We’ve got bad news for all the affluent white women who want to make feminism great again: The Sisterhood no longer requires your services. Activist and creator of “public art” Bree Newsome explains:
I don't believe in the ability of affluent white women to lead a feminist movement in such a way that:
1) is intersectional
2) truly understands & addresses the reality & scope of white patriarchy & rape culture
3) centers the experiences of poor women & women of color pic.twitter.com/Hejpj4Tqr0— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) January 18, 2018
Am I saying there's no room for affluent white women? No. I'm saying that the failure to recognize how WW hold a privileged position within white patriarchy, benefit from & perpetuate it in many ways is a constant point of disconnect b/w white feminism & intersectionality 2/
— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) January 18, 2018
While Tarana Burke & Alicia Garza have been pushing for MeToo to focus on the conditions of domestic workers, poor women and women of color, white feminists like Margaret Atwood continually focus on the movement's potential negative impact on (mostly white) men 3/
— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) January 18, 2018
The criticisms being lodged against MeToo (started by a BW) are based on a distorted understanding of what the movement is to begin with. Tarana Burke's movement has never been about publicly shaming male celebrities. Others insist on framing it that way 4/
— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) January 18, 2018
And in so doing, they, in typical white feministing fashion, completely ignore the leadership of BW in favor of centering themselves & their perspective–a perspective woefully ill-equipped to grasp the racialized gender & class dynamics of rape culture 5/
— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) January 18, 2018
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The stubborn refusal to acknowledge that white women benefit from the racialization of gender, that a true feminist movement must dismantle both patriarchy & racism at once, is a refusal to acknowledge the reality of structural sexism 6/
— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) January 18, 2018
This is not a new issue, of course. When white middle class women were defining liberation as breaking away from being housewives & entering the workplace, most BW were having to work to support their families. Many by cleaning WW's houses & caring for their children 7/
— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) January 18, 2018
Many of these BW experienced sexual violence within the households where they worked (a dynamic going back generations to slavery) & received little help or support from their WW employers 8/
— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) January 18, 2018
So, in closing, if you have concerns about the direction MeToo is going, I suggest listening to folks like Alicia Garza & Tarana Burke & taking cues from them about what the focus should be & not affluent white women penning editorials 9/9
— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) January 18, 2018
Makes sense … if you’re completely out of your ever-loving mind.
True. Our privilege runs too deep.
— Mrs. Raven Needs More Quinlan Vos (@CassandraCorvid) January 18, 2018
Thank God someone finally said it in a tweet thread………Thank you. I'm 51 years old, I have seen this all my life, heard it all my life, watched my Aunts use their privilege over women of color all my life, and I have been sick of it all of my life, so thank you. Really
— Tina Morphis #KHive #Humanist #ForthePeople (@TinaMorphis) January 18, 2018
This is very well done. Thank you. As white women, we need to let WOC lead the way so that feminism can truly be an all-women movement. Our experiences are so different, and we need to listen.
— Stella McKenzie (@StellaMcKenzi18) January 18, 2018
I am white woman & I would guess that too many of us are ill informed of experiences of woc & MANY white women do not see how our brains have been colonized by white patriarchy. It hurts to say so but I’m with you on ww not being best to lead intersectional movement.
— JC (@JSCearbhaill) January 18, 2018
Thank you for that observation. To further your point drop the affluent and just say white women in general. They were here during slavery too. Who raised racist white men but there white moms. Truth sux I know. So if you offended be the change.
— RDG (@RonUpstream) January 18, 2018
I'm conscious that I'm a white male and commenting on feminism and women of colour.
I'm not sure you can be a feminist without having a deep sense of empathy. At it's very core, feminism is about equality for women. If that doesn't include all women it's not equality.— Ian Seta (@setaian) January 18, 2018
She’s not saying it shouldn’t include us. She’s saying we should let a WOC LEAD because her experiences will be vastly different than most WW. And I agree, ? ~a ww
— Michele (@atatatstat) January 18, 2018
Women of color were the leaders of last year’s march on DC. I was there. Listening. Still here listening. Checking my privilege. But please let’s not make it a platform where we attack each other and divide our strength in number. #wearethemajority #therearemoreofus
— LAH ??? (@_Lisah) January 18, 2018
Is it too much to ask to have a little sanity?
Because you must be poor and minority to be a true feminist?
— Uncle Ruprecht (@140Fiction) January 18, 2018
Maybe try to embrace the experiences of different people from a variety of backgrounds instead of alienating and further segmenting the validity of who is allowed to lead or speak.
— Revomike (@Revo_Mike) January 18, 2018
Turns out the answer is yes. It’s too much to ask:
Thanks for contributing nothing
— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) January 18, 2018
What a special lady she is.
https://twitter.com/ExiledRachel/status/954042816711274497