Nothing Distant About It Summary

In her essay, “Nothing Distant About It” Echols describes “identity politics” as “[the idea] that identity is the basis of politics” (Echols, 44). For example, a person who identifies as an African American, heterosexual female will have different political views than an Asian American, homosexual male based on personal experiences associated with these identities. The man, for example, might be more active in pride parades or advocating for LGBTQ rights while the woman might be more concerned with issues relating to racist hiring practices. Because these people have different identities, they might be active in different political campaigns or not even recognize some issues based on certain areas of privilege. While the idea of the personal being political focuses on how politics shapes our daily experiences, identity politics focuses on how our daily experiences shape our political views. Practicing identity politics can be beneficial in giving people a support system
Though many of them had been part of feminist and Black liberation movements, racism and sexism within the movements hid their contribution and led them to form their own organization, as demonstrated when they write “It was our experience and disillusionment within these [Black] liberation movements, as well as experience on the periphery of the white male left, that led to the need to develop a politics that was antiracist, unlike those of white women, and antisexist, unlike those of Black and white men” (Combahee, 211). By founding an organization solely based on their identity as colored women they created a space where they could, “look more deeply into our own experiences and… build a politics that will change our lives and inevitably end our oppression” (Combahee,