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A Taste of Power This is a title of Elaine Browns book. What is it about? The book is autobiographical, but the biography of a black woman reflects so many social problems, as only can exist in society. Not an easy question: what it means and how it feels being a black, being a woman, being in power? The author puts these questions, but she does not give ready answers. And every person who reads it finds own field for thoughts and ideas.
Those who are interested in politics and history of black civil rights movement can find unknown facts about one of the most influential parties in this field (Black Panther Party). Those who study gender issues and sexism will trace them in all aspects of private and social life. Others can consider it a life story full of so many events that it is difficult to believe they happened in the life of one person. From the title we can understand that this book is about power. But what is behind the title, and behind the very notion of power?
Many things, concepts and notions, and a person needs courage and consciousness to discover, define and admit those things, to admit the truth. So, this is a book of truth. Truth about personal life, thoughts and feelings, truth about people around, sometimes rather famous ones, truth about behind the scene activity of the organization, which was not familiar to general public. It is not so easy to speak out all these rather ambiguous facts, without trying to justify own actions, to put everything as it was, or at least, as she saw and understood it. The author does not verdict something as right or wrong.
She just openly and truly describes all her contradictions and uncertainties, presenting through her life story a wide range of social and personal problems, which are peculiar to many people. Besides truth, as a method for analysis and instrument of action, is also a very powerful thing. But everybody knows that truth is not always (very rarely, in fact) pleasant and comforting. It can bring misunderstanding, disrespect, pain. It can lead to solitude.
So, this is a book of solitude. Solitude of a girl without father, who all her life was seeking for a man, who could support her. Solitude of black poor girl among white effluent schoolmates, though she tried to assimilate, to be like them, one of them, spending much time in school, being one of the best students. Solitude of well educated black girl among her not-so-educated peers in poor district where she lived, though she tried to conform the expected behavior. Solitude of one of few women in organization with predominantly men leaders.
And, of course, the solitude of woman in power, especially a black one, as if a black woman assumed a role of leadership, she was said to be eroding black manhood, to be hindering the progress of black race. She was an enemy of black people. And she was lonely among other men and women, who had more, the same or less power, who supported her or confronted, approved or criticized with very diverse range of attitudes and relationships. So, this is a book of personal relations and attitudes too. And while reading the book we can see that there is nothing personal, which is not mixed with social. All personal attitudes and relations are shown through the prism of race, gender, class, politics.
Such relations and feelings as friendship, love, passion reflect and depend on sexism and gender intolerance, racial prejudice, political preferences, which are not easy to get rid of. Especially if take into account that a person can change political views and preferences, as well as social status, but it is not possible to change race or gender. They are inalienable part of any persons identity. So, this is a book of identity, different sides of it, which gradually transform in the course of life.
Gender identity of a woman, who first looked at herself through concepts and ideas of men, trying to adapt herself to the scheme that others created for her, trying to adjust her female identity to mens world. And coming to understand own gender interests and beliefs, learning to stand up for herself in a male-mode political party, making men to accept her as the authority figure in the party. Her social and class identity, which started from desire to make everything possible to escape the world of poor and transformed into desire to help all black people, especially poor ones. Racial identity, which had gradually changed from the desire to be white or at least be like whites to awakening, accepting and turning to political struggle for respect and adequate place of black people among others. And the slogan of this struggle was Power to the People. So, this is a book of struggle.
Struggle of a woman for self-identification and personal freedom. Struggle of active person to help others, to find equality for black community not only in race, but in gender aspects as well. Struggle of organization for better future and freedom, which can be led by different methods. And which method of struggle to choose depends on personal position. So, it is also a struggle inside the organization, not only for power, but for agenda, for choosing their direction and tools of action. The author came to the Black Panther Party because she believed that their problems coincided her problems, their struggle was her struggle, but later she confronted with problems.
The party was too militant and obsessed with revolution. And she tried to find other methods she fought for social welfare programs, such as food banks, schools, medical assistance for black community. And she proved that there could be other ways, and freedom can be achieved not only by knives and fists. So, this is a book of freedom - freedom from oppression and injustice, freedom from discrimination and sexism, freedom for self and for others. It is one of many books about freedom, and like many of them, this book does not give the receipt how to achieve it. But it discovers that freedom is not just a political question.
It is first of all a personal one. And in this respect the notion of freedom is closely connected with all the notions mentioned above (and below) truth, relationships, identity, struggle, power and growth. Yes, growth, because even plants wouldnt grow without free space for it. What to say about people?
So, this is a book of growth different aspects of growth. The most evident and clear in the book is outside growth, a career, a series of steps leading from poor district through education and development to the top leadership in powerful organization. The picture of inside growth is not so visible and much more complex. It is a growth of self-consciousness, of understanding and developing all sides of identity race, gender, class, social ones. It is a growth of comprehension of what a power can be starting from the complete powerlessness and fear in the childhood and up to the leading role in the party and again fear. So, anyway, this is a book of power.
But it doesnt mean that it answers what a power is and how one can get it. The author puts many questions, but hardly answers them. In this respect the book is open-ended. Maybe she herself still does not know the answers and is looking for them. Or maybe she just lets it to readers to find for themselves. Thus, if each reader has own vision and ideas of the book, sees diverse aspects, the same each reader will find own answers, which would be very different.
From this point of view it is also a book of thought. What is my answer? As for power, I think it is not given or gifted, it cant be obtained just by wish. The power is inside, and every person could find it, grow it, develop it, first inside, then outside. The other thing is that people should exactly know, what kind of power they want, what for they need it and how much. One more aspect is what a person is ready to do, how much is ready to sacrifice (if ready at all), what price to pay if would like to be in power.
And remember that power is never easy and pleasant, and trying to achieve power (of any kind) a person should be aware of how much strength and struggle it will take, how many pains one should endure, how it will influence a personality, what changes it will bring to life and what it would lead to.
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Research essay sample on Black Panther Party Race Gender
