Renowned author Susan Brownmiller, known for her groundbreaking work on sexual assault titled 'Against Our Will,' passes away at the age of 90.
Feminist Pioneer Susan Brownmiller Dies at 90
Susan Brownmiller, a pivotal figure in the feminist movement and author of the influential book "Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape," has passed away at the age of 90.
Brownmiller, who had been unwell, passed away on Saturday at a hospital in New York, as confirmed by Emily Jane Goodman, a retired New York State Supreme Court justice and the executor of Brownmiller's will. Goodman described Brownmiller as an active feminist who was not one to blindly follow the latest trends but instead had her own independent voice.
Prior to becoming a feminist, Brownmiller was a journalist, anti-war protester, and civil rights activist. She played a vital role in transforming conversations about sex, marriage, reproductive rights, workplace harassment, and domestic violence in the 1960s and '70s. Brownmiller's book "Against Our Will," published in 1975, remains a seminal work in the discussion of rape, examining its roots, prevalence, and politics in various settings.
In the book, Brownmiller denounced the glorification of rape in popular culture, proposed that rape was an act of violence rather than lust, and traced rape back to the very roots of human history. Her work inspired survivors to share their stories, women to establish rape crisis centers, and contributed to the passage of marital rape laws.
However, Brownmiller's book was met with criticism and polarized opinions. Critics took issue with her assertion that rape was an act of power that benefited all men and her 1955 Emmett Till murder case analysis in "A Question of Race" chapter. Some activists, including Angela Davis, deemed Brownmiller's views as permeated with racist ideas, while others criticized her failure to fully address the complex intersections of race, gender, and violence.
In recent years, Brownmiller taught at Pace University. She leaves behind her passionate contributions to the feminist movement and an enduring legacy in the discussions surrounding rape and gender dynamics.
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The Emmett Till controversy was not focused on Brownmiller's book "Against Our Will," but rather on other aspects of her arguments regarding race and rape. Most of the contentious criticism revolved around the chapter "A Question of Race," which discussed race and rape intersection. Some critics felt that Brownmiller's analysis of FBI statistics on race representation in rape cases perpetuated racist stereotypes. Feminist critics such as bell hooks and Angela Davis argued that Brownmiller's discussion of race and rape was oversimplified and borderline racist.
The Till case itself is often cited in discussions about racial violence and injustice, but it is not directly connected to the criticisms of Brownmiller's book.
- Susan Brownmiller's book "Against Our Will" criticized the glorification of rape in popular culture, which often intersects with the realm of entertainment.
- Beyond rape, Brownmiller's work also delved into health-and-wellness and mental-health, discussing its roots and prevalence in various settings.
- In addition to her activism, Brownmiller was an avid reader and author, with "Against Our Will" being a significant contribution to the literature on general-news and politics.
- Controversy arose around Brownmiller's analysis of race and rape in her book "A Question of Race," which touched upon the intersection of race, gender, and violence, a topic also debated among celebrities and scholars in the health-and-wellness and mental-health discourse.
