Today in Blackness: Women of Color Go HAM on Mainstream White Feminism

Is Feminism just another extension of white privilege? According to the Twitter world, it may very well be. The hashtag #solidarityisforwhitewomen exploded today, in what Aljazeera calls a “Hashtag calling for a more diverse approach to feminism trends globally.” The hashtag was created by blogger Mikki Kendall before trending today worldwide. Ironically, the hashtag arouse out of a critique that Kendall was making about white male academic and blogger Hugo Schwyzer, who deigned himself a male feminist, to much controversy. It seems that the issues of Modern Feminism are myriad.

@NANTICOKENDN sums up the spirit of #solidarityisforwhitewomen:

Inter what???

Wikipedia defines Intersectionality as:

“the study of intersections between different disenfranchised groups or groups of minorities; specifically, the study of the interactions of multiple systems of oppression or discrimination. The theory suggests that various biological, social and cultural categories such as gender, race, class, ability, sexual orientation, species, and other axes of identity interact on multiple and often simultaneous levels, contributing to systematic injustice and social inequality.”

Basically one’s experience of “womaness” is a complex interaction of race, class, culture, sex and sexuality. And to the extent that women worldwide feel that mainstream feminism does not give voice to this complexity… well, global feminists will take to Twitter for a little public shaming. The gloves do come off, but as writer Keir Bristol mentions,

“To be clear though, this hashtag is about holding “allies” accountable. It should be self-explanatory! For too long, White, straight, cis, able-bodied women have been the face of feminism.”

Do you identify with the tweets below?

When black women who are self-declared nerds are seen as an anomaly. And white nerdiness is the social norm. #solidarityisforwhitewomen

— Black Girl Nerds (@BlackGirlNerds) August 12, 2013

#solidarityisforwhitewomen when we assume that miniskirts and tube tops = "liberated" and hijabs and modest clothing = "oppressed."

— Tae Phoenix (@TaePhoenix) August 12, 2013

#solidarityisforwhitewomen when journalists didn't bother to learn how to pronounce the name of the youngest actress 2b nominated 4 Oscar

— RoyalHoeliness (@RoyalHoeliness) August 13, 2013

https://twitter.com/alysha_chandra/status/367016603977658369

#solidarityisforwhitewomen when pink hair, tattoos, and piercings are "quirky" or "alt" on a white woman but "ghetto" on a black one.

— Zeba Blay (@zblay) August 12, 2013

#SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen means telling women to "Lean In" when most don't have a seat at the table.

— Tax-free Hands. (@thewayoftheid) August 12, 2013

#solidarityisforwhitewomen is when you're sick of the hashtag for a few hours, and we're sick of your privilege for a few centuries

— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) August 12, 2013

Most anti-climatic moment of #solidarityisforwhitewomen: when you realize that almost every editor will hire a white woman to write abut it

— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) August 12, 2013

Did you check out #solidarityisforwhitewomen? Like it, Love it or Hate it, we want to hear from you in the comments.

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Staff

Here at Water Cooler Convos, we like to feature diverse voices who align with our nerdy, artsy, bourgie stances on blackness. Interested in writing with us? Email contact@watercoolerconvos.com.

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