Are Women More Oppressed Than Black Men?

By Nicole Nutting and Don Valentine

He Said:  I caught an interesting article on N.P.R.  The topic was which segment of society Black men or women are more oppressed?  For the sake of discourse, let’s acknowledge the Merriam Webster definition for “Oppressed”.  It states the following: “A group burdened by abuse of power or authority.”

Only someone as imperceptive as President Trump would not realize both groups share that denominator.  Let me posit an argument that Black men endure an extremely more pronounced level of oppression than White women. Nicole, I can feel you biting your keyboard. To the lady goes the first “Salvo”.

She Said: Both groups are undeniably oppressed, but the indignities aren’t strictly comparable–it’s like apples and oranges. For instance, you may get hassled by law enforcement more than we do, but we get hassled by many more men in general!

On the recognition of “personhood”, you achieved the right to vote 50 years before we did.  Despite overwhelming racist sentiment, and following directly on the heels of slavery, women’s opinions STILL weren’t considered as germane as a Black man’s.

He Said:  The 19th amendment was passed in 1920 giving women the right to vote.  By contrast Blacks from Tennessee to the southern border of the union only got a myth in 1865 [15th amendment].  Do you recall the Klu Klux Klan? They had no intention of allowing a racially equal social order. This included, among other things, making sure those “Black Boys knew they better not vote!”

Let’s return to your hypothesis about women being oppressed.  Can you give me the number of White women lynched or hung from a tree?  No, not raped, or sexually assaulted, LYNCHED? Do you recall the Jim Crow era 1870 -1964?

She Said: According to a 2006 United Nations report, one of every three women worldwide is the victim of an attack, usually by someone they know. We should all become nuns.  Obviously it’s too risky for us to hang around men!

He Said: Nicole this is such a hot topic, I want readers to send their thoughts to us for next week’s paper. Send them to donqvalentine@gmail.com.