Feminist discusses black gays

Publisher, author and activist Barbara Smith -- a radical, black, lesbian feminist -- examined the historical role of African-American homosexuals before an audience of more than 50 students, faculty and community members at the Annenberg School for Communication last night. Smith discussed how black gays and lesbians view their community -- and how their community, in turn, views them. She also discussed her soon to be released book, African American Lesbian and Gay History, which examines, among other things, the Harlem Renaissance period and the life of C. Glenn Carrington, a leftist, black homosexual. Smith's work is the first of its kind, because for many years, most African-American women did not have the education and resources to take on the "complex scope" of this topic, she said. "I think it's so important for all people, no matter what their sexual orientation, race or class, to know that they have a past and that they have a culture, accomplishments and stories that are worth preserving and sharing," she said. Smith, who was the closing speaker for the Bisexual Gay Lesbian Awareness Days, has edited, written and co-written several books on sexism and racism. According to Bob Schoenberg, coordinator for the Program for the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Community at Penn, B-GLAD was not only aimed at the lesbian and gay community at the University, but also focused on "increasing the awareness of the community about its members." Overall, student reaction to the lecture was very positive. One student described Smith as one of those "groundbreaking intellectuals that we don't get to hear often at Penn." Smith is editor, publisher, and co-founder of Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press. The research for her book is being funded by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, which is part of the New York Public Library. This is the first time that the Schomburg Center, which is one of the most distinguished institution of its kind in the country, has funded research in gay or lesbian studies.

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