In 1978 at the 4th Annual Conference of Afro-American Writers at Howard University, June Jordan facilitated a historic and controversial panel on “Black Women Writers and Feminism.” The talk that she presented “Where is the Love?” defined black feminism as a crucial act of love. Met with some hostility and homophobia from the audience, the talk was later published in Essence Magazine and remains a generations primary interface with what black feminism might mean.
More than 30 years later we are still working through what it means to create community and transformation through a radical understanding of love. Join BrokenBeautiful Press and SpiritHouse for a discussion of this important essay!
The essay is available for free download here: where-is-the-love
In Durham we will be gathering on Saturday Feb 7th at 1pm to eat, discuss, do some activities facilitated by the brilliant Ebony Golden! Feel free to read along and gather wherever you are!!!!
January 31, 2009 at 12:50 am
Thank you for posting the text. I am sad to say that even as a PhD in WS I am unfamiliar with the text and looking forward to reading it. (I remember bell hooks being scoffed at for discussing love as black feminist praxis about 10 years ago as well; but she made no mention of Jordan as a precursor – or Lorde for that matter.)
Thanks again!