Black women Quote by Mark Lilla
““Blacks complained that most leaders were white, which was true. Feminists complained that most all were men, which was also true. Soon black women were complaining about both the sexism of radical black men and the implicit racism of white feminists—who themselves were being criticized by lesbians for presuming the naturalness of the heterosexual family. What all these groups wanted from politics was more than social justice and an end to the war, though they did want that. They also wanted there to be no space between what they felt inside and what they did out in the world. They wanted to feel at one with political movements that mirrored how they understood and defined themselves as individuals. And they wanted their self-definition to be recognized. The socialist movement had neither promised nor delivered recognition: it divided the world into exploiting capitalists and exploited workers of every background.””
About This Quote
Source Article: “The Limits of Identity Politics,” The New Yorker, 2015
Various groups demand politics that align internal identity with external action; socialism failed to deliver such recognition.
In simple terms: People want politics that reflect personal identity; socialism didn’t provide that.
Key Takeaway
Seek inclusive movements that honor individual identities.
Themes
identity politics
intersectionality
socialism
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
political
social
When to use this quote
- activism
- policy design
- community organizing
- educational programs
Key Concepts
political theory
sociology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can movements honor both collective and individual identities?
- What alternatives to socialism address identity recognition?
A Different Perspective
Broad movements may dilute specific grievances.
![“It wasn't [Barack] Obama per se; it was the feeling on the ground; it was seeing an old black woman in a wheelchair being wheeled by her son waving a big American flag, and then seeing a guy with his baby in his arms saying, "I didn't want her to miss tonight! I wanted to be able to tell her!" And…” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/806/bill-ayers-1848_able_it-wasn-t-barack-obama-per-se-it-was-the_20409.jpg)
