Feminism is making a comeback.  Aided by the internet, women across the globe are resisting gender oppression in all its old and new manifestations, making global connections and reclaiming feminism for a new era.  Since its inception, feminism has faced much external criticism, but it has also encountered powerful internal critiques.  In this series entitled “Feminism and…” I revisit these internal critiques in a bid to examine feminism’s relevance for today.  Through interviews with activists and academics, and commentary, I will assess whether feminism has successfully adapted and if it can prove a force for change in the twenty-first century.

It is 160 years since Sojourner Truth delivered a speech entitled “Ain’t I a Woman?” to a women’s convention in Ohio, to highlight the ways in which black women were excluded from contemporaneous feminist discourse.  In 1981, bell hooks rocked the world of feminism asking the same question.  In her book, “Ain’t I a Woman?”, hooks argued that the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 60s and 70s only applied to white women and that black women were being ignored.  Black women faced a double oppression – racism and sexism.  The civil rights movement championed votes and rights for black men, while black male leaders preached patriarchal, sexist values.  Feminism wanted the right for women to work – white, middle-class women that is – black women already worked.  In effect, black women’s voices and concerns were rendered invisible by these social movements, even though they were active in both.

Unfortunately, feminism’s difficult relationship with racism lives on.  As Latoya Peterson, owner of the blog Racialicious, writes, “the idea that the third wave has mastered inclusion problems is sadly mistaken… it is absolutely amazing how often we see the same problems repeat themselves time and time again.” 

Of all the things feminism’s been accused of, the critique that it is the preserve of white woman has been the hardest to shake.

In March this year, Morgane Richardson convened an event entitled “Ain’t I a Woman?” in Brooklyn, NYC.  I interviewed Morgane to ask why she felt such an event is still necessary.

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Why did you organize “Ain’t I A Woman?”

I organized “Ain’t I A Woman?” because I wanted to create a safe and fun space where we could talk about race within the feminist community.  It was also very important to me that we showcase the outstanding work that women of color have been doing for centuries within the feminist movement.

When I organize an event of this nature, it is very important to me that we reach out to those who may not have previously known about or felt included in the feminist movement.  It is for this reason that “Ain’t I A Woman?” was held in such a public and spunky venue, but also why all the organizers decided to do a few mini panels instead of one long panel.  We knew it was just as important to listen to what the activists on the stage were saying as it was to interact with them over good music and delicious drinks. 

Do you think feminism has a race problem?

The world has a race problem and feminism isn’t exclusive of that.

What problems do women of color face that mainstream feminism doesn’t address?

My immediate reaction to this question is to say that we need to move away from the idea that mainstream feminism means white.  In my book, mainstream just means popular and accepted and I do see women of color feminists who are a part of that.  The issue is that the public doesn’t necessarily want to hear about the issues of race or racism that feminists are talking about.  Race is not “sexy” and thus doesn’t sell in the same way that feminist conversations around porn and/or sexuality do, so bloggers and public speakers don’t discuss it.

As feminists, it is a tough battle speaking out against the things that matter the most to us and finding a way to make a living.  Even if we find the perfect job, say, writing for a feminist publication, we end up having to write and speak on what the public wants to hear.

So really the major issues is that women of color often don’t have the space to explain how various policies and institutional structures affect us on a daily basis. 

Do you think the problem of feminism not taking racism sufficiently into account is unique to the US given its history of injustice with regards to race?  Or is it a more general problem for feminist theory and activism?

I don’t want to say that feminism on a whole doesn’t take racism into account because there are many people who do.  That being said, absolutely! We live in an incredibly racist society and the feminist movement is still learning how to include the voices of women of color.  Women of color remain the most oppressed in the United States and abroad.  On top of working through issues of sexism, women of color must battle racism and, because it is still such an unspoken reality, many of us must fight through it alone.

Do you think there’s a danger of essentializing race when talking about ‘black’ and ‘white’ feminism?

It’s naïve to think that there is just black and white in the world and within the feminist movement.  So yes, there is a danger when saying that all white feminists or feminist of color have the same beliefs.  When we only look at people in groups, we fail to acknowledge the unique issues that face women in our world.  In order to really help, we must listen to women’s individual stories, which is what my work is all about as an anti-racist activist and the founder of Refuse the Silence.

When white feminists talk about “inclusion,” do you think there is an implicit assumption that “white” feminism is the norm into which black feminism needs to be included?

No. I don’t think that talking about inclusion explicitly means that feminists think “white” feminism is the norm. When the entire feminist community references inclusion, we are discussing those whose voices have not been a part of feminist history including undocumented citizens, people of color from the United States and abroad, people from lower economic classes, men, etc.

I do, however, think that many feminists, including white feminists, are saying that we still need to include many more people into the discussion. 

What can mainstream, white feminists do to be more open to the voices and experiences women of color?

First, we can’t assume that feminism means white.  I say this because there are many white feminists who are open to the voices and experience of women of color and there are many more who are working towards it.  Do I think that we have actually reached a point where women of color are completely included in the conversation? No, and we have a long way to go. 

As a community, we have to address the issues of racism in our society and the unique issues and disparities that women of color face.  White feminists have to start by not only creating but supporting spaces where women of color speak out.

Too often I see white and non-white mainstream feminists supporting events by women of color online via twitter and Facebook and yet they fail to show up in person.

Morgane Richardon is a professional feminist, lecturer and freelance blogger who addresses race, gender, and sexuality in today’s society… without dwelling on theorists and terminology. http://www.morganerichardson.com

Further Reading

http://www.racialicious.com/2008/04/28/the-or-versus-the-and-women-of-color-and-mainstream-feminism/

http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2007/11/trying-to-get-white-people-to-talk.html

http://www.blogher.com/frame.php?url=http://theangryblackwoman.wordpress.com/2007/11/27/on-feminism-1/

http://www.blogher.com/frame.php?url=http://theangryblackwoman.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/on-feminism-2/

http://www.refusethesilence.com/2010/04/i-have-black-friends-racial-tension-among-feminist/

http://www.doublex.com/section/news-politics/feminism%E2%80%99s-problem-race

http://femonomics.blogspot.com/2010/04/on-race-and-feminism-primer-on-feminist.html

http://www.racialicious.com/2008/04/28/does-feminism-have-to-address-race/

http://www.peopleofcolororganize.com/activism/slutwalk-whiteness-privilege-sex-trafficking-women-color/