Triple oppression

Triple oppression is a theory developed by black socialists in the United States, such as Claudia Jones. The theory states that a connection exists between various types of oppression, specifically classism, racism, and sexism. It hypothesizes that you must strike concurrently at all three types of oppression to overcome the oppression. It is also referred to as “double jeopardy,” Jane Crow, triple exploitation, or triple oppression.

For an example of triple oppression in practice, consider a factory that contains both men and women of various ethnic backgrounds. If the workers hold racist and sexist beliefs, triple oppression says they will fail to unite to obtain better working conditions, because they are hamstrung by these beliefs.

Claudia Jones

Claudia Jones synthesized and popularized the “triple oppression” paradigm to describe black women’s oppression. Jones was sure to articulate a socialist feminism that took into account not just race, but the disparate struggles of all working women. Jones felt that black American women experienced a unique form of oppression that was not acknowledged by feminism. She argued that with the liberation of black women, black nationalism would be much more achievable. She says on follows “once Negro women undertake action, the militancy of the whole Negro people, and thus of the anti-imperialist coalition is greatly enhanced.”

See also

• Socialism
• Intersectionality
• Black feminism
• Womanism

Further reading

• Davies, Carole Boyce. Claudia Jones: Beyond Containment (Ayebia Clarke Publishing Ltd), Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2011.
• Davies, Carole Boyce. Left of Karl Marx: The Political Life of Black Communist Claudia Jones, Duke University Press Books, 2008.
• Viehmann, Klaus. Three Into One: The Triple Oppression Of Racism, Sexism And Class, Paper Street, 2004.
• All India Democratic Women's Association. The triple burden: Some issues of class and caste oppression of women (AIDWA publication series), B. Karat on behalf of AIDWA, 1999.

External links

• Three Into One: The Triple Oppression of Racism, Sexism, and Class, by Klaus Viehmann, hosted by Senza Censura.org
• Claudia Jones profile, hosted on Black History Pages.net.