The Unfortunate Relationship Between Feminism and Race

In law school I took a class that I was really excited about which discussed gender issues.  This class came after a plethora of others on the topic of minorities in society.  Women aren't a minority, but disadvantaged just the same, so I wondered how different the issues would be.  All my "otherness" classes were taught by men.  While I am not one-hundred percent sure where feminists stand on all issues, I am definitely staunchly pro-women, so I felt that having a class taught by a feminist about women issues would be close to perfect.

What I was not expecting was the intense personal conflict I felt between my minority identity and my identity as a female.  I also did not expect to leave the class convinced that I could not be a feminist and be a Black person, at least not the kind of feminism I encountered in my class.  But I am Black and it colors how I see the world and how people see me.  Just as much as being a woman if not more.  It didn't help that this class was when I was dating a guy who made me promise him not to go "all feminist" on him.  I ditched the guy. And the class. Why should I have to choose? 

I haven't thought about this experience for a while. But it came to my mind briefly when reading a blog by a woman who supports Obama.  The blog centered on the idea of whether she had to pick the woman because she was a woman, or the person she just wanted to support.  I had a moment where I thought: why should she have to choose.  Why do any of us?

Then today, listening to NPR, I heard this discussion on News and Notes about an op-ed where a woman basically said that women have been treated worse than Black men. It was a piece on the presidential campaign. It was to lend support to the female candidate.  I must confess, Hillary was kind of my hero before this campaign. I just don't know anymore, though I guess I shouldn't hold the words of another against her.  However, the op-ed writer had to have been talking about non-Black women.  As I thought (with Harriet Tubman): "ain't I a woman?"  For the first time I really really understand what that means.  It is feminism divorcing women.    Again, I felt that feminism failed me. And I am a woman!

It is impossible for anyone to be completely aware of the significance of their behavior to everyone around them. That is the big "issue" with diversity; why some people say diversity makes the workplace a sterile place.  I agree; but the times, they are "a changing" for the vast majority of the places and causes we encounter on a daily basis.  However, consistently feminism isolates minority women in their quest for the feminist "cause" to be heard.  As if minority women, and in the case of this presidential election, Black minority women, don't count. 

 

And, a little side note: everyone likes to say that Black men could vote before women.  While this is true on paper, this was not universally true in practice.  And really, do you want to switch places with any minority male? Collectively, minority males have had a hard time here in the US.  Especially Black males.  Furthermore, if the voting rights "fun fact" were really the case, then much of the Civil Rights Movement was for nothing.  Ever heard of the Grandfather Clause? Or voting tests? Reality is not nearly as pretty as people would lead you to believe, especially when it comes to the treatment of women AND minorities (including men) in the United States.