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the conviction that, as a spectator gratified by
creativity, woman reaches the highest possible
point in the evolution of her species.
But, on the contrary, woman is discovering
that the patriarchal world needs her—that
man’s self-liberating efforts absolutely depend
on her—and that woman’s liberation can only
be realized independent of patriarchal previ-
sions and the dynamics by which men liberate
themselves. The artist depends upon woman to
glorify his work and she, until she begins her
own liberation, is happy to oblige. The work of
art cannot afford to lose the security inherent in
her exclusively receptiverole.
Once aware of her position in relation to
male creativity, woman is left with two possi-
bilities: the first—until now, the only available
option— of distinguishing herself within the cre-
ative hierarchy historically defined by men
(which alienates her from other women while
men recognize her only indulgently); or—the
feminist alternative—of autonomously recover-
ing her own creativity, nourished by her aware-
ness of past oppression.
To celebrate male creativity is ultimately to
submit to the historic sovereignty of men, to
that patriarchal strategy which deliberately sub-
jugates us. But let woman remove herself, and
the struggle for male supremacy becomes not
man lording it over woman, but merely a strug-
gle between individual men.
By refusing to celebrate male creativity, we
are not judging creativity, nor are we contesting
it. Rather, with our absence, we are refusing to
accept it as defined; we are challenging the
concept of art as something which men gra-
ciously hand down to us. By ceasing to believe
in a refracted liberation, we are unleashing
creative energy from patriarchal bonds.
With her absence, woman performs a dramat-
ic act of awareness, creative because it is liber-
ating.
*Text written by Rivolta Femminile, March 1971; free
translation by Arlene Ladden from Carla Lonzi, Sputiamo
su Hegel: La Donna clitoridea e la donna vaginale e altri
scritti, Scritti di Rivolta Femminile, 1,2,3, Milan, 1974.
Y XANNE XL RN R AR ENENRENXENN
Assata Shakur (Joanne Chesimard) has been associated
with the Black Panther Party and other political groups,
including the Black Liberation Army, which she has said “is
not an organization. Itis a concept. A people’s movement,
an idea” emerging from conditions in the Black commu-
nity. She is currently a political prisoner being held in New
Jersey, ostensibly on charges of bank robbery.
WHAT IS LEFT?
Assata Shakur
WHAT IS LEFT? 101
AFTER THE BARS AND THE GATES AND THE
DEGRADATION
WHAT IS LEFT?
AFTER THE LOCK INS AND THE LOCK OUTS AND THE
LOCK UPS
WHAT IS LEFT?
| MEAN, AFTER THE CHAINS THAT GET ENTANGLED
IN THE GREY OF ONE'S MATTER
AFTER THE BARS THAT GET STUCK IN THE HEARTS
OF MEN AND WOMEN
WHAT IS LEFT?
AFTER THE TEARS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS
AFTER THE LONELY ISOLATION
AFTER THE CUT WRIST AND THE HEAVY NOOSE
WHAT IS LEFT?
| MEAN, LIKE, AFTER THE COMMISSARY KISSES
AND THE GET-YOUR-SHIT-OFF-BLUES
AFTER THE HUSTLER HAS BEEN HUSTLED
WHAT IS LEFT?
AFTER THE SAD FUTILE MANEUVERS
AFTER THE SHRILL AND BARREN LAUGHTER
AFTER THE CONTRABAND EMOTIONS
WHAT IS LEFT?
AFTER THE MURDERBURGERS AND THE GOON SQUADS
AND THE TEAR GAS
AFTER THE BULLS AND THE BULLPENS AND THE
BULLSHIT
WHAT IS LEFT?
| MEAN LIKE, AFTER YOU KNOW THAT GOD CAN'T BE
TRUSTED
AFTER YOU KNOW THAT THE SHRINK IS A PUSHER
THAT THE WORD IS A WHIP, AND THE BADGE IS
A BULLET
WHAT IS LEFT?
AFTER YOU KNOW THAT THE DEAD ARE STILL
WALKING
AFTER YOU REALIZE THAT SILENCE IS TALKING
THAT OUTSIDE AND INSIDE ARE JUST AN ILLUSION
WHAT IS LEFT?
| MEAN, LIKE, WHERE IS THE SUN?
WHERE ARE HER ARMS AND WHERE ARE HER KISSES?
THERE ARE LIP PRINTS ON MY PILLOW
| AM SEARCHING
WHAT IS LEFT?
| MEAN, LIKE, NOTHING IS STANDSTILL AND
NOTHING IS ABSTRACT
THE WING OF A BUTTERFLY CAN'T TAKE FLIGHT
THE FOOT ON MY NECK IS A PART OF A BODY
THE SONG THAT I SING IS A PART OF AN ECHO
WHAT IS LEFT?
| MEAN, LIKE, LOVE IS SPECIFIC
1S MY MIND A MACHINE GUN?
IS MY HEART A HACKSAW?
CAN | MAKE FREEDOM REAL? YEAH,
WHAT IS LEFT?
| AM AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF A LOWER-ARCHY
| AM IN LOVE WITH LOSERS AND LAUCGHTER
I AM IN LOVE WITH FREEDOM AND CHILDREN
LOVE IS MY SWORD AND TRUTH IS MY COMPASS
WHAT IS LEFT?
© Assata Shakur/Joanne Chesimard; courtesy of Assata
Shakur Defense Committee.
creativity, woman reaches the highest possible
point in the evolution of her species.
But, on the contrary, woman is discovering
that the patriarchal world needs her—that
man’s self-liberating efforts absolutely depend
on her—and that woman’s liberation can only
be realized independent of patriarchal previ-
sions and the dynamics by which men liberate
themselves. The artist depends upon woman to
glorify his work and she, until she begins her
own liberation, is happy to oblige. The work of
art cannot afford to lose the security inherent in
her exclusively receptiverole.
Once aware of her position in relation to
male creativity, woman is left with two possi-
bilities: the first—until now, the only available
option— of distinguishing herself within the cre-
ative hierarchy historically defined by men
(which alienates her from other women while
men recognize her only indulgently); or—the
feminist alternative—of autonomously recover-
ing her own creativity, nourished by her aware-
ness of past oppression.
To celebrate male creativity is ultimately to
submit to the historic sovereignty of men, to
that patriarchal strategy which deliberately sub-
jugates us. But let woman remove herself, and
the struggle for male supremacy becomes not
man lording it over woman, but merely a strug-
gle between individual men.
By refusing to celebrate male creativity, we
are not judging creativity, nor are we contesting
it. Rather, with our absence, we are refusing to
accept it as defined; we are challenging the
concept of art as something which men gra-
ciously hand down to us. By ceasing to believe
in a refracted liberation, we are unleashing
creative energy from patriarchal bonds.
With her absence, woman performs a dramat-
ic act of awareness, creative because it is liber-
ating.
*Text written by Rivolta Femminile, March 1971; free
translation by Arlene Ladden from Carla Lonzi, Sputiamo
su Hegel: La Donna clitoridea e la donna vaginale e altri
scritti, Scritti di Rivolta Femminile, 1,2,3, Milan, 1974.
Y XANNE XL RN R AR ENENRENXENN
Assata Shakur (Joanne Chesimard) has been associated
with the Black Panther Party and other political groups,
including the Black Liberation Army, which she has said “is
not an organization. Itis a concept. A people’s movement,
an idea” emerging from conditions in the Black commu-
nity. She is currently a political prisoner being held in New
Jersey, ostensibly on charges of bank robbery.
WHAT IS LEFT?
Assata Shakur
WHAT IS LEFT? 101
AFTER THE BARS AND THE GATES AND THE
DEGRADATION
WHAT IS LEFT?
AFTER THE LOCK INS AND THE LOCK OUTS AND THE
LOCK UPS
WHAT IS LEFT?
| MEAN, AFTER THE CHAINS THAT GET ENTANGLED
IN THE GREY OF ONE'S MATTER
AFTER THE BARS THAT GET STUCK IN THE HEARTS
OF MEN AND WOMEN
WHAT IS LEFT?
AFTER THE TEARS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS
AFTER THE LONELY ISOLATION
AFTER THE CUT WRIST AND THE HEAVY NOOSE
WHAT IS LEFT?
| MEAN, LIKE, AFTER THE COMMISSARY KISSES
AND THE GET-YOUR-SHIT-OFF-BLUES
AFTER THE HUSTLER HAS BEEN HUSTLED
WHAT IS LEFT?
AFTER THE SAD FUTILE MANEUVERS
AFTER THE SHRILL AND BARREN LAUGHTER
AFTER THE CONTRABAND EMOTIONS
WHAT IS LEFT?
AFTER THE MURDERBURGERS AND THE GOON SQUADS
AND THE TEAR GAS
AFTER THE BULLS AND THE BULLPENS AND THE
BULLSHIT
WHAT IS LEFT?
| MEAN LIKE, AFTER YOU KNOW THAT GOD CAN'T BE
TRUSTED
AFTER YOU KNOW THAT THE SHRINK IS A PUSHER
THAT THE WORD IS A WHIP, AND THE BADGE IS
A BULLET
WHAT IS LEFT?
AFTER YOU KNOW THAT THE DEAD ARE STILL
WALKING
AFTER YOU REALIZE THAT SILENCE IS TALKING
THAT OUTSIDE AND INSIDE ARE JUST AN ILLUSION
WHAT IS LEFT?
| MEAN, LIKE, WHERE IS THE SUN?
WHERE ARE HER ARMS AND WHERE ARE HER KISSES?
THERE ARE LIP PRINTS ON MY PILLOW
| AM SEARCHING
WHAT IS LEFT?
| MEAN, LIKE, NOTHING IS STANDSTILL AND
NOTHING IS ABSTRACT
THE WING OF A BUTTERFLY CAN'T TAKE FLIGHT
THE FOOT ON MY NECK IS A PART OF A BODY
THE SONG THAT I SING IS A PART OF AN ECHO
WHAT IS LEFT?
| MEAN, LIKE, LOVE IS SPECIFIC
1S MY MIND A MACHINE GUN?
IS MY HEART A HACKSAW?
CAN | MAKE FREEDOM REAL? YEAH,
WHAT IS LEFT?
| AM AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF A LOWER-ARCHY
| AM IN LOVE WITH LOSERS AND LAUCGHTER
I AM IN LOVE WITH FREEDOM AND CHILDREN
LOVE IS MY SWORD AND TRUTH IS MY COMPASS
WHAT IS LEFT?
© Assata Shakur/Joanne Chesimard; courtesy of Assata
Shakur Defense Committee.
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