Shyntia BrionesFemale Violence and African DisporaProfessor: D. TurnerFall 2011A Concept of ViolenceAlthough acts of violence against humanity have been committed throughout history, based on the evidence read in this course, the the most targeted were women and even more women of African origin. An act of violence, is considered both, to prevent someone other than oneself from meeting basic needs and specters represented as a form of crime, where actions victimize someone; physically, emotionally and mentally. The increase in violence intensified when the colonizers conquered the New World, the lack of acceptance of different peoples, allowed the mentality of white supremacy to become a tool of subordination that worked cyclically and affected, first the indigenous people and then the African slaves. Although it was mentioned that the violence was primarily aimed at women, Amina Mama's essay “The Hidden Struggle” states that: “The assumption that violence against women is necessarily or intrinsically 'male,' for example, has been questioned by black women in the West.” (Mom, 00). One of the most horrendous crimes that physically and emotionally aggravates victims and society at large are intentional homicide, rape and aggravated assault, and in the case of men, castration during lynchings by white men. In these incidents the amount of violence used is high, resulting in criminal incidents and victimisation. Acts of rape during colonialism to maintain white power lasted for generations, as did the lack of laws to prohibit or stop these acts against enslaved women. The white man uses and classifies African slave women, when he considers them as property, in the essay Scenes of...... middle of paper......er absolutely not. White supremacy and society at large together interpret the failure to see racism, classism, homophobia and imperialism as forms of violence, is both a reflex and a mechanism to consolidate the privileges of white women. That is, privileged white women cannot bear not being able to claim the status of victims of gender oppression, as we have exposed through the discussions of this course, when race, class, sexuality, disability, and nation complicate this status. The color purple exposes this point beautifully when Sofia is forced to serve the major's wife and son to bear his children for her. White women value their roles as saviors and will readily choose women of color to capture the roles of liberators for themselves when confronted with their roles as oppressors and quickly turn into victims as well..