A Voice from the South
First published 1892 Reading time about 4 hours
A Voice from the South was published in 1892 by Anna Julia Cooper, an educator who was one of the first two African-American women to be awarded a master’s degree. Since then it has been recognized as one of the first works of Black feminist theory. Setting forth a perspective that would be described as “intersectional” in contemporary terms, Cooper explores her own lived experience as an educated African-American woman, and advocates for the education of African-American women as a necessary means of achieving racial equality. However, her marked emphasis on women’s roles in the household has been critiqued by later theorists as a concession to the 19th century “cult of domesticity”—or, alternatively, a strategic engagement with the dominant cultural view towards women in her time. A Voice from the South continues to be read and analyzed today for its pioneering role in African-American female scholarship.
- African Americans · Southern States · Social conditions · 19th century
- African American women · Southern States · Social conditions · 19th century
- African American women · Southern States · History · 19th century
- African Americans · Southern States · History · 19th century
- Southern States · Race relations
Read it on Firelit Reader
With explanations of any passage, a built-in dictionary and notes that open in place. Join the waitlist and we'll write once when Firelit Reader is available.