HOME GIRLS in Review

By Synthia E. Green 1984

Border design from African Designs From Traditional Sources by Geoffrey Williams, published by Dover Publications, Inc. Used in Home Girls.

HOME GIRLS: A Black Feminist Anthology

(Kitchen Table: New York, 1983)

HOME GIRLS is

Women of Color Press, Edited by Barbara Smith.

written by thirty-four Black feminists who have learned to use the power of their minds, language, and in this case, their own press to convey their values and images. In diverse modes of crafting and with varying acuity and breadth of vision the writers produce many rare but much needed images of our- selves in this world.

The central themes of HOME GIRLS are the politics of race, gender, sexuality and homophobia. and The writings define celebrate black womanhood in such a way make to this anthology much as literary/cultural work as it is a poli- tical tome.

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The content of the anthology is quite contemporary. Most of the writings date no further back than four years from publication. A still significant and essential fraction of the book was first published in the magazine Conditions: Five in 1979. To have the best of that pioneering collection of black feminist writings makes HOME GIRLS a better, more complete book.

Lesbianism is central to HOME GIRLS. Barbara Smith's faithful editing places woman-loving black women at the very heart of our rich treasure of black feminism.

Therein are found thirteen essays, two public addresses, two "live" interviews, six short stories, a personal spiritual address, nineteen poems, photos, and a journal entry. These take up nearly four hundred pages. Perhaps the sheer volume of HOME GIRLS may cause some readers a certain reluctance to embrace it. But the book is best read slowly/savoringly or intermittently as your black-woman identity needs some touching and reassurance.

The essays reveal essential black fem- inist thought. The editor's introduction is a wide-ranging essay giving much core information on black feminism. She does not neglect black lesbianism and homo- phobia. But, almost alone in this collection, the essay talks about fem- inists, lesbians, and gays of color in other societies around the world. Smith's introduction casts an illum- inating light over the entire book. HOME GIRLS hangs together and often there is significant emotional carry-over between pieces by different authors. If the

editing and intro were not achievement enough, Barbara Smith goes on to create an emotionally satisfying short story of two contemporary black lesbians in an honestly powerful "loveship".

Michelle Cliff's poetic essay exposes colorism operating between black women in Jamaica. She courageously condemns the colorist values she learned there as a child. By her courage she challenges us out of our quiet discomfort. Clearly she is not talking about Jamaica alone.

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Who could forget the artistic, insightful but ultimately judging portrait of Angelina Weld Grimke, black lesbian struggling womanhood in America around 1900? Privileged by economic black but probably seeing that as an irritating social limitation than a personal identity, this passionate poet probably experienced more agony around the sexuality of woman-loving than distress over her African blood. Gloria T. Hull also brings us a highly intel- lectual but lively and relevant review of Toni Cade Bambara's novel about the psychologic healing of a black woman.

Bernice Johnson Reagon's address rebukes racism in the midst of a largely white audience which she so moves and chal- lenges that they are helplessly persuaded to laugh at themselves. While she is working that charm, she is giving a black women's history lesson.

Included in an impressive essay by Jewelle Gomez are critiques of the four black lesbian novels generally available. Books by Ann Allen Shockley, LOVING HER and SAY JESUS AND COME то ME, Audre Lorde's ZAMI: A NEW SPELLING OF MY NAME, and Alice Walker's THE COLOR PURPLE are discussed in some detail. of the group, Walker's story is surely the flagship drawing the attention of mainstream America to a consciousness of the deep love black women may have for one another.

women.

Four of the short stories and two poems beautifully portray love between black The number of these works is small compared to the total body of HOME GIRLS. Still we get woman-loving black women in a variety of settings and in diverse passages of womanhood. They are highly variable in how far they go toward allowing sexual and political expression of their feelings. The willingness of Lorde, Barbara Smith, Julie Carter and

(Continued on p. 8)

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