By: Keisha Aboagye
Feminism is the idea of the social, political and economic equality of the sexes. Feminism is NOT about women gaining the upper hand in society. Instead, feminism aims to correct the misogynistic and patriarchal ills that have historically oppressed women because of their sex, and have perpetuated a cycle of a man-dominated culture.
As a female and a minority, it intrigues me to see how feminism plays such a major role in our world. Recently, there are has been a debate about the categories within feminism: white feminism and black/minority feminism. White feminism is feminism that focuses on the struggles exclusive to white women while neglecting the unique struggles of women of color.
In Huffington Post’s video titled “Why We Need To Talk About White Feminism,” a very important point is raised. One of the female speakers in the video says “white people just don’t have to think about things like race on a daily basis.” As an African-American female, I can attest to this statement. There have been times when I’ve become more self-conscious and self-aware in certain situations and environments, simply because of the tone of my skin color.
If we look at the events that have taken place in the news lately, specifically focusing on police brutality, it seems that being an African-American in America puts you at a disadvantage. A Black has to worry about appearing suspicious due to his/her race, while this is not an issue that a white person would have to deal with because of white privilege and systemic racism.
Zeba Blay, culture writer of HuffPost Voices, who happens to be African-American,makes another point that I find to be interesting. She says: “And we’re not just pulling the ‘race card.’ White feminism excludes the experiences of basically, anyone who’s not white, cis and straight.” People tend to feel that whenever the rights of Blacks are being discussed, especially for females, the race card is being pulled. People like to make the argument that “had this person been white or any other race, it would not have been any different.” That is simply not true. White celebrities, for instance, make more money than black celebrities do, as cited in Huffington Post’s video.
Recently, Ellen Degeneres aired a “sneak peak” of Nicki Minaj’s upcoming sitcom of her life as an immigrant from Trinidad. The skit portrays Minaj and her family as booty-licious characters who knock down household objects with their butts. Ellen’s skit relegates one of the most successful female rappers to only a voluptuous woman. This highlights the continuous disrespect and perspective that society displays when it comes to black women’s bodies. As we grapple with the conflicting ideas of the feminist movement, we must reevaluate how we perceive black women’s bodies and the overlapping prejudices they face.
Although feminism is aimed to bring equality for all women and close that gap between women and men, it seems as though the cause is being divided by race. If this is the case, how can true equality be brought about for all women? How can we make the case that women are equal to their male counterparts if minority females are not equal to white females?
Watch Huffington Post’s video here: https://www.facebook.com/HuffingtonPost/videos/10153272946541130/