CELEBRATING WOMEN: Remembering Dr. Julia Hare (1939-2019)
Rounding out Women’s History Month with an affectionate look at the fire-spitting Pan-Africanist and tireless advocate for the Black family
One remarkable woman whom I am very concerned with celebrating and remembering this Women’s History Month is the late, great Dr. Julia Hare. Dr. Hare was a musician, a scholar, a prolific writer, a Pan-Africanist, and a passionate advocate for the health and wellbeing of Black people, with a particular focus on the Black family as an endangered institution.
Perhaps her most iconic public appearance was when she spoke on a panel at the 2007 State of the Black Union, which was at the time an annual event organized by Tavis Smiley that aired on C-SPAN (it was discontinued in 2010). Here is a Youtube clip of that appearance – please watch it in full!
Notice the uproarious applause and standing ovations that Dr. Hare received throughout her comments. She knew her people, and she had a flare not only for thorough analysis of the interlocking plights faced by African Americans, but for articulating them in a relatable and even an entertaining way.
Notice as well that the audience members have a greater and more pronounced affection for her than do the “leading Blacks” with whom she shared the stage. Angela Glover Blackwell practically scowls at her throughout her comments. As courageous as one must be to speak truth to power, it takes all the more courage to directly confront the sellouts among one’s own ranks, as she did here.
Just within this short clip, one can see a 21st century rendering of the ages-old dialectic between Black luminaries who are “for the people” and those who endeavor to assimilate into the majority society without regard for the ones they leave behind. Dr. Hare was a woman of and for the people, and the people loved her in return. No one who who shared the stage with her that afternoon received nearly the degree of audience support that she did. You can see the entire panel here:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?196530-2/state-black-union-2007-afternoon-session.
Dr. Hare observed within her lifetime the subtle campaign of subterfuge waged against the Black family, and rightfully saw it for the radical evil that it is. Welfare policies that incentivize mothers not to marry, mass incarceration, and propaganda that seeks to pit Black men and women against each other all play into this. Her analysis of the ways in which the system utilizes public education and social work to deepen this destruction is spot-on, and resonates strongly with our own time, in which the state of California (where she lived for most of her adult life) is now considering legislation that would remove trans-identified children from their parents should the parents refuse to comply with sterilizing procedures that cannot be reversed.
She was a woman ahead of her time, and her insights were often too penetrating for “insiders” and “outsiders” alike. She knew that the racial progress made during the Civil Rights era was more tentative and less complete than what many so-called “leaders” of all colors would have us believe. She was a realist, but not a pessimist. She always believed in the ability of Black people to overcome the obstacles of oppression and systemic racism.
In another speech, “Stolen Property – Black Women Facing the 21st Century,” Dr. Hare stated the following:
“I know it appears difficult, that we have an ominous task before us. But three years has never been too long for a Black woman to do anything that she wanted to do – am I right? … We are used to having struggles, we are used to having obstacles. Because, our grandmothers told us long time ago, there are three types of Black women: there are those who make it happen, there are those who watch it happen, and there are those who don’t know what happened.”
You can view that speech here:
She ended it with an empowering nugget of wisdom for her audience:
“If we stumble or if we fall … try to fall on our backs, because if we can look up, we can get up!”
Her marriage to Dr. Nathan Hare—a sociologist, professor, and writer—was an inspiration to all who knew them. They were partners in life and in passion, and they were deeply and very openly in love. They co-wrote many books together on Black sexual politics and the trespasses of the Black bourgeoisie, among other topics. Their love was a gift to the world and to the Pan-Africanist community especially.
Tragically, Dr. Julia Hare succumbed to her years-long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2019. Dr. Nathan Hare remains alive to this day, though he also has Alzheimer’s. Congresswoman Barbara Lee was one of the most high-profile speakers at Dr. Julia Hare’s Celebration of Life ceremony.
“She is a woman who was way ahead of her time, and I remember as a student, Mills College, saying ‘Oh, one day I’d like to be like Dr. Julia Hare,’” Lee stated.
An edited video of the event is available to view here:
Lee continued, “Just as an African-American woman, you know sometimes we don’t have these types of role models, who speak out constantly, who speak truth to power, I mean, in the day, and she was one who did that and continues to do it.”
Whereas so many who “climb the ladder” of success swallow compromises at every step, Dr. Julia Hare stayed true to herself and her innate fearlessness for her entire career.
“She was truly our shero,” Lee concluded.
Dr. Nathan Hare was present that day, but was unable to speak due to his Alzheimer’s. Several attendees read aloud passages about Julia that he had written prior to his cognitive decline. The poignancy and fulsomeness of these orations should not be watered down by quoted excerpts; those who are curious should watch the event in full.
Dr. Julia Hare’s books—including many that she co-wrote with her husband—are now largely out of print, and we are at serious risk of losing her work and her memory to history if we do not take action to prevent this. I offer my comments on this topic, and on Dr. Hare generally, here:
Rest in Power, Dr. Julia Hare!