Colonialism and Oppression in the African Diaspora The experiences of women in the African diaspora are as diverse as the regions they have come to inhabit. Despite the variety of their local realities, African and African-descended women across the planet share many common experiences. Wherever they have made their homes, these women tend to occupy inferior or marginalized positions within their societies. Whether in the United States, Europe, Latin America, or even Africa itself, black women face what Patricia Hill Collins describes as a “matrix of domination” that, for centuries, has perpetuated their subjugation and oppression. According to Collins, a matrix of domination is a global social organization in which intersecting oppressions are created and maintained (Collins 246). Although these systems manifest themselves differently depending on the cultural context in which they arise, most have similar origins. In the case of both Africa and the United States, the most salient factor in the development of oppressive orders is the widespread European colonization that occurred from the 16th to the mid-20th centuries. This historic domination of Africans and their descendants, combined with the near-universal presence of patriarchy in human cultures, has helped place Black women among the most oppressed groups in the world. Arguably, the effects that European global colonialism had on the women of the countries The African diaspora can be most easily seen on the African continent. Kenyan feminist and environmental activist Wangari Maathai explores the legacy of colonialism and oppression in her home country through her moving 2006 memoir, Unbowed. Maathai explains that over the course of the middle of the document, with continued efforts at both the grassroots and theoretical levels of social justice work, Black women and all oppressed individuals will be able to liberate themselves. from the oppressive forces that have long dictated their circumstances. Works CitedCollins, Patricia Hill. Black feminist thought. New York: Routledge Classics, 2009. Print.Kolawole, Mary. Womanism and African consciousness. Trenton, NJ: African World Press, 1997. Print.Maathai, Wangari. Indomitable: A Memoir. New York: Anchor Books, 2007. Print.Older, Daniel Jose. “The Insidious Violence of Gentrification: The Truth About American Cities.” Salon. Salon, 8 April 2014. Web. 19 May 2014. Profant, Tomas. “French geopolitics in Africa: from neocolonialism to identity”. Perspectives: Central European Review of International Affairs 18.1 (2010). 41-62. Network. May 18 2014.