Feminist professor came to IU, spoke of experience

On Tuesday evening, Bettina Aptheker spoke of her work with the Civil Rights movement, black power and women’s liberation. \nAptheker, a professor of feminist studies and history at the University of California, Santa Cruz spoke at the Arts and Humanities Institute. \nShe is the author of “Intimate Politics: How I Grew Up Red, Fought for Free Speech, and Became a Feminist Rebel.” \nNearly 30 people filled the small room and listened closely as she shared her life experiences. Aptheker is a lesbian feminist who joined the Communist party at age 17. She spoke about her memories and politics and how they interconnected. She left the Communist party in 1981, partly because the party would not publish her book because it was considered too feminist, and the party was, and still is, homophobic. \nAngela Davis, a well-known black activist in the Civil Rights era, was a childhood friend of Aptheker. When Davis went into prison and was “presumed guilty” by the state of New York, Aptheker was part of a movement to help obtain Davis’ bail. \nAptheker’s memoir touches on every aspect of her life, and in “Intimate Politics” she admits to being more honest than she ever has been before in writing. \n“In the first book and second book, I omitted certain things about the communist party because I didn’t want them to look bad,” she said. \nAptheker has been a part of numerous liberation movements, including serving as a co-leader for the Berkeley Free Speech Movement. She is very interested in how history is recorded, taught and what “counts” as important pieces of history. She stressed that it is important for students to understand and acknowledge that the 1960s Civil Rights Movement was not a new movement, but rather a continuation of a 300-year struggle. \n“I thought it was an amazing talk about issues of oppression and struggle and strategies that we have to create and think how to address oppression,” said Valerie Grim, department chair of African American and African Diaspora Studies.\nIn her lecture, as well as her book, Aptheker consistently spoke of the importance and relevant connection between personal experiences and politics. The experiences a person has in his or her lifetime shapes outlooks and future experiences. \n“There is no single truth, no historical truth,” Aptheker said. “It is only an approximation of what we think might have happened.”