Have you guys heard of Phyllis Wheatley? She was the first African American to publish a book of poetry, and before publishing her book she was examined by a panel of people to certify she really could write poetry because white men were just sure that a black women couldn’t do what she did. I think her case is a good illustration of how bad priors (black women can’t write poetry) can be difficult to update (to prove them wrong it wasn’t enough to have a book of poetry written by a black women, but she had to demonstrate the ability to spontaneous write po... (read more)
Have you guys heard of Phyllis Wheatley? She was the first African American to publish a book of poetry, and before publishing her book she was examined by a panel of people to certify she really could write poetry because white men were just sure that a black women couldn’t do what she did. I think her case is a good illustration of how bad priors (black women can’t write poetry) can be difficult to update (to prove them wrong it wasn’t enough to have a book of poetry written by a black women, but she had to demonstrate the ability to spontaneous write po... (read more)