The
twin demons of racism and sexism have long been, and continue
to be, formidable debilitating factors for women of color
in U.S. society. Suzanne Brooks has produced a thorough
and forthright look into the factors that contribute to,
and in fact perpetuate, the systemic "extermination"
of women of color. Just as importantly, and notwithstanding
the fundamental need for systemic change, Ms. Brooks offers
challenging and exciting real life possibilities as to
how this very real and unacceptable situation, as it pertains
to the disempowerment and suppression of women of color,
should and can be addressed today.
The essays contained in the book will grab
the mind, heart, and soul of the reader, no matter what
gender, color, or ethnicity one might be. The book needs
to be read by everyone and has been written in a clear,
easy to understand, and unpretentious style. The power
and strength of the book are to be found in its combined
scholarly approach and simultaneous searing honesty.
In her book, Ms. Brooks presents numerous
documented examples from her vast personal experiences
as a woman of color, an activist, educator, mentor, vocalist
and band leader. She writes in a proactive rather than
a reactive fashion.
The point of the book is to serve as a strong
and viable tool in assisting women of color to empower
and help themselves and each other, as opposed to being
perpetually dependent. In this vein, the book is also
about 'education' (in its most practical sense) and collaboration;
in addition to being about utilizing and developing multiple
levels of 'leadership.' As such, it is a book that needs
to be read, embraced, and utilized by academia as well
as lay persons throughout every socio-economic strata.
The essence of this book is really all about creativity,
real self-empowerment, and perseverance.
The dedication in the beginning of the book
says it all - "To surviving uncorrupted women of
color and our allies: May we be truly and completely free
in our lifetimes, never forgetting contributions of others,
here and passed on."
THE CONSTRUCTIVE EXTERMINATION OF WOMEN OF
COLOR - Consequences of Perpetual Socio-Economic Marginalization,
by Suzanne Brooks, is published by Street Press, Sacramento,
California. Click here
to get your copy!
BlackCommentator.com Editorial Board Member, Larry Pinkney,
is a veteran of the Black Panther Party, the former Minister
of Interior of the Republic of New Africa, a former political
prisoner and the only American to have successfully self-authored
his civil / political rights case to the United Nations
under the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights. In connection with his political organizing activities
in opposition to voter suppression, etc., Pinkney was
interviewed in 1988 on the nationally televised PBS News
Hour, formerly known as The MacNeil / Lehrer
News Hour. For more about Larry Pinkney see the book,
Saying No to Power: Autobiography of a 20th Century Activist and
Thinker,
by William Mandel [Introduction by Howard Zinn]. (Click
here
to read excerpts from the book.) Click here to contact Mr. Pinkney.
