"Barbara Smith" is an American lesbian feminism/lesbian feminist and socialism/socialist who has played a significant role in building and sustaining Black Feminism in the United States. Since the early 1970s she has been active as a critic, teacher, lecturer, author, scholar, and publisher of Black (people)/Black feminist thought. She has also taught at numerous colleges and universities over the last twenty five years. Smith's essays, reviews, articles, short stories and literary criticism have appeared in a range of publications, including The New York Times Book Review, The Black Scholar, Ms. magazine/Ms., Gay Community News (Boston)/Gay Community News, The Guardian, The Village Voice, Conditions (magazine)/Conditions and The Nation (U.S. periodical)/The Nation. Barbara has a twin sister, Beverly Smith, who is also a lesbian feminism/lesbian feminist activist and writer.

More Barbara Smith on Wikipedia.

A major problem for Black women, and all people of color, when we are challenged to oppose anti-Semitism, is our profound skepticism that white people can actually be oppressed.

This invisibility, however, means that the opportunities for creative research are infinite.

This invisibility [of Black women], however, means that the opportunities for creative research are infinite.

We've always been struggling with obesity in medicine. We've all recognized it will take a community effort to tackle the problem.

One of the greatest gifts of Black feminism to ourselves has been to make it a little easier simply to be Black and female.

They're the law and if they're running around, you'd think they'd be telling people. I had no clue what was out there. There's so much rumor in this town.

Black women, whose experience is unique, are seldom recognized as a particular social-cultural entity and are seldom thought to be important enough for serious scholarly consideration.

You can only paint through your experience and sub-consciousness.

Black women as a group have never been fools. We couldn't afford to be.