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A Guest Lecture to Launch the UNO Women's Studies &
International Studies BA Programs
In the early seventies, Barbara Smith was one of the first writers in the United States to articulate the theory (and practice) of Black feminism. Since that time, she has done
groundbreaking work in defining a Black women's literary tradition; in examining the sexual politics of the lives of Black and other women of color within the United States and
transnationally; in elucidating and historicizing the lives of Black lesbians and gay men; and in making connections between race, class, sexuality, and gender. Smith's essay "Toward a Black Feminist Criticism" is still often cited as a major catalyst in opening the field of Black women's literature. This essay also presented the first serious discussion of Black lesbian writing. As co-founder and publisher of Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, Smith's writings touch on a wide range of relevant social and political issues such as racism in the women's movement, Black and Jewish relations, homophobia in the Black community, the 1968 Chicago convention demonstrations, attacks on the NEA, the Clarence Thomas Senate hearings, police brutality, and the bonds between Black women that make it possible to survive. Smith is a social change agent and she has participated in significant progressive social movements of the past and present. Smith' lecture at UNO will explore her over thirty years of writing and acting to affect social change.
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