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Formed in 1974 in Boston and cofounded by Barbara Smith, the
Combahee River Collective (CRC) took its name from the South Carolina river that was the site of a military action led by
Harriet Tubman that freed hundreds of slaves. As stated by the CRC, they were "a Black feminist group in Boston whose
name came from the guerrilla action conceptualized and led by Harriet Tubman on June 2, 1863, in the Port Royal region of
South Carolina. This action freed more than 750 slaves and is the only military campaign in American history planned and led
by a woman." This influential statement succinctly analyzed the divergences and convergences between the Black Arts Movement
and the Black feminist movement. Combahee River Collective was founded to work on African-American women's issues.
During its six years of existence, this group worked on issues including violence against women, racism, sexism and heterosexism
and reproductive rights.
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