whatafeministis

[whatafeministis]

No justice, no peace. Injustice anywhere leads to injustice everywhere. We cannot be silent now. Stand up, fight back, be aware. Seek justice for Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Sean Bell, Akai Gurley and the countless other men and women of color whose stories are not heard. #fergusondecision #movementnotamoment #justiceformikebrown (at Manhattan Bridge)

#movementnotamoment #justiceformikebrown #fergusondecision

[whatafeministis]

I recently watched Sheryl Sandberg's TED talk at TEDWomen in which she outlines her three main ideas for Lean In: sit at the table, make your partner a real partner, and don't leave until you leave. While these were all great points there was one big problem: she only focused on what women could do to solve their problems. She basically gave corporate America exactly what it wanted to hear: we don't have to talk about sexism or racism or classism because they just need to be better; it's not our fault. While it is important to see what e as women can do to better out situations and positions in the workforce, it is also important to recognize that the reason we're not getting top positions isn't necessarily our fault. It's not fair to say that women simply need to sit at the table and work harder and we'll get those jobs. We have to recognize that there are practices and ideals that are institutionalized across the US and the world that prevent women from excelling in the workforce. The only way that we'll be able to tackle the challenges faced by women in the workforce - as well as minority groups and lower class peoples - is to recognize and confront the underlying causes of those challenges.

#feminism

[whatafeministis]

Not only is there a black men telling three white women what feminism is, this is also an example of the differences between white feminism and black feminism. White feminists have almost never black feminists into the movement, despite the fact that black feminists have done some of the most instrumental work for men and women in this nation. The National Association of Colored Women was the largest racial movement in the 20th century, even larger than the Civil Rights Movement. The fact that Beyoncé cannot get recognition from many feminists throughout the nation is despicable. Feminism is about equality for men and women, white and black, gay and straight. Feminism is enabling women to demonstrate their sexuality in all forms. 

Segun Oduolowu dragging Annie Lennox for her comments on how Beyoncé and her ‘twerking’ “isn’t feminism” on the Wendy Williams Show

can I marry this guy?

#feminism #black feminism #beyonce

[whatafeministis]

Recently on Facebook, a lot of people in my school have been posting statuses about feminism. Some are about why that person needs feminism, why that person doesn't need feminism, or something that is related to the feminist cause, such as the wage gap. One student posted a status saying that the wage gap was not caused by sexism, but in fact numerous other factors such as maternity leave and the fields that women go into. Yes, the wage gap is an extremely complicated number with many factors contributing to it. Yes, maternity leave is one of those factors. But yes, it is caused by sexism. There were then a whole slew of comments following attacking the author saying he was ignorant, stupid, sexist. While some comments pointed to various studies about the wage gap in order to educate the author of the status, many of them started with a phrase along the lines of "If you would take a moment to look the facts about your bogus idea, you would realize that ...". I was disappointed in the status and I was disappointed in the reactions.

Feminism is not about yelling at those who are perhaps ill-informed and calling them an idiot. It's not about making sweeping statements about all men and how they're all rapists. It's not about bringing men down. It is about leveling the playing field across the board for all genders, sexual orientations, and races. It is about educating people on what the issues are and what the solutions are. It is about battling societal norms and constraints in order to create a better environment for everyone. Organizations centered around feminism and feminist issues such as HeForShe (http://www.heforshe.org/) are focused on raising awareness about the issues facing women and men across the globe. Men are victims of sexual violence, societal constraints, and domestic abuse too. 

Feminism is a movement that was initially by women for women - most usually white women - but now it has branched into something much more than that. Feminism is about creating gender equality across the board. I need feminism because I believe that men and women should be equal in all walks of life. I need feminism because I should not have to conform to a certain type of person in order to be a feminist. I need feminism because I should be able to go into whatever professional field I want. Why do you need feminism?

#feminism #heforshe #yesallwomen #wage gap