I’d-Rather-Be-Black-than-Female

I’dRatherBeBlackthanFemaleBeingthefirstblackwomanelectedtoCongresshasmademesomekindofphenomenon.TherearenineotherblacksinCongress;therearetenotherwomen.Iwasthefirsttoovercomebothhandicapsatonce.Ofthetwohandicaps,beingblackismuchlessofadrawbackthanbeingfemale.IfIsaidthatbeingblackisagreaterhandicapthanbeingawoman,probablynoonewouldquestionme.Why?Because“weallknow”thereisprejudiceagainstblackpeopleinAmerica.Thatthereisprejudiceagainstwomenisanideathatstillstrikesnearlyallmen–and,Iamafraid,mostwomen–asbizarre.PrejudiceagainstblackswasinvisibletomostwhiteAmericansformanyyears.Whenblacksfinallystartedto“mention”it,withsit-ins,boycotts,andfreedomrides,Americanswereincredulous.“Who,us?”theyaskedininjuredtones.“We’reprejudiced?”Itwasthestartofalong,painfulreeducationforwhiteAmerica.Itwilltakeyearsforwhites–includingthosewhothinkofthemselvesasliberals–todiscoverandeliminatetheracistattitudestheyallactuallyhave.Howmuchharderwillitbetoeliminatetheprejudiceagainstwomen?Iamsureitwillbealongerstruggle.PartoftheproblemisthatwomeninAmericaaremuchmorebrainwashedandcontentwiththeirrolesassecond–classcitizensthanblackseverwere.Letmeexplain.Ihavebeenactiveinpoliticsformorethantwentyyears.Forallbutthelastsix,Ihavedonethework–allthetediousdetailsthatmakethedifferencebetweenvictoryanddefeatonelectionday–whilemenreapedtherewards,whichisalmostinvariablythelotofwomeninpolitics.Itisstillwomen–aboutthreemillionvolunteers–whodomostofthisworkintheAmericanpoliticalworld.Thebestanyofthemcanhopeforisthehonorofbeingdistrictorcountyvice-chairman,akindofseparate-but-equalpositionwithwhichawomanisrewardedforyearsoffaithfulenvelopestuffingandcard-partyorganizing.Insuchajob,shegetsanumberoffreetripstostateandsometimesnationalmeetingsandconventions,whereherroleissupposedtobetovotethewayhermalechairmanvotes.WhenItriedtobreakoutofthatrolein1963andrunfortheNewYorkStateAssemblyseatfromBrooklyn’sBedford-Stuyvesant,theresistancewasbitter.Fromthestartofthatcampaign,Ifacedundisguisedhostilitybecauseofmysex.Butitwasfouryearslater,whenIranforCongress,thatthequestionofmysexbecameamajorissue.Amongmembersofmyownparty,closedmeetingswereheldtodiscusswaysofstoppingme.Myopponent,thefamouscivil-rightsleaderJamesFarmer,triedtoprojectablack,masculineimage;hetouredtheneighborhoodwithsoundtrucksfilledwithyoungmenwearingAfrohaircuts,dashikis,andbeards.Whilethetelevisioncrewsignoredme,theywerenotawareofaveryimportantstatistic,whichbothIandmycampaignmanager,WesleyMacD.Holder,knew.Inmydistrictthereare2.5womenforeverymanregisteredtovote.Andthosewomenareorganized–inPTAs,churchsocieties,cardclubs,andothersocialandservicegroupsIwenttothemandaskedtheirhelp.Mr.Farmerstilldoesn’tquiteknowwhathithim.Whenabrightyoungwomangraduatestartslookingforajob,whyisthefirstquestionalways:“Canyoutype?”Ahistoryofprejudiceliesbehindthatquestion.Whyarewomenthoughtofassecretaries,notadministrators?Librariansandteachers,butnotdoctorsandlawyers?Becausetheyarethoughtofasdifferentandinferior.Thehappyhomemakerandthecontenteddarkyarebothstereotypesproducedbyprejudice.Womenhavenotevenreachedtheleveloftokenismthatblacksarereaching.NowomensitontheSupremeCourt.OnlytwohaveheldCabinetrank,andnonedoatpresent.Onlytwowomenholdambassadorialrank.Butwomenpredominateinthelower-paying,menial,unrewarding,dead-endjobs,andwhentheydoreachbetterpositions,theyareinvariablypaidlessthanamanforthesamejob.Ifthatisnotprejudice,whatwouldyoucallit?Afewyearsago,Iwastalkingwithapoliticalleaderaboutapromisingyoungwomanasacandidate.“Whyinvesttimeandefforttobuildthegirlup?”heaskedme.“Youknowshe’llonlydropoutofthegametohaveacoupleofkidsjustaboutthetimewe’rereadytorunherformayor.”Plentyofpeoplehavesaidsimilarthingsaboutme.Plentyofothershaveadvisedme,everytime,Itriedtotakeanotherupwardstep,thatIshouldgobacktoteaching,awoman’svocationandleavepoliticstothemen.Iloveteaching,andIamreadytogobacktoitassoonasIamconvincedthatthiscountrynolongerneedsawomen’scontribution.Whentherearenochildrengoingtobedhungryinthisrichnation,Imaybereadytogobacktoteaching.Whenthereisagoodschoolforeverychild,Imaybeready.Whenwedonotspendourwealthonhardwaretomurderpeople,whenwenolongertolerateprejudiceagainstminorities,andwhenthelawsagainstunfairhousingandunfairemploymentpracticesareenforcedinsteadofevaded,thentheremaybenothingmoreformetodoinpolitics.Butuntilthathappens–andweallknowitwillnotbethisyearornext–whatweneedismorewomeninpolitics,becausewehaveaveryspecialcontributiontomake.Ihopethattheexampleofmysuccesswillconvinceotherwomentogetintopolitics–andnotjusttostuffenvelopes,buttorunforoffice.Itiswomenwhocanbringempathy,tolerance,insight,patience,andpersistencetogovernment–thequalitieswenaturallyhaveorhavehadtodevelopbecauseofoursuppressionbymen.Thewomenofanationmolditsmorals,itsreligion,anditspoliticsbythelivestheylive.Atpresent,ourcountryneedswomen’sidealismanddetermination,perhapsmoreinpoliticsthananywhereelse.