This issue of the feminist publication Heresies focuses on the origins of racism. With essays, anecdotes, and personal narratives mostly written in 1982, this issue illustrates the concerns and paradoxes surrounding gender and racial equality in that era, reminding us of how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go.


Featured articles include: “The Ambiguous Journey of a Woman in Search of Culture,” an exploration of the threshold between black and white in friendship; “Some Do’s and Don’ts for Black Women Artists,” a satirical, though accurate, list of rules for women artists who aim to break into major museums; and “For the White Person Who Wants to Know How to be My Friend,” a short, helpful list of friendly (and funny) reminders for dealing with unconscious social missteps.