Fractals: A Black Feminist Organizing and Movement Building Timeline is an interactive resource spanning the 1800s to present, that documents the ongoing pulse of Black feminist leaders, action points, cultural moments, key terms, and social movements in the US.
Black Feminist Future (BFF) created Fractals to highlight the distinct trajectory of Black feminisms in the US. At BFF, we understand Black feminisms as a fractal or a never-ending pattern, infinitely complex and self-similar across different scales. The use of fractals suggests that Black feminisms continue to build on itself, changing, responding, and learning from its past.
Fractals is in no way a complete resource or database on Black feminisms. We know there are countless leaders, terms, movements, etc., that could be included. It is an ever growing resource; and you can submit additions to Fractals by completing this form.
We invite you to use Fractals as a resource to deepen your understanding of Black feminisms, key people, action points, cultural moments, social movements, and key terms across the centuries.
BFF would like to extend gratitude to Fractals collaborators Barbara Ransby, Charlene Carruthers, and the Some Of Us Are Brave: Black Feminist Organizing School 2018, and 2021 Fractals Fellow, Catherine Labiran, for their contributions and work on this project.
How to Use: A Black Feminist Organizing and Movement Building Timeline
Hover over each highlighted feature for more informationHow To Use:
- Click on dots to expand the resources in the Fractals timeline.
- Search for specific resources in the search bar, highlighted dots are the results.
- Utilize the filters below to highlight specific resources by category.
Fractals: A Black Feminist Organizing Movement Building Timeline is more than a website. Toolkits and workshops are available for BFF members, organizations, and groups.
BFF Members, check the member calendar for upcoming Fractals trainings.
Not a member? Join today or email [email protected] to request training for your group or organization.
ADD A RESOURCE
Black feminist have been organizing, resisting, naming our moments, and building movements for centuries. At Black Feminist Future, we resist the framing of “waves” to describe Black feminist history and in particular organizing and movement building. We call this legacy and on going work as Fractals. Fractals are “a never-ending pattern. Fractals are infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales. They are created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop.” Black Feminist Future with ample support from Barbara Ransby and Charlene Carruthers has created Fractals: A Black Feminist Organizing Movement Building Timeline as a resource to deepen your understanding of Black feminisms, key people, action points, cultural moments, social movements, and key terms across the decades.
We believe that the process of building out our Fractals database must be ongoing and collaborative. We invite you to submit items and join us in this process of archiving and creating Black feminist history.