Gabrielle Civil Patriarchy

Black feminist performance artist Gabrielle Civil, demonstrates how she found her identity as a writer, poet, artist, daughter, women and feminist through live art performances. Such representation is displayed through the connection of the red dots that links between the groups throughout the performance. The theme of oppression is prevalent throughout the performance which is explored even further during a question and answer session when Civil reflects on experience which shaped her. The performance used Red rope as a metaphor to explain patriarchy, and Civil experience of facing sexism within her own family
Gabrielle Civil has discovered herself because of the connection she made with the group of people during the performance with red rope. For example, she states “Red dots turns into recognition of your red blood, veins cells,
pulse, and heart.” Through this connection, Civil relates the mystery that we sense, but can’t relate. This manifest that red rope creates an opportunity for her to build her self-identity against the universe. She later explains the connection of the red rope as it ties individuals together who are in different social locations but unite by being part of a group. This relates to how she finds her own identity as a feminist because when she was connected to the red dots, it didn’t allow her to think broader or expand her horizons as an individual due to her tied to perform as a group. She revealed that social equality of sexes is significant. She wants professional opportunities for a woman that is equal to opportunities that men have because both share the same “red rope.” Thus, red rope proves metaphor for patriarchy, sexism, and inequality that exist in society.
Gabrielle Civil invited four other people to volunteer and connected them with red rope.
However, the string falls away, yet she feels connected, which compelled other volunteers to come into a circle. She further describes during the performance that red dots belong to an individual because it’s in connection with everyone else. The first part of the production raises a question such as “what if you don’t need string, what if there is a bigger picture.” The performance portrays how she wants to see equality no matter your gender identity. The bigger picture of that is revealed through the presence of the patriarchy in society. The performance relates to Allan Johnson's book Gender Knot that has applied the definition of patriarchy based on societal manifestations of social patriarchy. It refers to patriarchy as “A social system that promotes male privilege, which is an unearned advantage given to males. Patriarchy is male-dominated, identified, and centered” (Johnson 5). Hence Civil is trying to convey through the performance that the group has a domination over her even when string falls away because of her status as a black
woman.
After her performance, there was a question and answer session in which Civil discussed about her journey from being a daughter in her father's house, Catholic school, to attend the University of Michigan, and how over time she was able to shape a new self-identity that expresses her life as a black feminist. As a daughter, she had to boil eggs and bring breakfast for her father while he watched television outside. Her past allowed her to shape the discovery of herself as a feminist. At a very young age, she started questioning her place in society. She later transferred to an all-girls Catholic high school where she realized that there was “sin going on.” During her time at her Catholic high school, she realized how society faces sexism and racism. In describing her school experience, she stated, “Even though I was a good student, never felt like it. She argued this because of the discrimination she experienced from her teachers due to her skin color and gender. It was evident to her that other students did not receive the same treatment due to their difference in the race.
Civil ended her question and answered session with an important insight about herself by turning the analysis of patriarchal oppression towards her grandparents: She replied by saying that she had hope that she would find herself with some answers. She elaborated to the audience that “there is who is here, who isn’t here? By that, she implies that sometimes we act as not who we are, but based on what others want us to see such as based on societal or gender norms. Civil performed a different series of childhood because of the way her grandmother lived her life. Civils’ grandmother was forced under a system of patriarchy to follow the idea of idolizing children and worshipping her husband. If she had feminism in her life maybe she would have chosen to live her life differently.
From a black feminist perspective, Gabrielle Civil performs feminist show Laura C. Harris series “Activating/ Performance/ Activism.” Black feminism gives her a critical to shape how she is seen in the world by taking back control of the gaze. Through performance arts, she is displaying herself as a “fat black woman.” presents with long black hair, her making an object of herself.” This display is criticized as the art of the man but not as who she really is. Even more, she has more significant questions that she raises of not just her identity, but the identity of all the black woman who has suffered. She asks a question through play that what is work that needs to be done to repair the relationship of white and black? How do we overcome the discrimination against black woman in the eyes of the world? Accordingly, it can be answered as an image of the body through a self-glanced and quitting objectification and exploitation of black woman. Through, white supremacy and patriarchy Civil creates a positive self-image that her body is the greatest wealth and not shameful or unattractive black woman.
To sum up, all of her performances, answer and question session and Activating/ Performance/ Activism series altogether highlights how black performance art is work in black cultural expression that helps Gabrielle Civil control her own identity, and thereby positively shape the identity for women of color. This also connects to the idea of multi-racial feminism in which women of color unite to bring hope over the sacrifices that they have done over time to stand; where multicultural feminists can fight for their rights to attain equality in society in all professions. Altogether, Civil demonstrates how she found her identity after oppression as a writer, poet, artist, daughter, woman and feminist through live art performances. Works Cited
Johnson, Allan G. The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy. Temple University
Press, 2014.