The biggest progression in modern feminism is the push towards intersectionality: acknowledging the different social factors that create a person’s privileges and oppressions. For example, a white woman will face oppression and discrimination for her sex from men, but a black woman will experience oppression and discrimination for her race on top of sexism. Meanwhile a transwoman will also face hardships for her gender identity on top of your everyday-run-of-the-mill sexism. By understanding the intersections of gender, race, sexuality, class, and any other indicator of privilege, we come to acknowledge how we as individuals stand in the massive, convoluted hierarchy of privilege.
White feminism essentially fails to understand or acknowledge these intersections, and poses a feminist agenda that is aimed at providing benefits only to white – usually cisgendered – women. A lot of mainstream feminism privileges white women by addressing issues that only affect them or that only they can access. Most body image campaigns are very white feminist; the women they portray are (you guessed it!) white and conventionally beautiful, and they isolate Women of Colour from their messages. Here are two great links to further explain:
http://battymamzelle.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/This-Is-What-I-Mean-When-I-Say-White-Feminism.html#.Vcnk2fmqpBe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHXd_67oZ_M
Taylor Swift’s tweets to Nicki Minaj were depressingly typical of a privileged white feminist.
Let’s walk through what was said: Nicki’s extremely popular music video for Anaconda did not get a nomination for the VMA’s, so she tweeted criticisms of the industry. She pointed out the discrimination she has faced as a black woman, and the way the VMA’s obviously value conventionally white beauty standards in music videos, tweeting “If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year…” seen as perhaps referencing Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood, which received a nomination. Quickly after, Taylor replied that it was “unlike (Nicki) to pit women against each other.” The ensuing correspondence then mostly revolved around Nicki and Taylor “feuding”; criticising each other and defending themselves.
What’s wrong with what Taylor did? Like a good white feminist, Taylor saw a tweet which was insightfully and powerfully critiquing the way black women are treated in the music industry, and turned it into a big fiasco essentially all about her. She did not acknowledge the nuanced intersection between race and gender, and the resulting discrimination that Nicki would experience but Taylor never will. And so, she blamed Nicki for not being “feminist” because “all women should stick together”. This blanketing of “all women” is pretty damaging in these sorts of situations, because it glosses over the different experiences different women have based on their ethnic, cultural or sexual backgrounds. And when we say “all women”, it often translates to “white women”, effectively marginalising Women of Colour and other minorities from the mainstream. Nicki’s tweets could have potentially brought much needed attention to the racism and racially fuelled sexism in the music industry, but it was forgotten in the midst of Taylor’s self-righteous “feminism”.
And to add salt to the wound, when social media began reporting on the “feud”, it was pretty much straight up racist. We saw the newest examples of the “angry black woman” stereotype come flooding in, as Nicki was suddenly portrayed as angry, ranting, overreacting, and just a typical black woman amirite? Meanwhile Taylor was the misunderstanding victim…?
Of course, Taylor Swift has done many great things in her career, and did apologise for her comments. However she must be held to an extremely high standard because she is so influential, and accepting white feminism from her is just counterproductive.
When Women of Colour bring up issues specific to them, it is not a “danger” to mainstream feminism, or a worrying tangent that takes away from the mainstream women’s rights movement. It is an important discussion that is almost always overwritten and marginalised by feminists who fail to recognise that their oppression as a woman does not cancel out their privilege as a white person. The “Swift-Minaj correspondence of 2015” is just the most recent example of white feminism detrimenting Women of Colour, and intersectional topics. It is a constant issue that is often overlooked because it doesn’t seem problematic at face value to most people.
Don’t jump on the bandwagon just because it’s popular; white women have more influence than WoC and it’s important to recognise this and act on it. Critiquing Taylor Swift for her comments is step one, but calling out any feminist campaign that ignores WoC issues and circumstances is the most effective.
Unfortunately, you will be surprised by how many you see.
Comment below!
Hannah
