Epilogue

Abstract

When I wrote this book, I set out to answer two questions: (1) “What did feminist identified Black women do to gain political power between 1961 and 2001 in America?” and (2) “Why didn’t they succeed?” This book has shown that Black women have tried to gain centrality by their participation in presidential commissions, Black feminist organizations, theatrical productions, film adaptations of literature, beauty pageants, electoral politics, and presidential appointments. I am working with the assumption that success means that, among other more general constructs, (1) the feminist identified Black women in the Congressional Black Caucus who voted against Clarence Thomas’s appointment would have spoken on behalf of Anita Hill; (2) Senator Carol Moseley Braun would have won reelection; (3) Lani Guinier would have had a hearing; (4) Dr. Joycelyn Elders would have maintained her post; and (5) Congresswoman Barbara Lee wouldn’t have stood alone in her opposition to the war resolution has Black women possessed true political power.