Feminists Must Heal the Wounds of Racism
June 9, 2008
Addressing the wounds between White feminists and feminists of Color
Dear Sisters ~
I’m writing self-identified second wave and third wave White feminists, who have expressed a commitment to ending sexism and racism, about their public uncritical support of Hillary Clinton. Granted my letter could be perceived as a moot point because she conceded on Saturday, June 7, 2008. However, for me, a hard core unapologetic third wave Black feminist lesbian (who’s the daughter of a second wave Black feminist), it’s not a moot point because while it is about Hillary Clinton’s campaign, for me it’s about my deep and profound betrayal that I’ve personally and politically experienced during the primaries, especially the last few months of the campaign.
I was appalled by the fact that when the going got very rough and tough, that Clinton and her campaign became blatantly racist. I was very alarmed when White feminists (not to be confused with women who supported Hillary Clinton) who supported Clinton didn’t publicly critique her racism, while continuing to support her campaign. I’m not talking about the pundits who didn’t support her and critiqued her. I’m not talking about feminists of all races who supported Obama who critiqued her. I’m talking about White feminists who supported Clinton critiquing her in a way to encourage her to be the best candidate that she could be, which I hope would mean not to run a racist campaign.
Hillary is White by Zillah Eisenstein
May 18, 2008
Hillary Clinton Defines Gender As White
It seems clear that Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee for president this fall. Nevertheless, it is crucial to clarify how wrong-headed Hillary Clinton’s campaign has been so that the legacy she leaves does no more damage to a multi-racial, multi-class based feminism/womanism both here and abroad.
Melissa Harris-Lacewell’s Open letter to Governor Howard Dean
May 8, 2008
Dear Gov. Dean: Are You Ready to Lead?
There’s still time for you to save the Democratic Party.
Alice Walker Lovingly, Compassionately, and Critically Supports Barack Obama
March 30, 2008
Following is a powerful “open letter” written by Pulitzer Prize Winning Author, and Global Social Change Agent Alice Walker. For those of us based in the United States, I’m a critical supporter of Obama who has been in search of (because I, like too many of us, haven’t made the time to write something ourselves) essays by feminists/womanists of color who support Obama. As a Black feminist lesbian, I’ve been and am sick and tired of how all of the discussions about the democratic primaries have been looked through a Race = Black (Man) and Gender = (White) Woman lens, without any regards for millions of us who are both Black, Red, Brown, Yellow and Woman. Sister Alice’s open letter is a Black feminist/womanist loving, compassionate, and critical praise song for the candidate that I hope will become the next president of the United States of America.
LEST WE FORGET, An Open Letter To My Sisters Who Are Brave
From Alice Walker
Talking about Race and Gender in the Democratic Primaries
March 20, 2008
All the Men Are Black, All the Women Are White, and Some of Us Vote: A Remix by Salamishah Tillet
I spent the better half of Tuesday afternoon, listening to and reading the transcript of Barack Obama’s speech on “race.” Obama’s address was thoughtful, progressive, eloquent, brilliant, moving, and insightful. He did all the things I wanted him to do, acknowledged the founding “sin” of American slavery, shifted the burden of racial reconciliation from the shoulders of African-Americans to the larger American citizenry, and spoke about the past and present consequences of white rage and black disillusionment.
