The 1970’s were an exciting time. As college students, we were adjusting to the times and to fashion. Our fashion was an expression of our personalities. Males and females wore their hair in stylish Afro’s to reflect ethnic heritage. Females wore Afro puffs, love knots, or kept their hair long. My hair was too long to wear in an Afro therefore I twisted it in a knot on top of my head or just wore it long. Females wore mini-dresses and skirts, sizzler dresses (very short dresses with matching mini shorts), jumpers, disco outfits and mid drift tops. Both sexes wore bell bottom pants and jeans, disco tee shirts, dashiki’s and platform shoes. Females wore knee high boots, lace up boots, and disco sandals. Window pane and fishnet stockings were popular. Our hair and our own sense of fashion became our personal liberation.
We were tired of the trauma of racism, the Vietnam War and crooked politicians. It was important to elect politicians that support, propose and create laws or policies that were best for all people. The world was changing and we were changing with it. We were involved in the social problems women faced. More women were becoming educated and started careers of their own. In previous generations, most women were economically dependent upon men to provide for their families. The Women’s Rights or Liberation movement grew from the civil rights movement. It was a struggle for equality, equal opportunities and freedom from male oppression. Some issues common to women were freedom from sexual violence, fair wages and equal pay, reproductive rights, equal rights in the law, and freedom from discrimination in the workplace.
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Because of the harsh realities in life, I gained survival skills. My parents taught me to be strong and resilient. Their faith in God never wavered. Because of racist segregated laws, I grew up in cold, drafty and hot shacks, was bused to and from school and still became a college graduate. I’m forever grateful to the civil rights and women’s rights movements. My feet were frostbitten while sleeping in the cold shack but I used the same feet to march for justice. I fainted at school due to hunger but learned to volunteer and serve others. After giving my life to God, He strategically placed mentors and teachers in my life to help me navigate through these harsh realities. He gave me a gift of discernment that I would use as I continued to go through the journey of life. There was a purpose in my poverty!
Life seem harsh to man but not to God! Antagonism toward people of other colors, ethnic backgrounds, and economic levels is contrary to God. Even in the face of injustice, God is faithful!
References
Saul McLeod. “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.” Wikipedia. Updated 2018. Accessed February 1, 2020.
“Erik Erikson”. Wikipedia. Accessed February 1, 2020.
The ACLU Women’s Rights Project. “Timeline Of Major Supreme Court Decisions On Women’s Rights.” Accessed February 1, 2020.