Patricia Hill Collins Quotes
Patricia Hill Collins is an American sociologist and Black feminist philosopher, distinguished university professor at the University of Maryland and the first African-American woman to serve as president of the American Sociological Association. Black Feminist Thought articulated the standpoint epistemology of Black women in the United States, in which the matrix of domination of race, class, gender, and sexuality is at once the object of analysis and the social location from which a distinctive critical knowledge becomes available. The quotes below are attributed to Patricia Hill Collins, organized by topic.
Patricia Hill Collins on Death
-
“Social conditions that spur large numbers of people into action are ignored in favor of a Hollywood version of history focusing on one conquering hero. Since a movement for social change is embodied in its leader, death of the leader means death of the movement.”
We don't need another Dr. King" in Civil Rights Since 1787: A Reader on the Black Struggle (2000), p. 908
Patricia Hill Collins on Justice
-
“We don't need another Dr. King" in Civil Rights Since 1787: A Reader on the Black Struggle (2000), p. 908”
Social conditions that spur large numbers of people into action are ignored in favor of a Hollywood version of history focusing on one conquering hero. Since a movement for social change is embodied in its leader, death of the leader means death of the movement. -
“…A quality public education also aims to cultivate a knowledgeable public that holds fast to broader ethical principles of equity and fairness. But an educated public requires not just information, but also skills of critical thinking that enable its members to make informed decisions. A good public education equips people with skills of critical analysis so that they can tell the difference between so-called fake news and reputable professional journalism…”
On how she defines “public education” in “Interview with Patricia Hill Collins on Critical Thinking, Intersectionality and Educational: key objectives for critical articulation on Inclusive Education” in Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies (2019)
Patricia Hill Collins on Knowledge
-
Attributed to Patricia Hill Collins:
“Knowledge produced by the oppressed is not less rigorous; it is differently rigorous.”
-
Attributed to Patricia Hill Collins:
“Theory built without standpoint is theory built on missing data.”
-
“Oppressed groups are frequently placed in the situation of being listened to only if we frame our ideas in the language that is familiar to and comfortable for a dominant group. This requirement often changes the meaning of our ideas and works to elevate the ideas of dominant groups.”
Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment (2000) p. vii -
“…In the United States, the dominant discourse is shaped by intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and nation as systems of power. In my work, I have investigated how racism, sexism, class exploitation, and heterosexism operate to shape the lived experiences of different social groups. Black women’s experiences were the point of entry into these larger questions of power and knowledge, but African-American women’s experiences are not the endpoint…”
On how she approaches any research regarding social inequality in “The Representation of African-American Women: An Interview with Patricia Hill Collins” in Global Dialogue -
“On how she approaches any research regarding social inequality in “The Representation of African-American Women: An Interview with Patricia Hill Collins” in Global Dialogue”
…In the United States, the dominant discourse is shaped by intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and nation as systems of power. In my work, I have investigated how racism, sexism, class exploitation, and heterosexism operate to shape the lived experiences of different social groups. Black women’s experiences were the point of entry into these larger questions of power and knowledge, bu -
“…In the United States and similar multicultural societies, media representations of women differ depending on varying combinations of race, gender identity, ethnicity, class and citizenship status. The white middle-class heterosexual woman holding US citizenship is held up as an ideal type for women from other groups. This is an ideal, a representation, a social construction and not an actual category of people…”
On what is considered an ideal representation of U.S. femininity in “The Representation of African-American Women: An Interview with Patricia Hill Collins” in Global Dialogue -
“On what is considered an ideal representation of U.S. femininity in “The Representation of African-American Women: An Interview with Patricia Hill Collins” in Global Dialogue”
…In the United States and similar multicultural societies, media representations of women differ depending on varying combinations of race, gender identity, ethnicity, class and citizenship status. The white middle-class heterosexual woman holding US citizenship is held up as an ideal type for women from other groups. This is an ideal, a representation, a social construction and not an actual cate
Patricia Hill Collins on Mind
-
“Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment (2000) p. vii”
Oppressed groups are frequently placed in the situation of being listened to only if we frame our ideas in the language that is familiar to and comfortable for a dominant group. This requirement often changes the meaning of our ideas and works to elevate the ideas of dominant groups. -
“On how she defines “public education” in “Interview with Patricia Hill Collins on Critical Thinking, Intersectionality and Educational: key objectives for critical articulation on Inclusive Education” in Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies (2019)”
…A quality public education also aims to cultivate a knowledgeable public that holds fast to broader ethical principles of equity and fairness. But an educated public requires not just information, but also skills of critical thinking that enable its members to make informed decisions. A good public education equips people with skills of critical analysis so that they can tell the difference betwe
Patricia Hill Collins on Politics
-
Attributed to Patricia Hill Collins:
“The matrix of domination is not a sum of separate oppressions; it is their interlocking.”
-
Attributed to Patricia Hill Collins:
“Black feminist thought is shaped by, and shapes, Black women's everyday lives.”
-
Attributed to Patricia Hill Collins:
“Empowerment requires a deep grasp of the systems against which it pushes.”