Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza

Unpack white feminism.

Last week, author and motivational speaker Rachel Hollis posted a video where she fought back against being called “privileged” because she has a housekeeper. In it, she defends her need for support for being a hard-working, successful woman and compares herself to her idols, which she lists in the caption:

“Harriet Tubman, RBG, Marie Curie, Oprah Winfrey, Amelia Earhart, Frida Khalo, Malala Yousafzai, Wu Zetian... all Unrelatable AF.”

It's Tuesday, y'all! And we're back to discuss the role of whiteness in the feminist movement. It's no coincidence that feminism has disproportionately benefitted white women, and today's newsletter highlights some ways women of color and other marginalized voices have been silenced in the narrative.

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Nicole

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By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Last week, author and motivational speaker Rachel Hollis posted a video where she fought back against being called “privileged” because she has a housekeeper. In it, she defends her need for support for being a hard-working, successful woman and compares herself to her idols, which she lists in the caption:

“Harriet Tubman, RBG, Marie Curie, Oprah Winfrey, Amelia Earhart, Frida Khalo, Malala Yousafzai, Wu Zetian... all Unrelatable AF.”
 

Unsurprisingly, the backlash was swift. People quickly noted the condescending tone that Hollis used when referring to her housekeeper who “cleans my toilets.” Many indicated that working hard isn’t always synonymous with the financial freedom to hire a housekeeper. Others admonished her audacity to compare herself to anyone on this list, particularly Harriet Tubman and Malala Yousafzai, who didn’t achieve success by “waking up at 4 am” but overcoming acts of violence and oppression. This wasn’t the first time Hollis has come under criticism; last year, she used a quote by Maya Angelou without attribution, which re-ignited a broader conversation on the importance of citing Black women.

The post, and the poor excuse for an apology that followed, was unsurprising; Instagram influencers are constantly posting something disappointing these days. But I found this one particularly interesting because it feels as if white feminism itself crafted it word-for-word. It exemplifies how, throughout history, white feminism has centered white women over women of color and justified any harm through its pursuits in the process.

Many people supported the women’s suffragists movement because they believed that enfranchising (white) women’s right to move would neutralize the Black vote and gain white supremacy (History). Historians emphasize that many white suffragist leaders were racist, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who repeatedly attacked immigrants, the working class, and Black people to justify the rights for white women (New Yorker). Black women suffrage clubs tried to affiliate with the national (white) suffrage movement but were discouraged from doing so; admission of Black people could anger white Southerners (NYTimes).
 

But this focus – white women above all – has continued into movements that we see today. Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In” movement, which emphasized that women can “have it all” if they’re bold and brave enough to ask for it, glaringly didn’t reflect the challenges women of color experience in the workplace. And, I’d like to add, women with disabilities, women that many not benefit from cisgender privilege or neurotypicality. The notion was publicly criticized by former First Lady Michelle Obama (Washington Post), along with other voices quick to name how Sandberg’s whiteness and wealth made this a much more unrealistic strategy for everyday people of color (People of Color in Tech).

Sometimes, women’s movements don’t just overlook the experiences of women of color – but abandon them altogether. In October 2017, actress Alyssa Milano encouraged women to share stories of sexual assault publicly, using the phrase and hashtag #MeToo to demonstrate solidarity. The tweet quickly gained steam, accelerating the #MeToo movement we know today. But the term “Me Too” was coined by activist Tarana Burke, a Black woman, back in 2006, before hashtags even existed. Milano was quick to credit Burke accordingly, but many people (still) credit Milano for it. The movement quickly became centered on the voices of mainly white celebrities harmed by powerful men in Hollywood. As it evolved, Burke continued to emphasize that, despite the growing impact of the movement, there are “tons of voices that have gone unnoticed,” particularly those most marginalized.

“

The women of color, trans women, queer people—our stories get pushed aside and our pain is never prioritized. We don’t talk about Indigenous women. Their stories go untold.”

Tarana Burke, Time 100 Summit in 2019

And now we’re facing the end of the Girlboss era, the latest manifestation of white feminism. Coined by entrepreneur Sophia Amoruso, the movement advocated for female corporate success to move gender equity forward. Female founders launched brands that catered to women, often reclaiming space in male-dominated industries. In this way, feminism became both a movement and a marketing strategy. But when the racial reckoning of last summer emboldened others to speak out, it became clear that many of their leadership patterns only reinforced existing racial disparities seen in companies led by white men (The Atlantic). Employees, particularly those of color, shared stories of abuse, intimidation, racism, and sexual assault (GEN Magazine).

By overlooking the barriers that women of color face, movements like these perpetuate the narrative that it’s the fault of women of color that they can’t live up to opportunities. It eschews collective accountability for individual responsibility, only adding to the burden that women of color face. This is partly why, to this day, we still see stark disparities for women’s rights between white women and people of color. We know that white women make 79 cents for every dollar a man makes, but Black women make $0.62 and Hispanic women $0.55. Black women are twice as likely to experience life-threatening pregnancy-related complications than white women (American Progress).

Feminism alone isn’t solely to blame for the inequalities that we face, and it certainly won’t solve it alone. But we do need to prioritize the voices of the women most marginalized as we continue to advocate for women’s rights. Otherwise, feminism will be wielded as a weapon against communities of color with the guise of empowerment and SHE-E-O energy, and non-white women will be left with the burden.

This is only possible when white women de-center their own narrative and elevate others instead. But it doesn’t look like we can expect that from Hollis anytime soon. Instead of acknowledging on how whiteness may have influenced her privilege, and taking accountability for the harm of her actions, she’s left the post and deflected responsibility onto her team.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Last week, Rachel Hollis posted an insensitive video that exemplified the fallacies of white feminism

  • Throughout history, the feminist movement has prioritized the needs of white women over the needs of women of color, and often at their expense

  • In order to achieve true equity, we have to center the voices and perspectives of marginalized women

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Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza

Breonna Taylor. Say her name. And remember it.

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Today another black woman should be celebrating her 27th birthday. But three months ago, she was murdered by the cops. Her killers are still free. The story of Breonna Taylor demonstrates how anti-racism needs to be intersectional to provide an equitable future for all of us.

Speaking of all of us, this is only possible because of each and every donation from the community. You can invest one-time or monthly so I can pay staff and capacity for this work. Companies can also make a contribution if they're using this as a group.

- Nicole

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Honor Breonna Taylor today by completing the action steps on the #BirthdayforBreonna campaign, created by Cate Young. Please do as many as possible.

REFLECT
Using the examples of intersectionality below, ask yourself:

Who in my life is more marginalized than me based on their identity?
How can I use my privilege to advocate for their rights?

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By Nicole Cardoza

Breonna Taylor deserves justice.

"Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was in her home in Louisville, KY on March 13th when officers from the Louisville Metro Police Department barged in without a warning nor announcement and broke through her door, fired off more than 20 bullets, and ultimately took Breonna’s life. 

Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, thought someone was burglarizing their home and fired his gun to defend himself. But in turn, the officers responded with a hail of bullets and turned an average morning into a tragedy. The police were at the wrong house. There was no search warrant that gave them the right to be there in the first place. 

Despite the clear and egregious misconduct of the police officers, Kenneth Walker is being charged with attempted murder and the murderers who killed Breonna Taylor are walking free without any consequences."

This is quoted directly from the Color of Change petition I'm asking you to sign in the daily action.

"How did I not hear about this?!"

This was an egregious misuse of power. And, although Breonna Taylor needs no accolades or professional career to be celebrated, she was also an award-winning EMT worker on the frontlines as COVID-19 unfolded across the globe. Why wasn't her story heard?

This is because our understanding of police brutality against black people is centered on black male victims. And understandably so – the murders of Trayvon Martin, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, George Floyd and many other men garnered national attention and outrage. In fact, black men have been centered as the symbol of Black liberation since the anti-slavery movement. But this leaves injustice and outrage reserved for men, and minimizes the response to the same violence against black women. Brittany Cooper, author, teacher, activist, and cultural critic, explains this thoroughly in her recent Time magazine article and in this analysis on Twitter.

We have even further minimized the voices of Black transgender women in this conversation, who are disproportionately targeted and victimized by the police.

To understand why elevating black women in this social justice narrative is important, you must understand intersectionality. Keep reading to learn more.

"How does gender, sexual orientation, etc. play into racial discrimination?"

Intersectionality is defined as the "complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect, especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups". We touched on this briefly when discussing white privilege.
 
This term was created by lawyer, civil rights advocate, philosopher, and scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw* to describe how gender, race, class, and other aspects of our identity come together to inform how we walk through life.

Intersectionality helps us acknowledge that identifying as a "white woman," for example, comes with race privilege and also with gender inequality. Someone that identifies as a "gay man" means, based on the term, that they are likely to be oppressed by their sexual orientation and receive privilege based on their gender. 

There are many white women that will try to equate or minimize race discrimination with their own gender discrimination. Don't do this. There is no such thing as an adequate comparison between racial discrimination and gender discrimination. Besides, remember that there is space for all of us. Race equity does not take away from your gender equity. In fact, centering those most marginalized within the feminist movement is critical for it to move forward.

*Follow Kimberlé Crenshaw on Twitter and support her organization The African American Policy Forum (AAPF), which "acts as an innovative think tank that connects academics, activists and policy-makers to promote efforts to dismantle structural inequality".

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Intersectionality looks at how multiple factors of one person's identity can further marginalize them from access, opportunity and equity

  • We must center those most marginalized in all movements. We do that today by honoring Breonna Taylor's 27th birthday

  • White women, should not try to equate or minimize another person's racial discrimination through their own gender identity

"Intersectionality operates as both the observance and analysis of power imbalances, and the tool by which those power imbalances could be eliminated altogether."


Jane Coaston, in The Intersectionality Wars on Vox

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Thank you for all your financial contributions! If you haven't already, consider making a monthly donation to this work. These funds will help me operationalize this work for greatest impact.

Subscribe on Patreon | Give one-time on PayPal | Venmo @nicoleacardoza

Read More