Summary of Book Chapter - Essay Example

I Am Because We Are Chapter XXXIV of “I am Weak Because We Are” by Kristen Ashburn highlights the concept of empowerment of Afro-American women. During the 80’s the society develops economic and political strategies to empower women in the communities. Black women in the 19th century have been able to organize club movements such as the General Federation of Women’s Clubs that campaigns for the rights of the middle-class white women and a hundred black women representing Ten American States.

The club held their meeting at Boston to deliberate on a national women club movement. Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin led the Black women in the call for a national club movement that articulates their issues in political life. The organizers defined the main function of the club was to voice their concern on the issue of racism. At the convection, the Black mad a declaration that their movement was open to all unlike the white woman society marred with racist issues. According to Ashburn, “the national women movement has its directorship and leadership by women to benefit both men and women, ensuring the entire society has liberation from racist notions.

The national movement requests the active participation of all men in the society. The movement will also request the participation of American women. The national movement will not alienate or withdraw any other group from joining us. We cordially invite likeminded clubs to join in the quest of freedom. Some of the predominant white clubs refused to come to meetings or the demonstrations since they did not have interest in women studies. The process of intensifying white, Afro American, Asian, Latina, and Native American women must voice the issue of color as one of their prime agendas.

Another issue of Afro-American women is the issue of unemployment that can empower them to earn a decent living in the society. The current economic strata classify the Afro American women as the last in employment. The Regan administration has a high unemployment where the issue affects mostly the black people that whites. A large number of the unemployed are Afro-American women that face utter frustration since unemployment insurance has expired. The current administration depicts an impoverished status of the Afro American women that boasts of a high population close to 14 million that face homelessness.

The national movement will also discuss the issue of homelessness in one of its core agendas in an enthusiastic way since it relates to daily life experience. In 1987, United Nations makes a declaration that it is the Year of Shelter for the homeless where only few developed countries focus on the resolution. The report from United Nations state that 40 percent of the homeless constitute the Afro American families. In the urban centers, 70 percent of the homeless are black. In New York City, Black men and women access menial jobs such as toilet attendants, clean parks for a wager of sixty-two cents per hour, and attend the subway train graffiti.

The government compels Afro American to provide slave labor for them to receive assistance. Professional black women cannot ignore the oppression of their sisters in the process of empowerment to lift their status in their political campaign. The author argues that, for one to elevate the status of the entire community in the campaign of empowerment, the national movement must offer organized resistance to racist violence in the nation. For instance during the 1986 American football a match between whites from Massachusetts University and Blacks from Boston Red Sox led to violence after whites lost to blacks.

Similarly, the burning of a cross at the front of Black Students Cultural Centre led to violence and subsequent death of a black student. The blacks reiterated by instituting Ku Klux Klan due to the outrageous racist violence in the country.Works CitedAshburn, Kristen. I am because we are. Brooklyn, NY: PowerHouse ;, 2009. Print.