Women, Gender and Sexuality

The Irony of Racial Uplift

Despite Anita Hill accusing Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in 1991, the controversy surrounding him now is mainly about his politics. Yet, the story of Justice Thomas exemplifies a longstanding irony of racial uplift efforts: the elevation of Black figures who perpetuate the silencing or mistreatment of Black women.

Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784). Portrait of American poet seated at a desk writing with a quill pen. Undated hand-tinted color engraving with an original caption which reads: "Phillis Wheatley, Negro servant to Mr. John Wheatley, of Boston."

Picturing Early Black Women Leaders

From Phillis Wheatley Peters to Ida B. Wells-Barnett, leading Black women activists defined their public images through their portraits to advance their ideas.