Pioneering Black Feminist, US Scholar Barbara Smith to Take York U. Audience on Journey During Lecture The Truth That Never Hurts... 30 Years of Activism in Writing for Justice and Social Change

TORONTO, October 29, 1999 -- As one of the first writers in the United States to claim black feminism for black women in the early 70s, Barbara Smith helped define a black-centric activist literary tradition in her writings on the sexual politics of female minorities, homophobia against black lesbians and gay men, and the connections between race, class, sexuality, and gender.

Smith's lecture will touch upon the issues flowing from such events as the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas Senate hearings and police brutality against Rodney King. She will also field questions from the audience during a free lecture at York University, Mon., Nov. 1, 7 p.m. entitled The Truth That Never Hurts... 30 years of Activism in Writing for Justice and Social Change. The lecture will be held in the Moot Court, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, 4700 Keele St.

"Smith is an outstanding, activist and scholar. Her work on the interconnections between race, class, sexuality and gender have moved us forward in the work of anti-oppression not only in the US but in Canada as well," said Heather Dryden, Advisor for York University's Centre for Race & Ethnic Relations.

Smith co-founded Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, and was the first black woman appointed to the Modern Language Association's Commission on the Status of Women in the Profession. Her seminal 1977 essay Toward a Black Feminist Criticism puts forth the notion that a black women's literary tradition not only exists, but thrives.

Smith will also sign copies and read from her latest book The Truth that Never Hurts: Writings on Race, Gender and Freedom (1998, Rutgers University Press), a collection of essays exploring sexual politics, racism, women's studies, and homophobia, during a reception at the Toronto Women's Bookstore, 73 Harbord St. (at Spadina Ave.), Sun., Oct. 31, 6 p.m.

The events are co-sponsored by York University's Centre for Race & Ethnic Relations and the Toronto Women's Bookstore.

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For further information, please contact:

Heather Dryden
Advisor, Centre for Race & Ethnic Relations
York University
(416) 736-5682
email: hdryden@yorku.ca

Ken Turriff
Media Relations Officer
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22086
email: kturriff@yorku.ca
YU/111/99