Intersectional Echoes: Angela Davis’ Framework and African Feminist Liberation Strategies

Abstract

This research article examines Angela Davis’ theoretical framework and analysis of capitalist exploitation, racial oppression, and patriarchal systems; and its profound, yet complex, impact on feminist liberation strategies in Africa. The central problem addressed is the systemic and mutually constitutive nature of these oppressions, which disproportionately marginalize Black women and women of color, and the challenges inherent in translating Davis’ unified, intersectional approach across the diverse socio-political landscapes of African feminist movements. The paper aims to explore how Davis' ideas have fundamentally shaped contemporary African feminist strategies, with key objectives including analyzing her theoretical contributions, assessing their influence on distinct African feminist activisms, and evaluating the controversies surrounding the applicability of the framework. Methodologically, this paper employs a historical-materialist and comparative textual analysis, drawing on Davis’ primary texts alongside secondary critical literature on African feminist movements. Case studies are selected on the basis of regional representativeness and the salience of Davis’ three core analytical categories, namely racial oppression, capitalist exploitation, and patriarchal systems, within their distinct socio-political contexts, in order to assess cross-contextual applicability. Key findings reveal that Davis' intersectional approach provides a crucial critical lens for understanding overlapping oppressions, inspiring holistic, rather than fragmented, liberation strategies. However, debates persist regarding the framework's direct applicability in addressing the distinct material realities of African women, particularly the tension between local, anti-neoliberal organizing and global, anti-imperialist solidarity. The paper positions Davis' work as foundational yet contested, emphasizing its enduring relevance in contemporary feminist and abolitionist movements while underscoring the necessity for adaptive, context-sensitive African feminist strategies that draw inspiration from, but are not limited by her insights.