History Extra Podcast – Black Women and the Fight for Human Rights
Date: September 11, 2025
Host: Rob Attar
Guest: Dr. Keisha N. Blaine (Historian, author of Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights)
Episode Overview
This episode delves into Dr. Keisha N. Blaine’s research on Black American women’s historic fight for human rights from the 19th century to the modern day. Dr. Blaine explains how these women defined and advocated for human rights—not just in the US civil rights context, but as a global, divinely inspired mandate. The discussion explores the intellectual, organizational, and transnational methods these women used, the unique barriers they faced, and their ongoing legacy in today’s activism.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Defining Human Rights: A Divine and Global Framework
[02:49]
- Dr. Blaine describes how Black women’s notion of human rights evolved:
“Broadly speaking... human rights as divinely inspired protections... not tied to a particular nation state... it’s about recognizing that because they are human, there are certain guaranteed protections that are essentially God given rights.”
- Their conceptualization was both global and rooted in universal humanity, superseding political boundaries or nation-states.
The Relationship with American Political Traditions
[04:14]
- Black women did not separate civil rights from human rights; these struggles were deeply interlinked.
“It’s not so much that they were advocating human rights and not thinking about civil rights, but that they saw the two as inseparable.”
- Example: Ida B. Wells linked US constitutional rights with international standards of human dignity, calling lynching both a violation of civil and human rights.
Advocacy Methods: Building Alliances & Harnessing Journalism
[05:57]
- Black women relied on transnational solidarity, organizing across borders to amplify impact when blocked within the US.
- Journalism was a vital platform:
“One way to do so was through writing... it becomes an avenue where they are talking to people broadly and making that argument, saying, listen, we deserve better. And not solely as citizens of the United States. We deserve better because we are human.”
- The Black press allowed their voices and visions to circulate, nourish debate, and galvanize wider communities.
Confronting Triple Oppression: Racism, Sexism, and Class
[08:16]
- Black women faced intersectional barriers: racism, sexism—including within Black institutions—and class struggles.
“So multiple battles, if you will, at the same time... They didn’t only advocate for themselves... they make a larger argument that everyone... deserves certain protections.”
- Their inclusive vision propelled a universal argument for rights regardless of background.
On Solidarity and Tensions with Other Groups
[10:33]
- Black women collaborated with Black men and White women, but conflicts over priorities (e.g. some white feminists avoiding anti-racist work) caused tension:
“She [Ida B. Wells] was really willing to work with anyone willing to work with her. And the truth is that some people didn’t want to work with her, including, you know, white feminists at the time who wanted to talk about women’s rights, but didn’t necessarily want to confront racism.”
- These relationships were crucial but often fraught.
Political Establishment Responses: Variation and Repression
[12:11]
- Some, like Mary McLeod Bethune, could enter US and international institutions (helping draft the UN Charter), gaining respect and some influence.
- More radical activists, especially those linked to the communist left, faced surveillance, travel restrictions, and repression:
“At the very same time, they’re facing government repression because they’re tied to the communist left... being targeted, surveilled, and their ideas are not being fully embraced.”
Instrumental Roles in the Civil Rights Era
[15:10]
- Featured: Margaret Cartwright’s connections between African decolonization and the US civil rights movement. She bridged local and international struggles, introducing figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. to African leaders.
“[Cartwright] played a key role in merging these two histories... She attended the Bandung Conference... and made the argument that what’s happening here is tied to our struggles within the US context.”
International Campaigns and Messy Solidarities
[19:31]
- Early Black women like Madam C.J. Walker supported Afro-Asian solidarity—sometimes even collaborating with Japanese activists pre-WWII, though such relationships could be “messy and complex.”
- These international networks sometimes brought suspicion, arrest, or isolation, especially during the Red Scare and WWII era.
Spreading Ideas: The Crucial Role of the Black Press
[22:13]
- The Black press disseminated news, debate, and international perspectives, keeping non-travelers informed and fostering dialogue:
“The newspaper becomes such a powerful source... not just for me, the researcher, but thinking about it within the historical context and the political moment.”
- Letters to editors and reprinted articles created a shared consciousness.
Facing Resistance and Surveillance
[26:09]
- Black women activists were surveilled by government agencies, and sometimes ostracized from their own communities for controversial alliances or politics.
Shifting Focus Post-1960s: Housing, Policing, and Urban Advocacy
[28:35]
- After landmark civil rights victories, the focus shifted to policing, housing, and ongoing systemic inequalities.
“Now the focus has shifted to other things... women shift their focus on police violence and state sanctioned violence broadly in the 1970s, in the 1980s, and in the 1990s...”
Legacy in Contemporary Activism
[31:37]
- Dr. Blaine sees clear connections between early and current Black women’s activism, especially during and after the 2020 protests:
“I could hear the echoes of some of the things that I had been reading about from the 20s, from the 30s, from the 40s, and I started to draw those connections... even when individuals pass away, ideas continue to circulate.”
Personal Stories: Kadi Diallo and Living Legacies
[33:58]
- The story of Kadi Diallo (mother of Amadou Diallo, killed by NYPD in 1999):
“She essentially goes from not being too interested in politics to someone who then plays a key role in the struggle for human rights, because she’s transformed by the experience... gives herself completely to this struggle.”
- Her experience exemplifies “human rights from the ground up”—how ordinary people become extraordinary agents for change through personal tragedy.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- [02:49] Dr. Blaine: “For these women, it’s about recognizing that because they are human, there are certain guaranteed protections that are essentially God given rights. And because they’re divinely inspired, no one can essentially take them away.”
- [05:57] Dr. Blaine: “Transnational political solidarities... became one avenue. One of the other things... journalism... at a moment where so many of these women were largely shut out of the more formal political spaces.”
- [10:33] Dr. Blaine: “People were willing to work with others as long as they felt like they were collaborating with someone who respected them... even if there were complexities and difficulties along the way.”
- [28:35] Dr. Blaine: “Now the focus has shifted to other things... women shift their focus on police violence and state sanctioned violence... They ultimately say this is a violation of human rights... we need to let the world know what’s happening in our communities...”
- [31:37] Dr. Blaine: “It’s so, I think, fascinating the way that activists of today draw upon this longer tradition and at times are not even aware that they’re doing so, but they are doing so... it gives you a sense of hope.”
- [33:58] Dr. Blaine (on Kadi Diallo): “This is essentially an ordinary individual who felt compelled to do something and did it, and to this day continues to work transnationally... Just a very inspirational figure.”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [02:36] — Opening of main conversation: How Black women defined and refined human rights
- [05:57] — Strategies, solidarities, and the pivotal role of journalism
- [08:16] — The compounded challenges of racism, sexism, and class
- [10:33] — Collaborations and conflicts across gender and racial lines
- [12:11] — Responses from political establishments and government repression
- [15:10] — Black women’s instrumental roles in civil rights campaigns
- [19:31] — Global alliances and the complexity of transnational activism
- [22:13] — The Black press as a window to the world and a forum for debate
- [26:09] — Surveillance and internal community resistance
- [28:35] — Shifts in activism focus post-civil rights legislation
- [31:37] — Modern echoes: The legacy and influence on contemporary activists
- [33:58] — Personal story: Kadi Diallo’s transformation after her son’s death
Conclusion
This episode offers a rich, nuanced look at Black women’s crucial—yet too often overlooked—role in advancing human rights in America and beyond. Through strategic alliances, intellectual innovation, and persistent courage, these women asserted that human rights transcend boundaries, identities, and eras—a struggle that persists and inspires to this day.
Recommended Reading:
Kesha N. Blaine, "Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights" (Norton, 2024)