Written by the Bossy Team
In 1974 the Combahee River Collective was formed, a Black feminist lesbian organisation in Boston which remained active from 1974 to 1980. The Collective was instrumental in drawing attention to the fact that the white middle-class feminist movement was not addressing the concerns and needs of Black women. They were committed to fighting racial, heterosexist and class oppression. Perhaps most famously, the collective released the ‘Combahee River Collective Statement,’ outlining the history of Black feminism, problems in organising Black feminists and Black feminist issues and projects.
In so-called Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander feminists always have and continue to challenge the white-middle class mainstream feminist movement. We encourage non-Indigenous Bossy readers to step back and listen to Indigenous/Blak feminists, learn and make space. Below are some of Bossy’s favourite writers whose works include but are by no means limited to feminist issues and should be appreciated in their own right.
Aileen Moreton-Robinson is an academic, feminist and author who wrote the incredible book ‘Talkin’ up to the White Woman, Indigenous Women and Feminism.’
Celeste Liddle is a freelance writer and union organiser who has contributed to several publications including The Guardian. You can follow them on Facebook at ‘Black Feminist Ranter – Celeste Liddle’ or on Twitter at @utopiana. We recommend reading: ‘I’ve spent my entire life feeling like a fraud who didn’t belong’ in ABC Life (2019).
Nakkiah Lui is an actor, writer and comedian. Lui is co-writer and star of the ABC comedy sketch show Black Comedy and play ‘How to Rule the World.’ You can follow Nakkiah on Twitter @nakkiahlui.
Nayuka Gorrie is a talented writer and comedian who you can find at @nayukagorrie. They have also written for and peformed in Black Comedy. A quick google will also take you to their work in a range of platforms including The Guardian, Saturday Paper, Vice, Junkee and Archer Magazine. We recommend the article ‘Sobering statistics’ published in The Saturday Paper (2019).
Miranda Tapsell is an actor and screenwriter, most recently writing Top End Wedding. Together with Nakkiah Lui, she hosts the podcast Pretty for An Aboriginal. You can follow her on Twitter @missmirandatap.
