New feminist group launched by and for Black British women: TrUe BLaCk-BeRrY

I love, love, love getting to post about all the new feminist groups that are springing up around the country. And here is another one to add to the list: TrUe BLaCk-BeRrY, a brand new group set up this month in London. It meets at Croydon Library Cafe (details on the website). Here is its mission:

To faciliate our views on a public platform

To defy discrimination Black British women suffer

To act as a support network, sounding board, and resource for Black British Women

To oppose negative stereotypes of Black British Women

To network and pool our knowledge, skills and experience together

And for a bit more background on why they chose the name:

Blackberries are the largest of the wild berries across the UK, which is symbolic of the characteristics of the black woman in the Great Britian today.

Third wave Feminism reaches farther than the fight for the right to vote, the right to legal and cultural equality; but targets the gaps in feminist ideals that were not plugged by the first or second waves.

Feminism is no longer about bra burning and man bashing, but facilitates debates on issues surrounding gender politics, social roles objectification, oppression, work-life balance, & sexuality.

TrUe BLaCk BeRrY is a knowledge sharing resource and a forum for anyone who wants to consider the role of feminism in the lives of black british women today.

Well, I feel obligated to disagree that feminism ever was about bra-burning or man bashing, but this is a really exciting mission statement.

Photo by jurvetson, shared under a Creative Commons license

Your Comments

Pro-feminist man said:

"Well, I feel obligated to disagree that feminism ever was about bra-burning or man bashing, but this is a really exciting mission statement."

I couldn't agree more:

"Men who are unjustly accused of rape can sometime gain from the experience," -- Catherine Comins


"A good part-and definitely the most fun part-of being a feminist is about frightening men." --Julie Burchill

"I feel that 'man-hating' is an honorable and viable political act, that the oppressed have a right to class-hatred against the class that is oppressing them." -- Robin Morgan

I've never met a man I couldn't kill" -- Lydia Lunch

Posted on 24 April 2008 at 11:33 PM

Danielle said:

This post reminded me of a conversation I had earlier with a friend on MSN.

I was talking about white privilege, male privilege, etc, and he came out with this:

"No no! We live in an equal opportunities country!"

And then this:

"A black muslim lesbian has just as much chance as anyone else of making it to the top"

Proof, as if it were needed, that black feminism is a wonderful, and necessary, thing.

Posted on 25 April 2008 at 1:12 AM

Adaora said:

It sounds good to me. In fact, this blog is pretty awesome in and of itself.
I'm pleased to have stopped by.

Posted on 25 April 2008 at 2:59 AM

chem_fem said:

Um "pro-feminist" man, I could go out and find plenty of quotes from feminists that bash women, or make non-feminist statements.

The problem with any movement is that all humans are fallible. Feminism is an all encompassing movement that has many conflicting ideas. Picking a few choice quotes doesn't support the statement that feminism is 'all about bashing men'.

That some feminists are angry at men, is of course true, but many 'man hating' women exist who would never call themselves feminist is also true.

Posted on 25 April 2008 at 9:19 AM

Laura Woodhouse said:

Oh, wow. Out-of-context quotes. What an incredibly intelligent way to prove your point. I hereby renounce my feminist status and bow down to the almighty power of the MRA.

Posted on April 25, 2008 11:17 AM

wriggles said:

I think pro-feminist man will find that most lethal and actual threat to the life of a man, is another man.

I hope his movement deals with that, because it would be about time.

Posted on 20 July 2009 at 7:33 PM

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