Posted on Monday, 8th December 2008 by Maritzia
During the last year, I’ve taken to reading several feminist blogs. I’ve always considered myself to be a feminist, but I’ve never really been active in feminist circles. These last two years, as I’ve become more active politically, I’ve been introduced to a lot of the feminist blogs that I’m now reading.
One of the blogs that I’ve particularly enjoyed is Womanist Musings. I particularly enjoy her blog because, as a WOC (that’s Woman Of Color, for the uninitiated), she brings a particular perspective to her feminism. She wrote a great post this week on the lack of visibility of WOC in feminism.
I must admit that her post really made me stop and think. And she’s right. Black feminists aren’t highlighted in feminist literature nearly enough. It’s not something that I had ever really thought about, but that’s an experience of my own white privelege. I don’t tend to think about the lack of non-white faces around me (well, I do, goodness knows I’ve lamented that lack of diversity in the city I now live in), especially on-line where faces are not always apparant. If someone doesn’t say outright that they are a person of color, I just don’t think about their race.
Well, that’s not entirely true. If I’m honest, especially with myself, I’ll admit that my assumption when I read a new blog is that the person is white unless a picture or statement informs me otherwise. Again, my privilege shows.
The important thing I’m trying to get at in my disorganized, roundabout way is, it’s important to acknowledge and highlight our non-white sisters. It’s vitally important. Little white girls are not the only ones on-line. Little black girls, and latina girls, and asian girls are also out there, and they need to see their own feminist rolemodels. Women of non-white ethnic backgrounds are not just women. They are Women of Color, and they bring a unique perspective to our fight for equality. Let’s not forget them when we talk about feminism.
Posted in Activism, Feminism | Comments (2)
December 8th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Thanks for taking the tie to read my little blog. To be honest I was quite surprised with the reception that this post received. I am glad that you it gave you something to think about. It is my hope that we will broaden our feminist conversations.
Renees last blog post..Blacker Than Thou Or Internalized Racism
December 9th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I love your blog, Renee, and I almost always come away with something to think about. While I may not agree with everything you write, you certainly make me sit back and think about my own areas of privilege and how it shapes my viewpoints. That’s very valuable to me.