Although I think this is a fair criticism, I also think it exemplifies how people of color are underrepresented in the media in general (including feminists of color). It seems like it is easier for Emma Watson to get a platform to be heard than even for many prominent women of color.
But is it easier or was choosing Emma Watson a choice made either deliberately or carelessly?
Certainly Kerry Washington has a high enough profile.
Obviously it's hard to tell in each individual case. Could have been calculated, careless, racist, etc. But, if just careless, I do think that fixing the overall media representation problem could help make women of color more likely to be thought of in that initial brainstorming.
I do like the list you guys are developing for the next set of UN representatives!
Post by tacosforlife on Sept 25, 2014 13:56:06 GMT -5
OK, so I have been listening. And I get that women of color feel marginalized by the feminist movement.
I'm asking what concrete actions should be taken to address that. I think feminism is incredibly important for women of color.
What policies should major feminist organizations and/or elected officials be pursuing more to better address the needs of women of color?
I'm particularly interested to know if there are politically viable policies that are potentially being ignored by major feminist organizations because they impact women of color.
I'm really trying to get to the heart of how to make feminism more inclusive on the policy level.
OK, so I have been listening. And I get that women of color feel marginalized by the feminist movement.
I'm asking what concrete actions should be taken to address that. I think feminism is incredibly important for women of color.
What policies should major feminist organizations and/or elected officials be pursuing more to better address the needs of women of color?
I'm particularly interested to know if there are politically viable policies that are potentially being ignored by major feminist organizations because they impact women of color.
I'm really trying to get to the heart of how to make feminism more inclusive on the policy level.
:? I know this isn't your intention, but this is part of the rub. If I didn't know you, or consider you a friend, I would almost immediately tune out whatever it is you would be saying to me about the movement. Hopefully someone else can add a more eloquent explanation.
Sorry.
I think feminism is incredibly important for all women. Therefore, I think it's incredibly important for women of color. That's really all I meant by it, I promise.
It's just another example of how black female voices are continually marginalized in every aspect of society, culture, and media.
I think this is spot on. It's not that women's organizations don't care about women of color or low income women, it's that they presume to speak for those women on the assumption that they know best what those women need.
It's the same as the western feminist who say we need to keep troops in Afghanistan to help Afghan women. Did anyone actually go ask Afghan women what they think would be best? Do you really think most women in Afganistan want foreign troops to remain in their country? I mean, maybe they do but I'm pretty sure the feminists of the west didn't focus group the issue with them before presuming to speak for them.
I think you make a valid point that black voices, especially those of young black women, are missing from some of the narratives of feminism. But I think feminism, of all areas, really does try to understand that unexamined biases are as damning to any movement as direct attacks from those who disagree with you. I also think feminism is trying to remedy that, but it's a long process, and this one western white woman can't speak for a whole movement.
Anecdote time, which I know is worth next to nothing, but there were tons of articles and news organizations talking about what Afghan women wanted and were concerned about with troop withdrawal. Maybe I was sensitive to it b/c I had a friend working in a NGO in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan at the time and they had different reactions from different women. It wasn't uniform, just like it's not uniform how women in the US felt. Some women felt that the Afghan people were worse off (higher suicides, more dependence on aid, destroyed communities, lower birth rates, higher child deaths, disrupted life, more foreign control of their county, etc). Some women felt that the US presence was still needed and worried about the backlash of more Taliban/extreme factions and that women would lose their current status even more (more stability from troops in their area, less extreme factions and forced coercion to comply with extremism, better access to school, better access to political and familial power, etc). I know it was discussed what the Afghan people wanted and it wasn't a unified voice either, plus not everyone can be heard in the mass-media world.
I think that leads to the point that IMO I don't think we can't assume women, feminist or not, are speaking from an uninformed POV. Why would you assume that they hadn't looked into the issue if they are an passionate on something? Especially on this board - I learn new ish every week. If they say something that is uninformed, drop some knowledge, but don't write them off altogether. They have a different perspective and likely have information to bring to the table on another topic and knowledge to gain from something in your own narrative. I'm probably projecting, b/c I have no research on this but IMO that is a pretty big common denominator of women - we want to hear and understand someone else's POV (which is why there should be more women in politics but that's another post).
:? I know this isn't your intention, but this is part of the rub. If I didn't know you, or consider you a friend, I would almost immediately tune out whatever it is you would be saying to me about the movement. Hopefully someone else can add a more eloquent explanation.
Sorry.
I think feminism is incredibly important for all women. Therefore, I think it's incredibly important for women of color. That's really all I meant by it, I promise.
The quote that @helenabonhamcarter pulled out of summer's post about the future of feminism I think is a good place to start.
Emma Watson is an excellent choice in terms of address nerd culture. Now those are sexist fucking pigs.
Tend towards racist too.
Some of us don't want to cosplay Storm and Catwoman forever, okay?
Can I shame the heifers who do a female Winter soldier in sheer tights and platform heels?
Ain't no one with a modicum of fucking sense gonna try to beat down Nick Fury in a pair of panties and a shitty center of balance.
And yet there are scores of fucking nerds who talk smack if you try to do a realistic gender alternative super hero. You can either be a legit sexed up female or a sexed up female version of a male WITH ALL THE SKIN.
Have I expressed my love for Joss Whedon of late? Because I should.
Some of us don't want to cosplay Storm and Catwoman forever, okay?
Can I shame the heifers who do a female Winter soldier in sheer tights and platform heels?
Ain't no one with a modicum of fucking sense gonna try to beat down Nick Fury in a pair of panties and a shitty center of balance.
And yet there are scores of fucking nerds who talk smack if you try to do a realistic gender alternative super hero. You can either be a legit sexed up female or a sexed up female version of a male WITH ALL THE SKIN.
Have I expressed my love for Joss Whedon of late? Because I should.
May I tack on the unnessary sexing up of Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Catwoman in the last Batman game (last one in our house, anyway). These characters all have body socks as their original costumes. Ivy and Catwoman were even showing boob already. Why was the Arkham City costume bullshit necessary?
Honestly, ya'll wanna dress sexy in some ridamndiculous armor that protects boobs only, you do you. But you do NOT get to shame folks for going for a more realistic take.
May I tack on the unnessary sexing up of Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Catwoman in the last Batman game (last one in our house, anyway). These characters all have body socks as their original costumes. Ivy and Catwoman were even showing boob already. Why was the Arkham City costume bullshit necessary?
Honestly, ya'll wanna dress sexy in some ridamndiculous armor that protects boobs only, you do you. But you do NOT get to shame folks for going for a more realistic take.
I saw a dude dressed up as Harley Quinn on Pinterest. He could get it.
I think feminism is incredibly important for all women. Therefore, I think it's incredibly important for women of color. That's really all I meant by it, I promise.
The quote that @helenabonhamcarter pulled out of summer's post about the future of feminism I think is a good place to start.
What quote is that? Is it in this thread? I scrolled through the whole thing again, but I think I didn't see it or didn't realize it's what you're talking about.
The quote that @helenabonhamcarter pulled out of summer's post about the future of feminism I think is a good place to start.
What quote is that? Is it in this thread? I scrolled through the whole thing again, but I think I didn't see it or didn't realize it's what you're talking about.
It's not, I was just being lazy. Link added. I will eat tacos as repentance.
May I tack on the unnessary sexing up of Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Catwoman in the last Batman game (last one in our house, anyway). These characters all have body socks as their original costumes. Ivy and Catwoman were even showing boob already. Why was the Arkham City costume bullshit necessary?
Honestly, ya'll wanna dress sexy in some ridamndiculous armor that protects boobs only, you do you. But you do NOT get to shame folks for going for a more realistic take.
I saw a dude dressed up as Harley Quinn on Pinterest. He could get it.
I just googled this. I liked. I also found a blog called Fashionably Geek. win win!
What quote is that? Is it in this thread? I scrolled through the whole thing again, but I think I didn't see it or didn't realize it's what you're talking about.
It's not, I was just being lazy. Link added. I will eat tacos as repentance.