"Crushing out with each dancing step.."

CONTEMPORARY BLACK WOMEN POETS - NEGOTIATING IDENTITY

(from Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston)

The wealth of Britain is built upon the slave trade, imperialism and colonialism. It has been said of Bristol, "There is not a brick in that city which has not been cemented by the blood of slaves" (Heart of the Race, Bryan, Dadzie and Scafe). The context of slavery and colonialism is relevant not only to the study of texts by black writers but is important in terms of understanding British society. Since Shakespeare's time English writers have worked from within this context and your approach to literature should be enriched by a heightened awareness of these issues. Think about some of the canonised "classics" you have read - what is the source of money supporting the wealthy families in Jane Austen's novels? What is the history of the mad Mrs. Rochester in Jane Eyre?

In our culture white and black images are often used as opposites, symbolising "good" and "evil". Many texts perpetuate racism and concepts of white supremacy through depictions of a white "civilised humanity" contrasted against Black "savagery". These oppositions can also often be found in children's literature. In fiction an innocent Noddy was being mugged by a gang of demonic black golliwogs whilst immigrants were arriving in Britain from the Caribbean, Asia and Africa¹. Having been encouraged by the British government to come and work in this country (in the lowest paid jobs), they were met with hostility and perceived as a threat.

Think about the ways in which the racialised/racist discourse outlined above constructs identity. It is important to remember that white is also a constructed ethnicity which carries certain cultural meanings, "white" is not a "norm" against which "black" can be defined as "other". Concepts about race have merged with gender ideology to create an experience sometimes described as "double oppression". However this term does not account for the differences between forms of gender oppression experienced by white women and black women, and the differences between the racism experienced by-black men and black women.

Many black women writers celebrate the positive difference of being black and female, undermining notions that "white" and "male" is a desirable or superior identity. Through forging a distinct and empowering identity the limited roles provided for black women by the dominant ideology are both opposed and deconstructed - the controlling effect of stereotypes is exposed. Reclaiming the past is part of the process of negotiating a new, powerful identity. Black women writers interrogate the edited history of slavery constructed by white historians and recharge the past with affirmative black cultural values, which provide a context for a positive black identity.

"Identity" is complex, in an hour the issues cannot be discussed fully. Many different facets of ourselves and our environment contribute to the formation of our identity. Although these aspects are all inextricably linked it can be useful to consider them separately. We will consider the following, i) naming/labelling, ii) physical identity, iii) language, each in relation to a poem. Short quotations have also been provided to stimulate your ideas and act as a starting point for discussion.

Finally, before looking at the poems, it is important to consider how our own identity effects the way we read. Our own cultural location: gender, race, political beliefs, etc., influences our response to texts.