Crafty Crookshanks

BLACK LIVES MATTER

[Image Description: A black background with white letters that read "Black Lives Matter."]

***Trigger Warning: Please note that this post will be discussing Anti-Black Racism, White Supremacy, Lynching, Genocide, Police Brutality, and Murder, among other things, and the links in the article and the article itself may contain images, statements, and videos that are disturbing and/or triggering for some audiences. PLEASE ENGAGE IN SELF-CARE.***

Hey, Readers.

So by now I'm sure that many of you, hopefully all of you who follow this blog and know what it's about, are aware of the travesties and injustices being done now to black people in the United States. And even that statement isn't correct because it's not just now that this has been happening. This has been happening for centuries. And black folks are tired of it. People of color are tired of it. But sadly, not enough white people are tired of it.

But this post is not about white people. This post is going to be dedicated to uplifting and signal boosting black people's opinions and hearts and thoughts and experiences on living black while in the United States. My hope is that more and more people will do this-- center black voices in their struggle, listen to them, and follow their leadership on this issue. We have a duty as non-black people to support black people in this fight against oppression. We have a duty to examine our own complicity in white supremacy and how we impact the black community and other people of color in this nation. We have a duty to change ourselves and our actions and our complicity in this system.

WE. MUST. DO. THIS.

Please check out the information below, follow the people whose pages I will be sharing with you, share this information and your dissent with your friends and family and everyone else, attend protests if able, engage in online activism, examine your own and other's complicity in racism and white supremacy, and work on changing that. Challenge other white people and non-black people of color in their anti-blackness. Challenge YOURSELF on this. Do better.

To start with, here are some EXCELLENT people, pages, protests, events, donations, and hashtags to follow, participate in, give to, and center:

PEOPLE:

(Please be respectful of these people's wishes and only "Follow" instead of "Friend Request" initially. If you don't know these people from your own experiences and communications online or in person with them, it is considered creepy, impolite, and invasive by many to first friend request when many of their posts are made public in order for you to follow their posts instead. Please also be sure to respect their various gender identities and do NOT assume their genders.)

Brenda Nasr

Kylie Brooks

Lily Stone

Phoenix Calida

YM Carrington

Kim Katrin Milan

Kierra Tanner

William J Jackson

Catherine Imani

Tina Gulmohamed

Clarissa Estrada

 

PAGES and COMMUNITIES:

Urban Cusp

Black Girl Dangerous

Guerrilla Feminism

The Middle Eastern Feminist

End Colonial Mentality

Black Lives Matter

[Image Description: A green background with black text that reads in all caps "When mourning, black represents grief. #NotOneDime Calls for a December economic boycott on non-essential retail spending. If shopping, support black-owned businesses and causes. Allies of all races encouraged to support #BlackDecember in show of solidarity. Blackness is not a requirement. Social and economic disruption are." Image Source: Urban Cusp]

HASHTAGS to FOLLOW and SHARE:

#BlackLivesMatter (FB) #BlackLivesMatter (Twitter)

#NotOneDime (FB) #NotOneDime (Twitter)

#BlackDecember (FB) #BlackDecember (Twitter)

#NoJusticeNoPeace (FB) #NoJusticeNoPeace (Twitter)

#Ferguson (FB) #Ferguson (Twitter)

#HandsUpDontShoot (FB) #HandsUpDontShoot (Twitter)

(Note: If you are white, keep your hands DOWN on this. You are not under threat from being shot like black people are, so don't do this. It's incredibly disrespectful and is NOT an act of solidarity. Support those who say this, share the info found on these, but do NOT engage yourself in the act of raising your hands.)

#TrayvonMartin (FB) #TrayvonMartin (Twitter)

#AiyanaStanleyJones (FB) #AiyanaStanleyJones (Twitter)

#AiyanaJones (FB) #AiyanaJones (Twitter)

#SharonMosley (FB) #SharonMosley (Twitter)

#TaneshaAnderson (FB) #TaneshaAnderson (Twitter)

#EricGarner (FB) #EricGarner (Twitter)

#MikeBrown (FB) #MikeBrown (Twitter)

#MichaelBrown (FB) #MichaelBrown (Twitter)

#TamirRice (FB) #TamirRice (Twitter)

#HandsUpShootBack (FB) #HandsUpShootBack (Twitter)

#ThisStopsToday (FB) #ThisStopsToday (Twitter)

#ThisEndsToday (FB) #ThisEndsToday (Twitter)

#IndictAmerica (FB) #IndictAmerica (Twitter)

#DeandreJoshua (FB) #DeandreJoshua (Twitter)

#AllTheFacts (by William J Jackson) (FB) #AllTheFacts (by William J Jackson) (Twitter)

#ICantBreathe (FB) #ICantBreathe (Twitter)

#ShutItDown (FB) #ShutItDown (Twitter)

#NoJusticeNoTree (FB) #NoJusticeNoTree (Twitter)

 

EVENTS and PROTESTS:

Ferguson Action

Millions March NYC

Where to Protest Eric Garner's Death

Ferguson National Response Network

 

CAUSES to DONATE to:

Ferguson Library

Mike Brown Church "The Flood"

Brown Siblings Memorial Fund

Mike Brown College Scholarship

Help the Family of Tamir Rice

Fund for the Children of Eric Garner

I will add more places to donate to as I see reliable sources posting through my social justice activists network. If you know of any solid places to donate to, please leave a comment below so I can check it out and include it if it's legitimate!!

 

DISPLAYS of SUPPORT and SOLIDARITY and ACTIVISM from the FRONT LINES:

And finally, here are some images of protestors around the nation and globe, crying out against the modern day lynching and genocide of black people in the United States. I'm also going to include some spot-on tweets, videos, and other images that discuss the oppression of black people here. It's important to share these given that mainstream media is doing their absolute best to generally avoid the subject, paint protestors in a falsely violent manner, and deliberately lying and misinforming the unfortunately large portion of the public that solely pays attention to mainstream media and not independent sources of news that are relatively outside the influence of mass corporations and the government.

 

A video of Esaw Garner, Eric Garner's widow, in response to indictment verdict and a police officer's "apology."

 

 

[Image Description: A screen cap of a tweet from BGD (twitter handle @BlackGirlDanger) that reads "Black trans women murdered: no uprising. Black cis women: no uprising. Black men: people rise up, and still no justice. It's ALL fucked-up." from December 3, 2014 at 12:01 PM. Image Source: Na'Quel Walker]

 

NYC's West Side Highway shut down by protestors on December 3, 2014, after the results of the indictment against Officer Daniel Pantaleo came back as a failure to justice.

[Image Description: A photo from a bird's eye view of NYC's Westside Highway completely blocked by a humongous mass of protestors as they obstruct both sides of the highway by simply standing and holding up signs. Facing them, with lights blazing, are a handful of police officers and their vehicles. Image Source: Urban Cusp]

 

Drivers stuck in the protest areas displayed their solidarity and own protest.

[Image Description: A black and white photo of a female-read person leaning out of the driver's window of their car with their hands up in a display of protest on the highway. Image Source: Urban Cusp, Photo by Sean Carasso]

A video of NYC protestors chanting "I Can't Breathe!" in Manhattan on December 3, 2014, after receiving the no-indictment verdict against Eric Garner's murder.

  

Washington D.C. protestors shut down Union Station on their transportation system.

[Image Description: A photo of a huge group of protestors sitting in at Washington DC's Union Station on their metro transportation system. Everyone looks somber and is sitting quietly as police officers in riot gear look on from behind them and from behind bars. Image Source: Urban Cusp]

Powerful and heart-breaking images emerge from Ferguson, MO, amidst the protests and further police violence against black people.
[Image Description: A young black, male-read person sitting on some rubble on the concrete outside holding a sign that reads "Black Lives Matter" in all caps against a background of large, licking flames. Image Source: Urban Cusp]

Five St. Louis Rams players displayed their solidarity with Ferguson before a game. Thankfully, and unexpectedly given the recent decision to punish Brandon Marshall in his show of solidarity for Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness, the NFL decided not to punish these players for exercising their right to free speech and protest.

[Image Description: A photo of five St. Louis Rams football players emerging before the football game with their hands raised and their heads down in a show of protest. #HandsUpDontShoot Image Source: Urban Cusp]
 

A video of protestors shutting down a highway in Washington DC in protest of the Ferguson decision to not indict Darren Wilson.

 

Protestors took to the streets in midtown Manhattan after the no-indictment verdict against Eric Garner's murderer was released to the public.  [Image Description: A photo of a huge crowd of protestors in NYC's Rockefeller Center on December 3, 2014. On one of the news readers is bright blue text that reads "Choke Hold Death" in all caps. Image Source: Occupy Wall St]

Black people across the nation and globally have been proclaiming their anger and frustration at the blatant racism in the recent no-indictment verdicts and multiple black people murdered at the hands of United States police. The United Nations have also ONCE AGAIN condemned the United States for its blatant racism and oppression and police brutality.  [Image Description: Photo of three black, male-read people standing in what looks  to be a restaurant, filled with lots of white people. Two the black people are holding up a large black sign with white text that reads "I don't apologize for my blackness and your fear." in all caps. The male-read people have somber, serious expressions on their faces and are looking in various directions. Image Source: Kim Katrin Milan]

Demonstrations have not been limited to only physical protests; activists online have taken to spreading word of the injustice through social media, proving effective in staying ahead of police and fighting back against mainstream media's represenations of the situations. Many people especially are protesting hard against the notion that simply using body cameras will eliminate any more incidents of racism-- especially given the recent murder of Eric Garner by a cop ON VIDEO.

[Image Description: A black background with white text that reads in all caps "The man is unarmed. The chokehold is banned. The coroner ruled it a homicide. It is on video. None of that matters. #ICantBreathe." Image Source: US Uncut]

Protests in NYC took place in several areas, including shutting down the Brooklyn Bridge, the Westside Highway, parts of Midtown, and the Lincoln Tunnel, among other places. I was and am so proud of all the people participating in this in the city I live in. There was even an article from the NYPD where a few officers discussed how frustrated and unhappy they were about not being able to predict or control the protests-- that's how you know you're doing it right. (Quick note: I included that link, but the New York Post is absolute shit, and here's why.)

[Image Description: A photo of a large group of protestors in midtown Manhattan, separated from the street full of police and their vehicles by a barricade. Image Source: Urban Cusp]

This cartoon of Lady Justice by Bill Bramhall for the New York Daily News was, I felt, very striking and captured the feeling of injustice remarkably well and simply.

[Image Description: A black and white drawing of Lady Justice lying on her back on a sidewalk with her arms akilter, dying, with her sword and her balancing scales cast away from her body as though dropped suddenly. There are three speech bubbles emitting from her mouth with one word in each. It reads "I... Can't... ...Breathe." Image Source: Josh Greeman]

People all over New York and other cities are staging "die-ins," a peaceful protest in which people lie on the ground, pretending to be dead. While I really dislike seeing white people engaging in this because whites are not remotely oppressed in the way blacks are, I appreciate the visual impact of these "die-ins." It is startling and distressing to imagine this many people being murdered by police-- especially given that many, many more are killed by police every year.

[Image Description: A photo of a massive crowd of people in the Rockefeller Center area of Manhattan staging a protest-- many of whom are lying on the ground in the middle of the street, surrounded by more protestors and police cars, pretending to be dead. Image Source: Urban Cusp]

There have been so many on-point tweets that hit the nail on the head sharply enough to pierce your heart.

[Image Description: A screen cap of a tweet from B. Easy (twitter handle @lifewannaB_Easy) that reads "To survive in America: Stay at home...nvm #AiyanaJones. Keep hands visible...nvm #MikeBrown. Body cameras...nvm #EricGarner. Just be white." Tweeted on December 3, 2014, at 1:42 PM. Image Source: Lachrista Greco]

And I finish this list with something I've seen shared by many, many people online that speaks to the long line of generations who have been forced to deal with this state-sponsored genocide and lynching of black people in the United States-- a link to Billie Holiday's shiver-inducing and harrowing performance of "Strange Fruit."

As you can tell from this post (which really does not even come close to scratching the surface of this massive, massive issue) there are many people suffering (black people), many people contributing to that suffering (white people), and many people ignoring and denying that suffering and how they contribute to it (white people). This is something we must change. And white people, I speak directly to you when I say these things. EXAMINE your own racism; you are not exempt from white supremacy just because you're a "good" person and/or because you do your best to be anti-racist. We are all complicit in this system, and we must all work to burn it down.

We must burn the very skies in our rage against this and in our support of black lives.

 

Jessi

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Feminist Fridays: Native American Heritage Day

Feminist Fridays: Thanksgiving, or National Day of Mourning

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Black Lives Matter

Feminist Fridays: Thanksgiving, or National Day of Mourning

[Image Description: A light brown rectangular banner with dark brown triangles all around the edges. There is dark brown text that reads "National Day of Mourning, November 27, 2014"]

Hey, Readers!

***Trigger Warning: Anti-Indigenous Racism, White Supremacy, Murder, Violence against Native People, Genocide, Reservations, Slurs, and more. Please be careful before continuing on with this post and remember to engage in self-care!***

So for today's Feminist Friday, I'd like to talk about Thanksgiving, or rather, National Day of Mourning.

As you United States folks know, Thanksgiving is coming in a couple of weeks, bringing with it many tales of the "origin" of the United States with white pilgrims and Native peoples, turkeys all dressed up, and cornucopias filled with gourds and all kinds of harvest vegetables, along with images conjured up of a peaceful dinner with the two groups that led to today's traditional day of thanks, all thanks to the goodness in the hearts of the white pilgrims in graciously thanking their "hosts" for helping them survive.

If you haven't learned all the truth about this before, I'll give you a warning: I'm hopefully about to ruin Thanksgiving for you because what you've been taught at home and in school and on Thanksgiving tv specials-- especially if you're white like me-- is simply not true, which is something Native people in this country have known for centuries. The truth about Thanksgiving in the United States is one not often discussed or even brought to light, and it's time we all participate in changing that collectively.

So today, I'd like to do what I can in making a platform for Native voices on this issue, along with non-Native people who are also working to spread the truth about this holiday and the violent, genocidal history surrounding it.

I've been thinking about how to write this post for weeks now, and I feel that the only way to truly do it right is to direct you to Native sources on the subject as much as I can. I do have Native ancestors from a Chahtah tribe, and despite my best efforts, I've been unable to figure out which tribe my family belongs to, but I'm certainly not someone you would consider Native. Nor have I undergone the trials and tribulations that Native people face in this nation on a daily basis. Therefore, I've decided that my white-as-snow butt is not the one who should be doing the "speaking" here. So here are several websites that I've been reading and researching for this month's Native American Heritage Month and the upcoming Day of Mourning.

Please be aware that the following links discuss and display images, some in graphic detail, of the genocide of Native American tribes by means of murder, cultural destruction, and other means. Please also be aware that they also discuss anti-indigenous racism, including slurs, as well. Remember to take care of yourself when reading!

This link, specifically the part by Chuck Larsen, addresses the difficulties of explaining the truth about Thanksgiving to our future generations when they're so inundated with this false, cheery idea of it. I feel Chuck does a good job here in giving their readers a way to explain the truth of the thing without getting into the gory, violent details.

The Real Story of Thanksgiving

This link, by USA Park Ranger, discusses the fact that the United Nations has ruled (quite a while ago) that the United States needs to return certain lands to Native Americans. To my knowledge, this has not happened, and, in fact, more lands have been robbed from Native tribes by the government since then through quiet legislature.

UN Official: US Must Return Control of Sacred Lands to Native Americans

This link, by Dr. Tingba Apidta, is another that discusses the truth behind Thanksgiving.

Massacre, Murder, Mayhem: The True Story of Thanksgiving

This link, from Indian Country Today Media Network, is one that discusses some of the reasons why autumn can be difficult for many Native American people. I've linked directly to the Thanksgiving portion, but I encourage you to read the rest of the article, as well. This is also an excellent source for Native news, both on their blog and through their Facebook page.

5 Reasons Autumn Is Brutal on Native Americans

This link, another from Indian Country Today Media Network, notes how important it is to open up the topic to be discussed in order to work toward a resolution or at least improved relations between Natives and non-Natives.

The Truth about Our Origins Will Set Us All Free

This link contains a video that gives a visual description of the history of Native oppression in the United States.

Oppression in the U.S.

This link, written by Rowland Keshena, describes the modern oppressions and significant issues facing Natives in the U.S. today, going into detail about health issues, environmental issues, education issues, legal, etc.

Native Americans in the U.S. Today: Oppressed and Ignored

This link is to Matika Wilbur's Facebook page for her amazing photographic project titled Project 562. She recently was funded through Kickstarter to embark on an incredible journey in which she photographs Native Americans today, helping to fight the stereotypes and racism facing Native people. It's a wonderful source for getting to know more about the different Native people in the United States and to break down the walls of ignorance many of us white people have.

Matika Wilbur of Project 562

Photo Credit to Matika Wilbur of Photography 562, found here.

[Image Description: A photo of an elderly Native couple, one female-read person on the left wearing a black top along with a long skirt and a large necklace and a male-read person on the right wearing a brown button-down shirt along with  blue jeans and a white western hat, sitting a matching set of white chairs, holding onto one another and smiling at the camera. They are sitting against a black and white background of an open outdoor area. There is white text on the photo that reads "Matika Wilbur Photography 562: www.project562.com"]

This link, another from Indian Country Today Media Network, discusses Native sovereignty and the importance in allowing Native people to have self-determination and in the United States government needing to do more to admit the appalling, genocidal truth of our nation and in making reparations.

Why the U.S. Should Put Native Tribal Sovereignty in a New Constitution

This link is to another good Facebook page to follow; this one is called End Colonial Mentality.

End Colonial Mentality

This link is another that describes more about the truth of Thanksgiving

The Truth about Thanksgiving

This Wikipedia link is flawed in some of its language against Natives, but it gives a brief history of Native people's struggles for Civil Rights in the United States.

Native American Civil Rights

This link, on Wikipedia again, is something I wanted to share because it disturbs me. It disturbs me because it describes the discussion around Thanksgiving as a "controversy" and barely gives a nod to the history of genocide and oppression forced upon Native Americans. It's important that we examine problematic resources such as this that pretend to present "both sides." Oppression does not need a helping hand. Articles like this help to uphold oppression and bigotry-- not break it down. Beware that when reading.

Thanksgiving (United States)

[Image Description: A light brown rectangular banner with dark brown triangles all around the edges. There is dark brown text that reads "Until we are all free, we are none of us free. Emma Lazarus"]

These are just some of the resources available to us as social justice activists and intersectional feminists, but there is much more we can learn and do. As activists, it's our duty to understand the issues of oppression that face ALL people, and not just those that are presented to us by mainstream white feminism. This is why intersectional feminism is so important. When Native women and non-binary/queer people face issues of racism and oppression, it's a feminist issue that deserves our full attention and support. Let's continue to amplify Native voices as they discuss the truth of the genocide of their people in the United States, and let's all throw our support in as we look to the Native community for how we can aid them in or at least not hinder them in realizing their self-determination and overthrowing of oppression.

Please bear this in mind if you're celebrating the holiday, and please reconsider all the images you've been shown and the untruths and lies you've been told about the founding of our nation. It's imperative that we all strive to demolish the racism and oppression facing the Native people here in the United States. Let's engage more in discussion on this issue, listening to Native Americans, and let us engage more in political acts of resistance to this oppression.

 

 

Until next time, fair Readers!

Mischief Managed~

Jessi

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Feminist Fridays: On Halloween and Cultural Appropriation, Racism, and Oppression

Hey, Readers!

***Trigger Warning: This post discusses and links to several things that may be triggering for you. This includes sexual violence, racism, misogynoir, ableism, murder, police brutality, transantagonism, slurs of various sorts against marginalized folks, cultural appropriation, white supremacy, fat antagonism, and others. Please be cautious and engage in self-care.***

It’s that time of year again! :D You know the time—when the scantily clad, pale-as-mayo “native” women with blonde hair come out wearing all these bomb ass war bonnets with a few lines of red paint smeared badly on their faces and random feathers sticking out in weird places, and “black” rappers with smudges of whiteness under their skin come out all blinged up and with their afros all about 15 feet high while obnoxiously yelling out phrases like, “Fo’ shizzle, my dizzle” and various impressions of Samuel Jackson, and all the “brown” people in the neighborhood suddenly carry plastic weapons and get rigged up in fake suicide bomber packs under long robes. Good old Halloween! Oh, does the sound of that make you uncomfortable? Feel insulted? Yeah, it does me, too. In fact, it makes me really angry. And it should make you uncomfortable and angry because this annual display of white people parading around wearing geisha costumes, black face, “native” attire, and serapes and so on is really just white people “wearing” another culture of people in the name of Halloween. This, my friends, is what we call cultural appropriation—and really just straight up racism.

Dressing up as someone from another culture as a representation, especially a stereotypical representation, of that culture is super fucking racist. Let’s get that cleared right off the bat. If you have any respect for people of other cultures, you will not resort to draping stereotypes of them on your limbs for the sake of costume. Just don’t do it.

And for transparency’s sake, I am sad to say that I used to be one of those assholes. Ugh. Looking back, it makes me sick to my stomach to see the various inappropriate costumes I wore as a kid and young adult (as a young child, a "native girl;" as a teenager, a "geisha;" and as a young adult, an "asylum patient"— uuuuuggghhhh). It’s shameful, and there’s absolutely no excuse for it. The only good thing is that I now know better, do better, and want us all to know better and be better people. So take heart! If you sound like someone from below, YOU CAN DO BETTER. I believe in you.

[Image Description: A small divider with a gray background and a repeating pattern of black bats on it.]

Let’s talk a little bit about why these things are not okay and the usual retorts you may have/encounter in defense of them:

“But I’m honoring their culture! I find them so interesting.”

You’re not honoring anyone’s culture by perpetuating stereotypes of marginalized people who already navigate this bigoted world being judged by the very same things you find “funny” or “interesting.” What you’re doing is exotifying a culture based on an aspect of their culture you have become enamored with. If you really want to honor someone’s culture and want to be respectful of them, WHY would you dress up in something that disrespects them?? Seriously.

“I’m helping them by showing other people that they’re cool.”

You’re not making these other cultures “more mainstream” or helping them be more accepted by society by dressing in their traditional outfits (note the use of the word “outfits” and not “costumes” here).  What you’re doing is taking something that is serious and often sacred or very important and making it into a costume, a joke. Especially in the case of sacred apparel: you are making light of something that that culture’s people value and mocking its importance to the people who own it.

“It’s just a joke!! Lighten up!” or “It’s just Halloween/a costume; don’t be so serious!”

Oh, you think it’s funny to be racist? No. It’s not funny to be racist. At all. Also, fuck you.

“I’m just trying to be accurate in my (racist) portrayal.”

If you try to use the excuse of being “accurate” for blackface or redface or any other form of “face,” I will slap you so hard, you’ll be back in your mama’s womb. You’re saying you want to be accurate about racist stereotypes of people that are made up in order to better represent your racism. You do realize that, don’t you? Lord.

“I’m not racist, so this costume isn’t racist.”

Yes, it is, and yes, you are. Super racist. Both you and your costume. Refer to links throughout and below and go borrow the cone of shame from Dug and think about what you did. Then come back and fucking do better as a human being. And keep learning about why you’re racist and how to be better.

“My (person of color) friend thinks it’s hilarious!”

No. Just no. Your “friend,” first of all, may not even exist. I’ve seen this excuse used so many times, and somehow that magical, okay-with-everything-you-abuse-your-white-privilege-with “friend” of color can never be produced. And if they can, they usually are an acquaintance, and you didn’t actually engage in a legit conversation with them about privilege and shit.

Second of all, even if your ONE friend of color is legit okay with you mocking them and their culture with racist costuming and stereotyping (in which case, I would seriously feel bad for them for the amount of brainwashing they have sustained about themselves), I sincerely doubt that that ONE person speaks for an entire culture of people. And even if they really were, it still wouldn’t be okay. What you’re doing is perpetuating racism. Don’t know how much clearer I can make that.

[Image Description: An illustration of a broken black record with a white label on it that has orange text that reads "Racism By The Whites" in all caps. It is set against a pale blue background.]

Third of all, your friend of color? You probably didn’t think about this one: they may not have felt safe around a white person or someone from outside their culture to say, “No, Jordan, I don’t think that’s okay or funny. In fact, I think you’re a seriously bigoted asshole with some severe racist tendencies. Kindly go fuck yourself.” Especially given how violent privileged people can become toward marginalized people when they’re told they’re wrong or offensive about issues of race. For people of color, challenging white people on their racism can often lead to death, a violent beating, or an arrest of them in their own self-defense.

“I don’t think dressing as a rap star/basketball player with a big fro/gangsta is representative of black people, thus this costume is not racist. But you’re racist for saying that!!”

*Sigh* These people here. Okay, look here now: There’s this little huge thing called privilege. And you are so wrapped up in it, you can’t seem to figure it out. So let me explain it to you. We do not live in a post-racial world. We also do not live in a world where prejudice, bigotry, and oppression do not magically exist anymore. So when you pretend, willfully and despite ALL evidence to the contrary, that we do, it makes you a racist asshole. You are deliberately ignoring the fact that things such as whatever racist costume you’re wearing—for an example, a rap star with huge gold chains, baggy clothing, a fro/du rag—is generally viewed as a stereotype of certain groups of people—in this instance, black people. And seriously, being honest with yourself, do you really think that when you chose that particular costume that it never once occurred to you that this could be associated with any particular marginalized group? Because if you can search within yourself and tell me no, I don’t want to discuss anything with you ever because you are so happy with your privilege or brain-washed into thinking everything is a-okay with the world.

“It’s a free country! I can dress like whoever I want, and you can’t tell me not to.”

Why, yes it is. And yes, you can. And yes, you also get the free prize of being a complete and utter racist asshole that comes with it! Aaaaand yes, you get to be criticized for your awful choices because other people live in the same free country and are equally able to talk so much shit about your awfulness—and to your face of all places! Yay, fuck you! :D

“You’re just being too sensitive.”

No. You’re not being sensitive to other people and other cultures, and you are abusing your privilege by saying something like this. You’re not being sensitive to the facts about the experiences of marginalized people. You’re not being sensitive to the fact that women of color are the most likely to suffer at the hands of sexual violence. You’re not being sensitive to the fact that people of color are murdered and arrested more frequently by the police than any white people. You’re not being sensitive to the fact that women of color are abducted more and ignored more by the police, the media, and the general public.  You’re not being sensitive to the fact that people of color, especially women of color, make less money than their white counterparts in jobs. Maybe you need to start to be more sensitive to the cultural climate around you instead of attempting to conform it to your bigoted beliefs.

[Image Description: A small divider with a gray background and a repeating pattern of black bats on it.]
 Bonus Round! Dressing up as members of other marginalized communities!

“But dressing up like Stephen Hawking is so cool!” or “What’s wrong with dressing like a ps*cho?”

Do I really need to say, after all this, that playing pretend when it comes to ableism is not okay? God, I really hope not. People with disabilities endure enough stigma, violence, and oppression every day of their lives. They do not need you further helping to make them into a sort of freak show for public viewing when society generally treats them that way as is.

“There’s nothing wrong with dressing like a tr*nny.”

Ugh. I’m just gonna point here, here, and here. Read these articles that detail the exponentially higher rates of oppression and murder and abuse of transwomen, and please try to understand how mocking someone contributes to their dehumanization: something transpeople globally do not need any more of. Also, fuck you. Don't use that slur.

“My fat girl in a mini skirt suit is hi-lar-ious, especially when I bend over and it makes a fart noise— you dono what you’re talking about.”

Sooo there’s this thing called fat antagonism. And misogyny. And you’re engaging in both. Fat antagonism is awful. Fat people are not only regularly ridiculed by the public but are also oppressed greatly in the medical field, leading to many health complications due to the bigotry found in the health industry, often leading to death due to lack of treatment. Fat women, especially when they're women of color, are disproportionately impacted by this bias. So no. Your fat suit isn't funny at all.

[Image Description: A small divider with a gray background and a repeating pattern of black bats on it.]

So there you have it. These are just some of the reasons why you should not engage in the annual practice of dressing up as a racist stereotype or even an "accurate representation" of a culture you're not a part of.

Another huge reason for not engaging in this debauchery-- in case, you know, being a racist prick isn't enough of a reason-- is because by dressing in ways that reinforce the prejudice against marginalized individuals, you are increasing the likelihood of their dehumanization. In fact, you are participating in that dehumanization by deiciding that they are collectively able to be objectified by you into this one mocking costume. And when you dehumanize and objectify people and downplay their value as human beings, you help increase violence against them, murder of them, arrests of them, oppression of them. And those experiences of violence and mockery and oppression can be just fun times for you, but they very likely are triggering and bring back real, lived memories of traumatic experiences for certain people. And you're causing that. So think about that before donning something you find funny based on another culture or a marginalized group of people.

So let's review:

[Image Description: An orange background patterned with black bats all over with black text on it. The title reads "Halloween Costumes." The text underneath is in a list format and reads in black text "1. Cultural appropriation is not okay-- even especially for Halloween. 2. Dressing up in a costume that stereotypes another culture is racist, and that is not okay. 3. Dressing up in a costume that stereotypes marginalized groups of people contributes to their dehumanization by those in power, and increases the likelihood of their facing violence, oppression, and murder. And that is not okay. 4. By doing any of the above, you are partly responsible for the consequences. Oppressors must be held accountable at both a group and an individual level, so by partaking in this behavior, you must be held accountable by others and you must hold yourself accountable, as well. 5. Just don't do it. Just don't." At the bottom is a lighter bit of black text that reads "Happy Halloween from CraftyCrookshanks.typepad.com!"]

So I hope you all have a blast this Halloween-- just remember to exercise your privilege responsibly. Don't blow it and engage in this horrid behavior. You're better than that. We're all better than that. And share this and other information on appropriation and racism far and wide-- we can change this! And get creative this Halloween if you do dress up-- there have been some great examples of people using Halloween as a platform for their social justice views with great results! For example, you could go costumed as an MRA douchebro, as birth control to bring attention to the lack of access people have to it, or maybe even just as your classic Rosie the Riveter. Whatever you choose, make it something that doesn't abuse your privilege and is considerate of others in marginalized groups. :]

 

And for more reading, feel free to check out these helpful links below! I've included a trigger warning, so be aware before going onward for your sake. :]

***Trigger Warning for the following links: These links discuss and share images of sexist and racist material, including blackface, Islam-antagonism, images of people in KKK “costumes,” and other hurtful stereotypes and behaviors based on race and religion. The links also discuss and contain images that are disparaging to women and transwomen. Please be cautious when visiting these links and be aware of the bigoted material included in them. Remember to engage in self-care!***

Helpful Links:

Ohio University's STARS: Students Teaching About Racism in Society

Sociological Images: Resistance to Racist Halloween Costumes

Sociological Images: Racist Hallowen Costumes for Your Dog

Sociological Images: Racist Halloween Costumes

Sociological Images:Racist Antics at Colleges and High Schools (Trigger Warning)

Everyday Feminism: Is Your Halloween Costume Racist?

My Culture Is Not a Trend

 

Until next time, fair Readers!

Mischief Managed~

Jessi

Feminist Fridays: Oppression and Privilege Part Two

Hey, Readers!

***Trigger Warning: Please note that, while not graphic in depiction, there is some discussion in this post of restriction of reproductive freedom, misogynoir, 'splaining, murder, police violence, violence against people of color, discrimination against the poor, and other, brief mentions of discrimination against marginalized groups.***

So we're back on Feminist Friday, and today we're gonna pick up where we left off about oppression and privilege.

[Image Description: A rectangle divided into two sections, the left dark blue and the right white. The left side has white text that reads "Oppression" in all caps, and the right has dark blue text that reads "Privilege" in all caps.]

Just to rehash a bit quickly, previously we discussed what oppression is, a couple of types of it, what forms it can take/how it can present itself, and how the types feed into one another to reproduce the oppression over and over. We set out a working definition of oppression, that it is all about keeping power of various sorts (financial, social, political, etc) with those groups of people who already have it AND* about denying access to that power to groups of people who don't already have it.

*I think that that division right there between the two is going to be helpful in understanding how oppression and privilege correlate and work together. Often people tend to recognize their privilege but fail to realize or deliberately ignore how their privilege plays into the oppression of marginalized folk. People often do this because it's easier to recognize that other people have it harder, but it's more difficult (and less enchanting to some) to recognize that they themselves play a role in oppression. It's an uncomfortable thought to think that you oppress people, but it's an absolute necessity to recognize it. If you're at all interested in fighting oppression, you must, above all, be willing to examine your own participation in oppression and change your own self to better improve the world.

So bear that in mind when you're reading through this article. If you start to feel uncomfortable or angry, stop and think about it-- ask yourself why you feel angry about being told you have privilege, ask yourself where that privilege comes from and what its linked oppression does to other people, ask yourself if you really think that being told you have privilege over someone else who is marginalized and oppressed is really worse than actually being oppressed.

Now that we've discussed what oppression is, let's talk about privilege. Privilege, just as with oppression, is a multi-faceted stone. It is entirely possible to experience privilege in one area and experience marginalization in another. Your privilege is generally relevant to your environment (social position, class, race, ability, etc), but some privileges are stagnant and permanent (for example, if you are white and live in a racist society and do not leave it, that is a permanent privilege, or if you are a cisgender male, you have universal privilege) and others are fluid, changing with different situations (for example, you may grow up poor but move up a class or several and have the privilege of money). But it is always important to recognize that your privilege comes from oppression. You cannot have privilege without oppression, just as you cannot have one side of a coin without the other.

The reason this is so is that privilege is really the absence of oppression. Someone once said (forgive me, I can't recall the original author) that being unable to recognize your own privilege is exemplary of your privilege in and of itself. Meaning, you are so detached from the reality of daily oppression that marginalized groups endure that you don't even have to be aware of the fact that oppression exists and that you play a part in it. Oppression can't touch you, and thus you are privileged. Does that make sense? This is why it is critical that we discuss oppression AND privilege. This is certainly a failing on so many people that I've seen-- particularly in academics. There is often great discussion of the oppression of certain groups, but there is rarely discussion about the need to take responsibility, to accept that we must change ourselves for this oppression to cease.

[Image Description: A two panel comic with one panel atop the other. In the top panel, labeled "Sunday, 10:00 AM" on a white banner, there are two people walking away from a building arm-in-arm; the building is gray and labeled "Hobby Lobby". There are several crude shapes of humans holding picket signs with a red ban symbol on each (a red circle with a line drawn through it). In the foreground, the person on the right is a black woman with shoulder length hair, wearing a pink blouse and purple-ish pants with her right arm tucked into the man's next to her. She has a worried expression on as she looks back toward the building. The man on the left is white with a balding head with black hair; he is wearing a white collared top with a black tie and gray pants. There is a speech bubble emitting from him that reads "Oh, look at all those poor oppressed women campaigning against Hobby Lobby for their reproductive rights. It's so awful that Hobby Lobby won the right to discriminate against women and the right to essentially control their deeply personal decisions about their own bodies and lives." In the bottom panel, The same white man in the same outfit is turned in profile on the right hand side as he speaks to his daughter. His biracial daughter has slightly lighter skin than her mother and is wearing a gray long sleeved shirt with her arms crossed in anger. She has short, choppy black hair witha red streak on the right front side, and she is looking sideways at her father with an angry look on her face. In between them is a white speech bubble coming from the father that reads "No, you may NOT get on birth control, young lady! You are only fifteen years old, and you are NOT ready to be having sex. You're too young to know what you want, but I can tell you it's not that! I'm your father, honey, and I know better than you, and I just want to protect you, so I say you can't have birth control. Or sex." This is all against a light brown background.]

So if we operate under the assumption that privilege is the absence of oppression, we can take a look at some examples. If you are white, you are privileged because you are not oppressed as a person of color. If you are white and not Jewish, you are privileged because you are not oppressed as a white Jewish person. If you are Christian in the United States, you are privileged because you are not oppressed as a person of another faith or an atheist. If you are a cisgender male, you are privileged because you are not oppressed as a woman or as a trans person. If you are able-bodied, you are privileged because you are not oppressed as a disabled person. If you are a cisgender woman, you are privileged because you are not oppressed as a transwoman. If you are educated in a socially-acceptable way (high school, college, etc.), you are privileged because you are not oppressed as a person who did not receive the same level of education as you. If you are heterosexual, you are privileged because you are not oppressed as a queer person. If you are in the middle or upper class, you are privileged because you are not oppressed as a poor or working class person. If you are considered to be from the West or considered Westernized internationally, you are privileged because you are not oppressed as a person from a country not considered Westernized. And so on.

In short, you, as a privileged person, will generally have better, if not exclusive, access to opportunities that marginalized people will not. You are also safer from violence, discrimination, abuse, and laws that are deliberately formed to keep marginalized people oppressed and away from power. This brings us back to oppression:  in social and institutionalized areas, you will be treated better, with more respect, and as more human than someone who is not privileged the way you are.

 

LET’S GET SOMETHING CLEAR HERE, THOUGH.

[Image Description: A white background with black text that reads "Being oppressed in one way does not negate your privilege in another area." in all caps.]

This comes up SO. MANY. TIMES. online in discussions of social justice, and it drives me up the wall. Many people, in a desperate stretch to avoid critically thinking about their own privilege, will state that they can’t have privilege because X, Y, and Z, with XYZ usually being some other form of oppression or situation unrelated to their privilege in another area.

I think it’s best to illustrate this point in an example:

[Image Description: A blue and white background with some dialogue on it. On the blue portions are dialogue from a social justice activist, and on the white portions are dialogue from a white person. The text reads "Social Justice Activist: Well, see, you have privilege as a white person. You would be more likely, for example, to get a job than a person of color or get paid more than a person of color in the same position with the same credentials. White Person: But, but I’m poor! I have a really crappy job; I live in a shitty neighborhood; and I have no college education, so no one wants to hire me! How on Earth could I possibly have privilege over some person of color? Look at Jarred over there—he’s got a great job and is well-off and everything, and he’s Filipino. If I have so much privilege, why isn’t it me over there with his situation and him in mine? Social Justice Activist: *sigh* What you’re doing is conflating two separate issues—race and class. You have no college education, and Jarred has a Master’s degree. If you two both had no college degree or both had a Master’s degree in the same thing and if you both were applying for the same job with similar credentials, YOU would be more likely to land the position than Jarred simply on the basis of your whiteness. There’s also the fact that as a man of color, and regardless of you two’s jobs and education, Jarred is more likely to be assaulted by both the police and random people in public simply because of his race and people’s prejudice against his race. You are also less likely to be subjected to jokes about your race or be mocked and abused by people in media or in other institutions. White Person: But if what you’re saying is true, and I do have white privilege, then why am I still poor? Social Justice Activist: Because that’s a product of class oppression. Poor people, especially when they grow up living in poverty, have fewer resources to help them and have access to fewer opportunities such as education to help them improve their financial situation. So, for the most part based on his financial status, Jarred will be able to access better jobs, health insurance, steady income, job security, opportunities for promotions, etc, whereas with your part-time jobs, there is no access to health care, vacation or sick leave, there are extremely few opportunities for job growth, job security is low, and a steady income is not a guarantee. So in this case, Jarred has privilege over you as a person in the middle class, but you have privilege over him in your whiteness."]

So as you can see, there are lots of intersections of privilege and oppression, but it's important not to believe that just because you are oppressed in one way means that you are not privileged in other ways and thus completely capable of oppressing others.

So now that you know about this whole privilege thing, so what? What do you do with it? Well, I'm glad you asked. Here are just a few things you can do with your privilege.

[Image Description: A pink and white chevron pattern background with the arrows pointing up. At the top, in a white box, is black text that reads "5 Things to Do with Your Privilege." Underneath are five sections, each marked by a single, large bold sentence on top of a green rectangle that acts as a marker, and under each is smaller text giving an example of the original sentence. The text reads "Be aware of it. If you're in a position of power, a position of privilege, you need to know that and be aware of it when you interact with people who do not have that same privilege. Your awareness should reflect itself in how you treat others, listen to them, give them the platforms to speak on their own issues, and how you defer to their communities' voices instead of offering your own, among other ways. Use your awareness to notice oppression around you. For example, when Fox news is on (really, just turn it off; it's garbage that not even raccoons would eat) or any mainstream media outlet is out there, pay attention to how they phrase things, who they focus on as the victim, and how they focus on the victim. Be aware of the differences you see in how an innocent young black teenager getting murdered in Ferguson, MO, suddenly becomes demonized in the media as a "thug" terrorizing the streets of Ferguson. Pay attention to how they portray marginalized people: are they bringing large numbers of people from these marginalized groups to fairly represent the events? Or are they simply allowing white talking heads with power continue to interpret events through bigoted lenses? Use your privilege. If you see something going on between a person from a marginalized group and a non-marginalized group member (with whom you share that in common), speak up! Intervene! If you want to be an ally to oppressed communities, you have to act like an ally and use your privilege to help in whatever way you can. For example, if you're a cisgender male and you witness street harassment of women or transpeople or other queer people, help out! Confront the harasser if you're able and make it clear that that behavior is not acceptable. Give platforms. This can be literal or figurative, but if you're holding a community event or speaking about issues pertinent to certain marginalized groups, invite them to speak or present. Don't be the person who decides how to represent issues for marginalized people without their input. And respect that input! Even if you disagree, it's still not about you. It's about being an ally and doing what you can to help others reach what they need, not about you helping them reach what you think they need. Remember this rule: "Nothing About Us Without Us!" Don't abuse your privilege. If you're aware that in a conversation with someone from a marginalized group that you have privilege, don't be condescending to them by trying to 'splain how they can do better. Don't ask them why they haven't done X or done Y yet. You know damn well why if you're a true ally and aware of your privilege, so don't dismiss the reality of an oppressed person's life. Not cool."]

So there you have it. Just a wee introduction to this notion of privilege. I invite you all to look around the interwebz, though, and get more information! My brain is usually scattered on all these with my ADHD that I'm never certain if the post covers what I need it to or how I wanted to convey it. lol Plus it's ALWAYS good to get more information on these types of issues. :]

Got questions about this? Wanna know if you have privilege? Wanna know how to use it responsibly and not be an asshole about it? Send me a comment, and we can discuss! :]

 

Until next time, fair Readers!

Mischief Managed~

Jessi

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Feminist Fridays: Oppression and Privilege

Feminist Fridays: Oppression and Privilege

Howdy there, Readers!

Please note that there is a trigger warning for this post as I will be discussing potentially triggering content such as racism, sexual assault and rape, ableism, queer antagonism, police brutality, misogyny and rape culture, mass incarceration, white supremacy, oppression, slavery, and other issues that may be troubling. Please proceed with caution.

How are you fine people today? Happy it's Friday for those of you who don't have work on the weekends? I know I am! I live for the weekends. :]

So when last we spoke on the previous Feminist Friday, I promised we would cover a bit more about the notions of oppression and privilege and what roles we each play in both, so that's what we shall do today! :D

Let's start by discussing oppression. I think this is a concept many people struggle with, especially when they're new to the world of social justice, and I feel it would be helpful to get a definition, or a better defined concept, if you will, on the table for us to work off before moving on to privilege.

[Image Description: A rectangle divided into two sections, the left orange and the right white. The left side has white text that reads "Oppression" in all caps, and the right has orange text that reads "Privilege" in all caps.]

Oppression is defined by dictionary.com as "the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner."

This definition, however, is woefully flat and lacking in conveying just what oppression really is. It fails to note that there are various forms of oppression (such as institutional or social), sources of oppression (for example, government policies versus hate groups and individuals), how it is reinforced, the intersecting areas of oppression and privilege (for example, being female but also being able bodied), how exactly oppression is doled out (for example, is it coming in the form of police brutality? discrimination in the work force? an increased likelihood of being attacked in public? etc), and so many other issues. 

This is a wonderful demonstration as to why you should never rely solely on a definition provided in a dictionary, especially in such a complex issue as oppression. People who wish to avoid examining their own complicity in being oppressive frequently will point to such simplistic definitions as a sort of shield for their minds, using it as justification in proving to themselves that they are not the problem.

For example, someone who is white and is called out as being racist (and a jerk) by declaring that there is such a thing as "reverse racism" may decide to point obnoxiously at the dictionary definition of racist, "a person who believes in racism, the doctrine that a certain human race is superior to any or all others," and say, "See? You can be racist against white people in the United States. Says so right there! In the dictionary!"

These are the people who make me heave a massive sigh. Many times. Over and over. As I rub my forehead in disbelief and shake my head. The problem with these people is that they deliberately choose to ignore allll the other facts associated with the subject in favor of justifying their own bigotry. They choose to accept a very simplified answer to a hugely complex issue because it allows them to ignore their own behavior as problematic. Instead of searching for ways to see why they are wrong about this issue, they search for proof to back their opinion up. And given that the people who are in charge of defining our English language are generally white and are in a position of extraordinary power, that simplistic definition naturally is best suited for maintaining the status quo of white supremacy rather than smashing it down.

If said white person truly wished to examine why "reverse racism" doesn't exist, they could, instead, delve into the plethora of academic and also less formal material available to them online or in books or other resources written by people of color themselves, detailing exactly what racism is-- an endemic issue that is found at both a social and systemic level that is invested in pumping life into white supremacy while keeping people of color marginalized through discrimination, violence, and other social and legal means. Based on that alone, one can infer that racism being directed at white people when white people are already in control is clearly not possible.

So as you can see, by my ridiculously long worded example lol, it's important to keep in mind the various intricacies that go into this idea of oppression and to always be mindful of others' lived experiences with oppression in addition to the academic information available to you.

Now onto what oppression actually is: What many people on the interwebs and in the oxygen world seem to think of when they conjure up thoughts about oppression seems to be extreme representations of how oppression can appear. For example, people often think of slavery, Jim Crow, women belonging to men, women being forced to stay at home and not being allowed to vote, etc. And while those certainly represent one concept of oppression, it's certainly not the limit of the scope of how insidious oppression can be. Let's take a look at a working definition of oppression for our purposes:

[Image Description: White background with black text that reads "Oppression, at its core, is about keeping power (social, financial, political, what-have-you) with the groups that that power is already associated with and denying it to groups of people without that power."]

This means that oppression goes beyond just the horrific acts of enslavement of people and other forms of human "ownership" and into smaller, yet equally impactful, forms of every day oppression. As you'll see later on, this type of oppression does still lead to horrific violations of human rights today.

Let's take a look at the various forms oppression takes: Two forms of oppression are social oppression and institutionalized oppression. The two are certainly not mutually exclusive, either, with one leading to another and then feeding back into itself from it. We can think of them as a "rule" versus "law" type of mindset.

Social oppression (RULE) occurs when people marginalize others without laws, policies, business practices, imprisonment, etc, being present. For example, while abhorrent, it's not illegal to hate people of color, speak to them in a derogatory manner, or exclude them from private social opportunities that are open to whites. Social oppression happens on a large scale, too, so this isn't simply some bigoted jerk being a jackass occasionally; this is an extremely large group of people (who have access to power) deciding that it's okay to discriminate against and hate people who don't belong to their group. This is socially approved hatred and abuse.

Institutionalized oppression (LAW) occurs when laws, policies, business practices, imprisonment, etc, ARE present. For example, many states abuse their authority and allow for their cops to pull over people of color driving more regularly than they pull over white people driving simply based on a cop's determination for whatever reason that the person driving the car looks "suspicious." More often than not, as shown by people of color's lived experiences and the statistics backing them up, cops will pull over a black person more frequently than a white person simply because cops hold the belief and are trained to believe that people of color are inherently more suspicious than white people.

Now let's take a look at how these types of oppression intersect, overlap, feed off each other, criss-cross, and all kinds of other wacky stuff.

[Image Description: A diagram on a white background with black text at the top that reads "Social and Institutionalized Oppression: A demonstration as to how social and institutionalized oppression feed off one another" above a group of four circles with black text on each, along with a gray banner atop each. The top left circle is pink and has text that reads "Black people are untrustworthy." The banner above it reads "Social." There is a dashed line that leads to the next circle to the right. This circle is yellow and reads "Pull black people over for being viewed as suspicious." Its banner reads "Institutional." There is another dashed line leading diagonally to the left and bottom where there is a green circle with text that reads "Statistics show black people are pulled over more often." Its banner reads "Result." There is another dahed line leading to the final circle to its right which is orange and has text that reads "Black people are untrustworthy." Its banner reads "Social & Institutional."]

As you can see, social oppression, which many people write off as just being bigotry in individual jerks and sadly one of those unavoidable issues in life, leads to much greater consequences. Take this chart into consideration:

[Image Description: An illustrated background made to look like a piece of paper with blue lines and punch holes in it. On it is “written” two columns; the left column is titled "Social" in orange text and the right is "Institutional." Below the "Social" column is black text that reads "Misogyny: Women are not to be trusted, Women are inferior to men; Racism: People of color are not to be trusted, People of color are inferior to whites; Ableism: People with disabilities are lazy, People with disabilities are liars; Queer Antagonism: Queer people are sinful and unnatural" Underneath the "Institutional" column, aligning each section with the left is text that reads "Misogyny: Survivors of rapes and assaults are rarely given justice in court, Women usually do not receive equal pay; Racism: People of color are imprisoned more than whites, People of color are victims of police brutality more than whites; Ableism: People with disabilities are given few means to survive by the government, People with disabilities are forced through obstacles to "prove" their disability/disabilities; Queer Antagonism: Queer people are denied human rights and work force protection"]

This demonstrates the clear connection between what happens at a non-legal level and the legal consequences of such behavior and beliefs. If people who run the government uphold oppression in their social lives, they will, point-blank, continue to uphold that oppression at a state policy level. This is why it is crucial to fight oppression at every level, especially given that new generations of people learn oppressive behaviors and thoughts from both a social level and an institutional level. This is why it is so important to call out people, including ourselves, when they are engaging in oppressive, marginalizing behavior. This is why that guy in the bar making rape jokes is not just an insensitive asshole but is also contributing to a wider culture (which we describe as rape culture, by the way) of oppression of women.

So I hope this post has given you a better understanding as to what oppression is and the forms it takes and such. I think I'm gonna leave the discussion of privilege (along with a little more on oppression) for the next Feminist Friday since this turned out to be quite a bit longer than I originally anticipated. :] (I'm a wordy little fucker. lol) So next time, we'll discuss more of the topics introduced at the beginning of this post where we questioned the rather disappointing dictionary definition of oppression, along with how we fit into oppression ourselves. :] I hope you'll all feel free to discuss in the comments any thoughts y'all have on this issue of oppression, including any questions you may have on the topic! Can't wait to talk with you again, and remember, SHE-HULK SMASH OPPRESSION!!! >:D

 

Until next time, fair Readers!

Mischief Managed~

Jessi

 

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Feminist Fridays: A Brief Intro to Intersectional Feminism

Feminist Fridays: A Brief Intro to Intersectional Feminism

Hello, fancy Readers!

***Trigger Warning: This post will be discussing a large array of triggering content, including-- but not limited to-- racism; murder; violence against PoC, women, and queer people; police brutality; ableism; body shaming; rape; sexual assault; victim-blaming; slut-shaming; abortion; white supremacy; transmisogyny; transantagonism; homoantagonism; discrimination against groups of marginalized people; abuse; rape culture; and others*** Please proceed cautiously. I did my best to note all potential triggers, but there's always a chance I may have missed some. Please also be cautious when following links as there is sometimes language that could potentially be triggering. If you note any triggers that I have missed, PLEASE bring it to my attention so that I may immediately include it in the above list of triggers. Thank you!

So for our first Feminist Friday, I'd like to discuss some basic core concepts. These are some of the ideas intersectional feminism focuses on, and they will be critical to your understanding issues in our society as they are today and also the topics we discuss on this blog.

[Image Description: Light green background with faded, comical stars. Drawing of green She-Hulk in purple and white leotard and with hulking (lol I crack myself up! xD) muscles holding a male-read person in a black jacket with a black ski mask on and that looks as though they've been beaten up. She-hulk is smiling knowingly at the viewer. To the left of the drawing is text in dark green bubble print that reads "She-hulk smash the patriarchy!" with hearts where the dashes and periods would be.]

Let's start by defining what intersectional feminism is.

[Image Description: White background with goldish stars all over. There is text in rainbow colors outlined in black that reads "intersectional feminism."]

Feminism is many things and goes by many definitions, often different for each person.But for the purposes of this page, here is my current working definition of feminism.

 

Feminism is the belief that all genders are of equal importance and is the recognition that that belief is unfortunately not held by most people and institutions; because this belief is not held, the oppression of both cisgender and transgender women is pervasive in society. Feminism is also the act of rebeling against these systems of oppression whether it be through signing online petitions, speaking up against misogynistic companies or individuals, protests, internalizing and practicing feminist ideals, or other manners.

 

Now that we have that down, let's move on to the concept of intersectionality, a term and method of approach coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw. Crenshaw initially created the term in the 1980s to describe the intersecting oppressions of racism and sexism women of color-- and especially black women. She did this in response to the need for black women's voices to be heard, validated, and addressed in the overhwelmingly white-centric feminist movement and the overwhelmingly male-centric anti-racist movement. This need for the practice of intersectionality has not decreased with time, either; in fact, the definition of intersectional feminism has only grown to include more intersections such as ableism, classism, fat antagonism, transantagonism, and homoantagonism among other things.

Check out Crenshaw's own words in this wonderful interview of her by Bim Adewunmi in an article for New Statesman:

 

For Crenshaw, a law professor at UCLA and Columbia, intersectionality theory came about specifically to address a particular problem. “It’s important to clarify that the term was used to capture the applicability of black feminism to anti-discrimination law,” she says. In the lecture she delivered at the LSE later that evening, she brought up the case of Degraffenreid vs General Motors, in which five black women sued GM on the grounds of race and gender discrimination. “The particular challenge in the law was one that was grounded in the fact that anti-discrimination law looks at race and gender separately,” she says. “The consequence of that is when African American women or any other women of colour experience either compound or overlapping discrimination, the law initially just was not there to come to their defence.”

The courts’ thinking was that black women could not prove gender discrimination because not all women were discriminated against, and they couldn’t prove race discrimination because not all black people were discriminated against. A compound discrimination suit would, in the courts’ eyes, constitute preferential treatment, something nobody else could do. Crenshaw laughs when she adds: “Of course, no one else had to do that. Intersectionality was a way of addressing what it was that the courts weren’t seeing.”

 

It is very important to note that much of this morphing of definition occurred when white feminists stole the term  and its original intended use and began to appropriate the term for their own purposes, declining to credit Crenshaw with creating intersectional theory or to acknowledge the original purpose of the term. Their doing so has highlighted the very reason for which Crenshaw felt compelled to create the term. So if you do use it, you must be aware of the history of it-- particularly if you are white. I still struggle with the right and wrongness of using the term myself as a white person, being aware of the appropriation and imbalance and having been unable to determine a non-appropriative, equally concise and descriptive term for my feminism.

(Edited on February 2, 2015: After more thinking on the subject, I would absolutely, 100% say that it is wrong for myself, as a white person, to identify as an intersectional feminist. Someone online put it in an excellent way: it's for black women and how they relate to feminism. It's not meant to describe issues on multiple issues for women of all races but for black women and the unique situations they face AS BLACK WOMEN. So this is something to think about, friends. :] From here on out, this blog will be happy to discuss and boost intersectional feminism as always, but it will not be identifying itself as an intersectional feminist blog-- simply a feminist blog that addresses multi-issue feminism. :])

For more on intersectional feminism and works by Kimberlé Crenshaw, please check out these great recources.

Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color by Kimberlé Crenshaw

The Girls Obama Forgot: My Brother's Keeper Ignores Young Black Women

Kimberlé Crenshaw's Biography and Bibliography on UCLA Law

 

Now that you have a, hopefully, clearer idea as to what intersectionality represents, let's briefly delve into examples of some of the issues intersectional feminism faces today.

[Image Description: White background with goldish stars all over. There is text in rainbow colors outlined in black that reads "issues faced by intersectional feminism."]

Issue	Specific Examples and Further Details
Racism	Ferguson, MO and the ongoing, nationwide murder of black people
	White supremacy; genocide of people of color (PoC); discrimination in the work force; police brutality; incarceration epidemic
Misogyny & Sexism	MRA's (Men's Rights Activists) and Misogyny
	Slut-shaming; domestic abuse; murder of women; exclusion of women in the workforce; sexism in the media
Reproductive Rights	Hobby Lobby Decision;Woman in Republic of Ireland
	Restriction of women's ready and free access to abortion, birth control, and other forms of reproductive freedom and self-determination by the state
Sexualization & Objectification	Robin Thicke's Videos; Judge G. Todd Baugh & the 30-Day Rape Sentence
	Hypersexualization of women of color (WoC); sexualization of young girls; objectification of women in various media
Transgender Issues	Cece McDonald, Islan Nettles, Monica Jones
	The murders and persecutions of transgender people, particularly transwomen and transwomen of color; transmisogyny; trans denial and erasure; exclusion by the LGB community
Sexual Harassment	Stop Telling Women to Smile
	Cat calling; sexual harassment of the queer and PoC communities; in the workplace and in public
Ableism	Ezell Ford and the ongoing, nationwide murder of mentally ill people
	Abuse, violence, and murder of physically disabled and mentally ill people; ableist language; discrimination against people with disabilities/disabled people
Body Policing	Fat Shaming
	Fat antagonism; healthcare industry bias and neglect
Rape and Sexual Assault	Steubenville rape victim
	Victim-blaming; slut-shaming; rape culture
Queer Issues	Britney Cosby & Crystal Jackson
	Murder, violence, and abuse of queer people; discrimination against queer folk in the workplace; discrimination against transgender people within the queer community
Classism & Poverty	Shanesha Taylor
	Demonization of and discrimination against people in poverty/on welfare; health insurance access; education access; livable wages; unions; workers' rights; corporate greed; homelessness

 

This is by no means a complete list of all the issues feminism faces today, but it's good for seeing how each of these issues affects women often in more than one area. As the indomitable Audre Lorde said,
[Image Description: Black text that reads " 'There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not lead single-issue lives.' -Audre Lorde"]

Now that I've given you plenty to mull over, sweet Reader, I hope you'll be inspired to get involved, to learn more about these issues, and to reflect on the different issues affecting people today-- you and others not like you. And next time we meet on Feminist Friday, with these ideas in mind, we'll be discussing privilege and oppression, the roles we all play in each, and how we can all responsibly use our privileges to help break down these systems of oppression.

If you can't wait that long (the boiling blood of righteous fury!) or want some great places to learn more and get involved, check out these, some of my favorite sites. As always, read the comments policies and be respectful in these spaces, especially if you are white, male, cisgender, heterosexual, or any of the above combinations.

Guerrilla Feminism

Black Girl Dangerous

Son of Baldwin

Shakesville

 

I can't wait to hear your thoughts, fellow geeky feminists! :D Please be sure to read the comment policy before you contribute on this subject and remember to be respectful of marginalized groups you are not apart of. ♡ What are some questions you have about intersectional feminism? How do you think you could be more aware of some of the issues mentioned here? And why do you think these issues don't get discussed more often in mainstream media-- and how can we fight that? Share your thoughts below in the comments!

 

Until next time, fair Readers!

Mischief Managed~

Jessi