When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America

By Paula J. Giddings

“History at its best—clear, intelligent, moving. Paula Giddings has written a book as priceless as its subject”—Toni Morrison

Acclaimed by writers Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou, Paula Giddings’s When and Where I Enter is not only an eloquent testament to the unsung contributions of individual women to our nation, but to the collective activism which elevated the race and women’s movements that define our times. From Ida B. Wells to the first black Presidential candidate, Shirley Chisholm; from the anti-lynching movement to the struggle for suffrage and equal protection under the law; Giddings tells the stories of black women who transcended the dual discrimination of race and gender—and whose legacy inspires our own generation. Forty years after the passing of the Voting Rights Act, when phrases like “affirmative action” and “wrongful imprisonment” are rallying cries, Giddings words resonate now more than ever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 6, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061984921

Paula J. Giddings

Paula J. Giddings is the Elizabeth A. Woodson 1922 Professor in Afro-American Studies at Smith College and the author of When and Where I Enter and In Search of Sisterhood.

Reviews for When and Where I Enter

[Jethro Ira Flores · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

your fans will really enjoy this book. ... If you have some great stories like this one, you can publish it on Novel Star, just submit your story to [e-mail] or [e-mail]

[valjeanne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This a groundbreaking volume of African American women--of all women--sexism and racism. Brilliant and well-reseached. But not pedantic. Giddings style of writing is down to earth, humorous, easy to follow. This is a must have for any complete library of history, women or feminism.

[andersonden · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's been quite some time since I've read this but it has some good information about African-American history in the U.S. The book specifically focuses on women (obviously) and was one of the most influential (and still one of the broadest) to bring an historical look at black women in the U.S. to print. I believe I found some of it dry the first time I read it, but I often have that reaction to (factual) historical work.

[lilysea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Giddings makes history read like a novel. This book is worth its weight in crude oil for the analysis of the U.S. women's suffrage movement and its deal with the white supremacy devil alone. An excellent introduction to African American history for those not yet well-versed in the topic. Great for undergrads and grad students and non-academic readers alike.