LES S O NS F R O M A G E N D E R S TU D I E S C L A S S R O O M
So, what are feminist classrooms and how
do we create them? For me, feminist vision
is rooted in the transformative work of gen-
erations of Black, queer, and other feminists
of color. Through experience, scholarship
and activism, they have used their vantage
point on the margins to clearly delineate
how markers of identity such as race, class,
gender, and sexual orientation function not
only as sites of oppression, but also as sites of
resistance and change. A feminist classroom
based on this vision inherently requires a
deep understanding of historical systems of
oppression and their continued impact on
the present. It is also an environment that, at
its core, focuses on examining power dynam-
ics and creating more just and equitable re-
lationships both at individual and structural
levels. This does not mean that every teacher
needs to teach history or feminism explicitly,
but it does mean that every teacher must be
aware that our schools and classrooms are
not ahistorical, apolitical 3 , or acultural.
document assessed and outlined the most
pressing needs not only for Black women,
but also for the liberation of the Black com-
munity. After reading and discussing the
document, 17 students in Gender Studies
each crafted their own list, considering what
would be necessary to create a just and equi-
table education for all students at the school.
Students then shared their lists to look for
overlap. Collectively, the students decided
on six main points that reflect a clear under-
standing of power dynamics, the choices we
make or don’t make in our schools, and the
impact this has on their sense of safety, com-
munity, and well-being.
6-point plan 6
1. We want our voices to be heard.
When we tell you our experiences, actu-
ally listen. Please do not disregard our ex-
perience by saying “we already are diverse,
so that can’t be true.”
Many of our students already know this. A
year ago my students completed an assign-
ment modeled after the document “What
Sistas Want, What Sistas Believe: Black Femi-
nist Twelve Point Plan.” 4 Published by the
Black Feminist Working Group in 2011 5 , the
2. Hold everyone in the community
accountable.
Everyone should be held accountable for
their actions, regardless of being a student,
teacher, staff member, or administrator.
3. The term “political” should not be confused here with “partisan”. Partisan signifies adhering to, supporting or lifting up a
specific political party, ideology or faction. I use political here to refer to structural power dynamics and how those play out
institutionally, symbolically and individually in our classrooms and schools. Those power dynamics (systems of oppression
such as racism, sexism, and homophobia) cut across political parties and institutions.
4. Black Feminist Working Group, 2011. Reprinted with permission of the Black Feminist Working Group (Iresha Picot, Tiam-
ba Wilkerson, Nuala Cabral, Ladi Sasha Jones, Darasia Shelby, Kim Murray). In Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty
Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith. Eds. Alethia Jones and Virginia Eubanks. (SUNY, Albany: 2014), 270-271.
5. Their work was inspired by the Combahee River Collective Statement and the Black Panther Party for Self Defense.
6. Created collectively by Sidwell Friends School WGS Class of Spring 2018
Continues on page 8
CSEE Connections
Summer 2019
Page 7