The Combahee River Collective Statement

The Combahee River Collective Statement was published in April 1977. It was authored by members of the Combahee River Collective, a Black feminist lesbian organization. The statement remains a foundational text for intersectional feminist thought.

The statement articulates the concept of intersectionality by describing the overlapping systems of oppression faced by Black women. It critiques the racism within the mainstream feminist movement and the sexism within the Black liberation movement. It argues that true liberation requires dismantling race, class, gender, and sexual oppression simultaneously.

The collective was named after the Combahee River in South Carolina, the site of a military raid led by Harriet Tubman during the American Civil War. The raid successfully freed over 700 enslaved people. Naming the organization after this event highlighted their commitment to the historical struggle for Black liberation.

The statement critiques the mainstream feminist movement for its focus on white, middle-class women and its failure to address racism. It also criticizes the male-dominated Black liberation movement for its sexism and homophobia. The Collective argued that neither movement adequately addressed the specific, intersecting oppressions faced by Black women.