Attending an Author Talk (2-3 pts)

 

What does it mean to leave behind a legacy? That was the main question that I pondered throughout the duration of the book launch of Dr. Guy-Sheftall’s seminal collection of writings, Black! Feminist! Free!  This book serves as a culmination of Dr. Guy-Sheftall’s life's work of birthing new worlds into being that didn't exist before she stepped on the scene. The gift that is the Spelman College Women's Research and Resource Center was a pioneering project that has impacted and touched so many lives. Many questioned why it was necessary to have a women's center at a historically Black women's college, but Dr. Guy-Sheftall had the critical consciousness to see that, despite the demographics of Spelman's student body, there was a noticeable absence of a radical Black feminist politic. She had the foresight and the dedication to imagine and actualize that space. Besides her founding of the Women's Research and Resource Center, Dr. Guy-Sheftall has had an indelible impact on the academy as a whole, especially as an architect of what is now Black feminist studies.  Before I began my journey at Spelman, and as a Comparative Women's Studies major, I hadn't heard of her work, but now that I have, I see her name and work mentioned in most of the texts that I read, and so many Black feminist scholars invoke her name in relation to their work. Her deliberate choice for most of her scholarly work to have been in collaboration with others is evidence of a clear devotion to practicing a communal Black feminist ethic. The legacy that Dr. Guy-Sheftall is leaving behind as she gets to the end of her academic career is not only massive in and of itself, but is connected to so many others, which is what makes it special. 

When I think about the type of scholar that I desire to be, Dr. Guy-Sheftall immediately comes to mind because of the way that she has chosen to move through the academy. It is no secret that the academy is a soul-crushing and violent space for Black women, and many choose to conform and assimilate in order to survive within it. Dr. Guy-Sheftall has rejected that notion and has remained authentic and true to herself regardless of the negative response she has received from the institution.  As someone who understands the academy to be a vessel for my work and not the other way around, I greatly admire this self-assuredness that allows you to remain steadfast in your values and principles. The legacy that I want to leave behind is one that was constantly pushing, dissenting, dismantling, and building. Even more so, I want a strong love ethic to be at the center of the work I do, which, as I mentioned during my short address at the book launch, I believe that a Black feminist love ethic is what has driven much of Dr. Guy-Sheftall's work. I don't believe it is possible to truly do Black feminist work without love, for both the work and the people. 

I am so incredibly grateful that I was able to be present for what is undoubtedly a historical moment, at least for me. I remain encouraged to continue to be more Black, more feminist, and more free. 

- Gabrielle Cassell