crucial step which were it not to be taken we could never free women 'cause we couldn't define women. PUZZLE:: We want to unite with all women and as women free ourselves from the oppression women suffer because of being women. Find the women in this picture and just try to unite with them. [hand drawing] Perhaps it's the challenge of "Woman Identified Woman" That illustrates my life No way I can delude myself "Why I think anyone can be a woman identified woman." No way Maybe it's better that way. Nice and clear The mind runs the life which defines the mind. Know your mind. But work on it . Page 4 , Vol 1 No. 12, ain't I
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