Misogyny During the Civil Rights Movement

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Misogyny During the Civil Rights Movement

At The Dark End of the Street is a book that gives a glimpse into another side of the Civil Rights movement which is on women. When we talk of the Civil Rights movement, the first names to come into our minds are Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. However, there are other individuals who paid a price for the achievements in the Civil Rights movements but have often be ignored. Danielle McGuire by looking at female civil rights activists and what they had endure including sexual violence and resistance encountered even by the fellow male black activist because of the patriarchy and misogyny that existed in the society.

Throughout the book one can clearly note how McGuire is able to triumphantly lift the successes, fears and the voices of the women that were involved in the civil rights movement. Women during this period rally struggled to have a voice in the society as it was still largely patriarchal. Black women were courageous in taking up their stands and lifting up their voices to take a stand against white supremacy and to demand for equality. It is the women’s voice and their courage to speak that helped the movement garner international outrage and they were also able to intensify campaigns for both justice and human dignity. In giving the struggles these women went through and how they fought for each other, she gives detailed content and scope.

Recy Taylor a black woman who was raped is mentioned in McGuire book. She details how after the investigation into Taylor’s rape, Rosa Park together with other black women from Alabama came together in order to raise money that would help Taylor fight for a fair prosecution of her attackers. The Taylor case set precedent to many cases especially on sexual violence and rape as they now had created a platform where women could talk about sexual violence especially interracial rape and African Americans were now able to destroy white supremacy. Even with the acquittal of Taylor’s attackers, these women did not give up but rather continued to campaign for better treatment of women. The Committee of Equal Justice who wanted to redress the rape cases and sexual violence that occurred in Montgomery city limit teamed up with clergy members. Women including Mary Fair Burks and Joann Robinson in association with Ralph Abernathy teamed up creating the Montgomery Improvement Association. With the support Taylor got, black women had more courage to testify against their attackers who were mostly white and this “dramatically altered the political and legal landscape for black women raped or sexually abused by white men” (McGuire, pg. 249). This would help later generation of women seek justice for themselves

The Rosa Park bus boycott is an important historical event. McGuire points out how the women who were first involved in fighting for Taylors case were quite instrumental in organization of the boycott that highlighted racial segregation. The boycott brought into light other names that have often been neglected in history but are named by McGuire including Melba Patillo, Amelia Boyton, Daisy Bates and Victoria Gray Adams. These are women who were able to defy the south white powers and were instrumental in fighting against the racial segregation laws that had been set including in buses. Women played a role in also bringing cases that “broke with Southern tradition and fractured the philosophical and political foundations of white supremacy” (McGuire, pg. 130) An example is the Browder v. Gayle in 1954 that was important in setting precedent as a case that would be used by activist in eliminating the southern caste system. These movements led to trials and convictions in the south. These women caused a shake up to the laws and brought more weight to the movement and were quite instrumental to the success that were witnessed by civil rights movements although they are rarely mentioned.

Despite the major contribution women made in helping fight in the Civil Rights, movement, men still took on the leadership position and women were not given enough credit for the role they played. Rosa Park may be the most known female civil right activist yet during the bus riot she took part in there were other women took place. Before the Park came into the picture, there were already four women from Montgomery who had refused the laws allowing racial segregation. Women had arranged for car pools and also sold pies and cakes in order to raise money that would enable them get alternate form of transportation. Women seemed to take up background roles in the movement while some it was by choice other knew being a black woman would result in facing both racism and sexism. Men took the helm of leadership on issues that women had already spearheaded for example after the bus boycott which was already making a stir and having an impact, Martin Luther came into the picture. McGuire states that “The enormous spotlight that focused on King, combined with the construction of Rosa Parks as a saintly symbol, hid the women’s long struggle in the dimly lit background” (McGuire, pg. 89) During the first mass meeting he would not even let Rosa Parks address to speak as she was told she had done enough. This took the credit from the women who had begun this revolution.

In dealing with flaws with our heroes, it is important to first recognize that although they were part of spearheading the civil right movement, they took the spotlight from the women who were doing the same. Women were still left out to feel they had no place in the society that they were trying to achieve equality for. It is important to recognize that compared to an African American male, the female had a much harder time as they face both racism and sexism. More scholars should take up the mantle as McGuire did and explore roles women played in building our history as roles of most women have long been shunned.