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Sheila Radford-Hill facts for kids

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Sheila Radford-Hill
Born (1949-12-12) December 12, 1949 (age 75)
Chicago, Illinois
Occupation Author, professor, activist
Notable work
Further To Fly: Black Women and the Politics of Empowerment

Sheila Radford-Hill (born December 12, 1949, in Chicago) is an American author, professor, and activist. An activist is someone who works to bring about social or political change. She currently serves as the head Diversity Officer at Dominican University in Illinois. She is well-known for her book, Further To Fly: Black Women and the Politics of Empowerment, published in 2000. This book explores the challenges Black women have faced in their fight for equality in America.

Sheila Radford-Hill's Education

Sheila Radford-Hill grew up in Chicago. She went to DePaul University and earned her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in English and Secondary Education in 1972.

Later, she attended The University of Pennsylvania. There, she received her Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in American Studies and Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1980. She also completed her ABD (All But Dissertation) in American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Finally, she earned her Ph.D. in Humanities from Columbia Commonwealth University in Wyoming.

About Further to Fly

Sheila Radford-Hill's book, Further to Fly: Black Women and the Politics of Empowerment, came out in 2000. It talks about how important black feminism is in the fight for equality. Feminism is the belief that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men.

The Book's Main Idea

Radford-Hill explains that black feminists had lost some of their activist spirit in the 30 years before 2000. She believes that the fight for equal rights for African-Americans needs strong support from women and the feminist community.

She argues that if black women become powerful activists again, unfair treatment based on race and money will decrease. She points to a few reasons why activism might have slowed down. These include black families moving into mostly white neighborhoods and certain ideas from the past. She also mentions that some parts of the black nationalist movement were not fair to women.

Modern Feminism and Black Women

Radford-Hill suggests that a newer type of feminism, called postmodern feminism, did not help black women feel strong. She found that this new wave of feminism seemed to be mostly for white women. Black women did not feel included or empowered by it.

How to Boost Activism

Radford-Hill offers ideas on how to make activism stronger. She encourages black feminists to look back at older feminist ideas. These older ideas were more welcoming and empowering for black women.

She also suggests that black women should:

  • Focus on today's social issues.
  • Get involved with their communities.
  • Become more active in ways that help them financially.

She believes activists must be real and honest in their work. This means truly working to make social changes happen and doing research. Radford-Hill supports all feminists working together. But her main focus is on how black women can make their activism stronger by talking and working with each other.

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