The tribulations and needs of African-American women are unique and have not been addressed by the feminist movement, said Brenda J. Verner, a noted Africana Womanist.

Verner spoke at the Student Center Wednesday night to a crowd of 75 people. Her lecture, Africana Womanism:Why Feminism has Failed to Lure Black Women, was part of Black History Month cele-brations.

I’m not here to wage war and I’m not here as an apologist, Verner said.

I’m here as a defender of my culture.

Verner worked within the women’s movement for 20 years, but left three years ago because of racial conflict within a national women’s organization.

Although the feminist move-ment contains some legitimate issues which many African-American women support, issues such as equal pay for equal work, affordable child care and rape crisis intervention, it also includes issues that go against the fundamental beliefs held by most African Americans, Verner said.

Rather than fighting for economic equality, the feminist movement has become a tool to promote anti-male and anti-Christian rhetoric, lesbianism and abortion, she said.

Over and over, we hear them speaking for black women; telling the world that poor black women need abortions, because upper class white women have access to them, she said.

By focusing on this issue, feminists promote the image of the poor, ignorant African-American welfare mother, Verner said.

Abortions won’t empower us money will, she said.

Rather than seeking funding for abortions, she said indivi-duals who truly want to help should be supporting African American women-owned busi-nesses and fighting to ensure women receive necessary training to prepare themselves for top executive positions, she said.

Some African-American women have accepted feminism as the official voice for American women, Verner said.

Feminists have successfully seduced some young college

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students by having token African American representatives speak about non-controversial issues, she said.

Denise Kerr, a senior in history from Evanston, said she has never been lured in by these individuals and agrees with Verner’s beliefs.

She addressed issues which are not commonly known and have been neglected within the feminist movement, Kerr said.

Kerr said she agreed with Verner’s statement that African American women’s views have been suppressed within the feminist movement.

Blacks were not allowed to speak vocally, Kerr said. Feminists could not address black issues because they were appealing to white men.