1934: (The Paradox of Price-Mars’s Vision — His Presence Reflecting LFAS Leaders’ Willingness to Openly Critique Class Cultural and Color Privilege, Yet the …

1934: (The Paradox of Price-Mars’s Vision — His Presence Reflecting LFAS Leaders’ Willingness to Openly Critique Class Cultural and Color Privilege, Yet the Celebration of African Ancestry Not Necessarily Equaling the Absence of Color Prejudice — Elite Haitians Often Celebrating Culture Without Challenging Prejudices Toward People Who Practiced It, in Price-Mars’s Formulation Rural Women Embodied a Cultural Authenticity That LFAS Women Had to Respect and Include but Peasant Women’s Bodies and Cultural Capital Were to Be Offered Up for Elite Women’s Entry into the Land of Origins — This Violence Enacted by Women onto Women, Yet Price-Mars Also Addressed Commonality as Black Women in Patriarchal Society and Identified Education as the Means to Overcome Domestic Mistreatment and Limited Civic Involvement, Paradoxically Providing Women a Response to Patriarchy While Being Less Demanding of Men — Explaining Men’s Multiple Partnerships as Cultural Traits Without Addressing Power Dynamics in Marriage): Price-Mars’s participation served two roles for the budding organization. His presence reflected LFAS leaders’ willingness to openly critique class, cultural, and color privilege. Yet as Trouillot, Smith, Ramsey, and others have pointed out, the celebration of African ancestry did not necessarily equal the absence of color prejudice — elite and middle-class Haitians often celebrated culture without challenging prejudices toward the people who practiced it every day. In Price-Mars’s formulation, rural women embodied a cultural authenticity that LFAS women had to respect and include in their feminist practice. But his assertion hinged on simplifications and essentializing of women and Blackness — peasant women’s bodies and cultural capital were to be offered up for elite and middle-class women’s entry into the land of origins. This violence would be enacted by women, onto women. At the same time, Price-Mars did the important work of addressing women’s commonality not only as African descended but as Black women in a patriarchal society. He identified scholastic achievement as the means by which women could overcome domestic mistreatment, consumerism, and limited civic involvement. Paradoxically, he provided women with a response to patriarchy but was less demanding of Haitian men — explaining men’s multiple partnerships within marriage as a cultural trait of African ancestry without addressing the contractual agreement or power dynamics that left married women subject to their husbands’ decision making. The continued absence of critical engagement with men’s sexuality in patriarchal society would unify women to push for legal reforms to family laws.