Dear Ms. Simone:
Your life has been rocked hard by the sexual violence you experienced from your husband. Unfortunately,
not only is this problem ubiquitous in American society, but women are disproportionately on the receiving
end of this violence. However, what distinguishes you from most other women is that you were attacked by
your husband at the same time you’re black and the Civil Rights was going strong. Would Andrew have
actually supported your cause for the Civil Rights Movement had he put aside the business aspect of your work?
I learned about the problem of being a black women as more than being black and a women. We have to
analyze the whole picture instead of each construct broken down. You put as much passion and energy
into the same cause as Malcolm X, yet you aren’t as recognized in textbook as he is. What aspects do
you think of being a women in this cause differed you from your male counterparts? Was Andrew on your
mind whenever you sang in front of crowds in the South? Did the idea of your husband, and what
he would do to you, affect your performances rallying for black power? As we see later in your life, this
stack of issues deeply planted demons inside you. But as a result of these tensions and struggles, you’ve
created a fiercely beautiful art within your singing and playing, like a caterpillar metamorphosing into a
monarch butterfly. In fact, your close friend, your sister, Attallah Shabazz, said that you were “a free spirit
in an era that didn’t really appreciate a woman’s genius.” Truly, your impact in the music industry and the
Civil Rights deserves so much more credit than was given in reality. You have empowered an entire group to
fight for their freedoms and their identity.
not only is this problem ubiquitous in American society, but women are disproportionately on the receiving
end of this violence. However, what distinguishes you from most other women is that you were attacked by
your husband at the same time you’re black and the Civil Rights was going strong. Would Andrew have
actually supported your cause for the Civil Rights Movement had he put aside the business aspect of your work?
I learned about the problem of being a black women as more than being black and a women. We have to
analyze the whole picture instead of each construct broken down. You put as much passion and energy
into the same cause as Malcolm X, yet you aren’t as recognized in textbook as he is. What aspects do
you think of being a women in this cause differed you from your male counterparts? Was Andrew on your
mind whenever you sang in front of crowds in the South? Did the idea of your husband, and what
he would do to you, affect your performances rallying for black power? As we see later in your life, this
stack of issues deeply planted demons inside you. But as a result of these tensions and struggles, you’ve
created a fiercely beautiful art within your singing and playing, like a caterpillar metamorphosing into a
monarch butterfly. In fact, your close friend, your sister, Attallah Shabazz, said that you were “a free spirit
in an era that didn’t really appreciate a woman’s genius.” Truly, your impact in the music industry and the
Civil Rights deserves so much more credit than was given in reality. You have empowered an entire group to
fight for their freedoms and their identity.
Sincerely,
Daniel