American Mirror

Confessions Of A Black Male Feminist.

When my daughter was 12 years old she asked me if I really liked the poetry books in my library written by female writers. The books were: Love Poems By Women, Loose Woman, and Ain't I A Woman?: A Book Of Women's Poetry From Around the World , and a non-poetry book: International Women's Stories. Her curiosity indicated that she was more pleased than surprised. So much so that for my birthday that year she gave me The Book Of Birth Poetry. Her appreciation and gift gave me an even greater incentive to read prose and poetry by female writers.... Read more →

A Black Male Recalls A Failed Partnership With White Feminists.

An article in The Nation, Feminism's Toxic Twitter Wars [February 17, 2014] reminded one black man of his first attempt to become a partner in the white feminist movement. In the late 1970s a group of white female teachers at a Suburban Southern College formed a committee to study and propose solutions to women's issues at the college. To help validate their committee, they requested the campus President to appoint someone from his administrative council to serve as a liaison for their committee. In his appeal to the council, the president asked for a volunteer. After a long awkward silence,... Read more →