What:
#solidarityisforwhitewomen is a trending hashtag on Twitter where people of
color are pointing out how whitewashed mainstream feminism is and how the
experiences of people of color are being ignored, silenced or cast aside by
people who identify as allies.
Why: This
hashtag was created by Mikki Kendall (@Karnythia
on Twitter) during a debate with Hugo Schwyzer,
a self-proclaimed feminist who harasses and stalks women of color who criticize him (among other things).
This man has been interviewed on feministe.com and has written for The Atlantic, Jezebel and Salon. He confessed
to his disgusting behavior (being a fraud, harassing women of color online,
sexually harassing his students, etc.) on Twitter on Friday August 9th.
And some people had nothing but sympathy for him. Mikki Kendall didn’t pull any
punches: “All this concern for @hugoschwyzer's mental health & future prospects, & none for the WOC he attacked online
or his students? Wow.”
Ok, so why is
this so important?
Allies must be
held accountable. Being a feminist does not give one a pass to be racist (or
transphobic, homophobic, ageist, ableist, etc.). Mainstream feminism has always
been dominated by white cis middle/upper-class voices, leaving the rest of us
in the shadows. And whenever someone tries to call out our so-called “allies,”
they are chastised and accused of being divisive or being mean. White feminists
can say the word “intersectionality,” but many of them seem to have a hard time
applying this theory in the real world. I have come across so many white
liberal feminists who say they are my allies, who say they understand, but then
they argue with me over my real life experiences or the real life experiences
of other marginalized groups. They suddenly want to play devil’s advocate and
hypothesize.
No. Stop it.
This might be a fascinating thought experiment for you, but this is my life.
These issues have real (sometimes, life or death) consequences for me and I don’t
feel like debating with you whether or not my feelings/views are valid. If I,
as a person of color, tell you something offends me, I don’t want to have to
prove to you, white feminist, that I have a right to be offended. You wonder
where all the people of color are, why some women of color reject feminism. We
have been here this entire time and we have been watching you. You have been so
tied up in theory and in issues that mainly benefit you that you have been
unable (unwilling?) to see us, but we have always been here, right in front of
you.
White feminists:
Think twice before you respond to this hashtag, whether it’s to agree or
disagree. We don’t need you to talk. You have been talking all this time. We
need you to finally listen. Stop in your tracks. Be quiet. And listen. Oh, don’t
forget to acknowledge and check your privilege.
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