Updates From The Land Of White Feminist Blunders
It may seem like I am endlessly beating a long dead horse with this entry, but it does a very good job at getting to the heart of what is happening in these debates between women of color and the larger feminist movement.
Sitting down to put this entry together, I had not yet heard of the latest mistake to hit the feminist / women of color debate. This one is beyond the pale. Yes, I used the tonal reference purposefully. Deciding I don't have much to add to the latest BS, I am going to stick to my original plan and answer a question many have asked in email regarding the original issue.
A question about what was stolen, how exactly was it stolen, and was it direct plagiarism or not. This is an edited comment I submitted to the website Feministe, and I think it may explain and demonstrate exactly who is hurt in these debates when activist work, and previous research, go completely without attribution. I make the point that appropriation or plagiarism isn't the point. Silencing a movement, is.
I think Amanda Marcotte has made her position abundantly clear with respect to engagement on this topic. It is clear as hell to me that Amanda is not going to engage, period. Too wrapped up in the velvet cape of histrionic offense, talking about greater themes and patterns is not a good move for someone if they instead can maintain the focus on a discussion that will never go anywhere. Concentrating on what was never said, through the word semantics of personal offense, does a great job of keeping the focus off the actual grievance. The one that so far, still needs to be addressed.
So....if we are serious about a conversation that speaks to racism, that speaks to privilege, and speaks to an all too common dynamic of flawed thinking when we take time to consider our otherwise progressive outlook; the one that affords many of us with a false belief in our ability to understand dynamics of minority experience, we then begin to have a conversation which may be of benefit.
My main point being, idea appropriation or not, plagiarism or not, what we need to center this discussion and future discussions on, is the actual grievance, as articulated by the injured party. After making certain I am fully aware of just what that is, I will now ask Amanda Marcotte to answer my points below, clearly and minus the previous invective.
Amanda, how is it that in an online and real life activist culture which specifically deals with the issue of immigration and sexual explotation, and with the majority of people who work for, and fight for those organizations being the exact people this issue effects, how is it possible that a major article by a popular, well read and recognized feminist, has completely ignored and denied that entire community?
By not linking, by not referencing, and by failing to mention that community, you not only invalidated them, you stole their voice and used it for your gain. Make no mistake, there are years and years of documented work and historical precedent done by local grassroots activists. The offense is not just “one woman who writes one blog who is throwing a hissy fit”. That is a complete mis characterization and is grossly unfair to not only that woman, but more so, it is abuse of that community that your derailing side arguments over semantics and picking the best "framing", for your supposed offense. Once again Amanda, your actions and aggressive disregard of the way this issue plays out, has served to ignore and invalidate minority experience.
No matter how you cut it, what did not occur was an acknowledgment and a reference to the people who do this work day in and day out and have been doing it in a time frame measured in years. Secondly, you have harmed the individuals that this issue takes advantage of. Invalidating people who are already often invalidated without any help from you, does nothing but ensure their continued subjugation and abuse.
This is light years more serious than the appaling way you attempt to frame this Amanda. Get over yourself, and just do the right thing for a change. Because it should be coming clearer to you by the day; your framing is pretty damn off at the moment. Good luck with that.
alto
in Race / Racism, Feminist & Pro Feminist, Books / Authors
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Reader Comments (16)
THANK YOU! That's about the most spot on assessment of the real damage that Marcotte has done and keeps doing! Great job.
I can't say I completely understand what is going on within the Feminist movement. Being completely honest, most of what I have learned regarding both the Feminists and women of color Feminsits, I've learned from reading you. My silence has more to do with learning and taking it in.
I plan on checking out some of the links you have linked to. But this comment is just to let you know that I appreciate all I have learned from you and continue to learn. As I am not well versed in a lot of this, my motto has been to keep quiet, and learn. Just know I'm lurking and learning. And letting the teachers do the speaking.
Love,
3T
Hey 3T,
Thanks so much for that comment. Something i needed to hear today. Ironically, the things you say you are doing to understand more about race and the idea of implicit assumptions tells me you have a heads up on most of the white, "progressive" feminists who keep screwing up over and over.
Ideology does not magically erase inherent bias we have grown up with. People can talk all the PC lingo they want and discuss wonderful heartfelt narratives of privilege, but if it hasn't actually been done, if it hasn't been directly looked at and worked through defensiveness rises when they are told of their obvious blind spots, and then it's a fucking free for all the likes of which you are seeing now. And once again, people of color suffer, and white feminists get "offended"..
The bottom line is that as white people with the history we share in this country and the way we have been acculturated, it will take each of us very specific ways of looking at things in a new light and actively challenging ourselves with the issue anytime it comes up. It gets easier, but it is never over, and the minute we think we know it all....well, you see what occurs.
Thanks again 3T for being willing to take the risk.
Al- you’ll forgive me for asking, but isn’t the conscious act of silencing, marginalizing or simply ignoring, both the experience and opinion of a woman (any woman), a rather patriarchal stance?
I’ll leave it to you smart people to dissect the finer points of the academic arguments. But it seems to me the disenfranchisement of one of your sisters is indeed a patriarchal bullshit variety of behavior. But then again, we all know I’m not the smart one in the bunch.
Dora,
If you are coming from where I think you are, I would completely agree. If I'm wrong, please forgive the lengthy babble:)
The foundation that is at the core of the theory you suggest is indeed radical feminism. It's always been the specific theory base that makes the most sense to me; the idea of cutting through the bullshit to get to the root cause of oppression. In other words, patriarchy is the problem, it needs to go, therefore the goal is to fundamentally change the system, not buy into it with an extension of patriarchal privilege.
In the question you raise I would say that yes, silencing, invalidating of women and minorities is always patriarchal in nature both as a function of it, and as a result of it. Pitting women against women is a powerful dynamic with much history to show example. Think slut shaming, the idea of the whore Madonna paradigm. Men benefit from both those polarities, women are further delineated by them, and further separated by them from the placement of and the weight of the virtues ascribed to them. Result is in all cases the same, the womens movement as a collective is damaged and fractioned. One could quite easily make a similar argument in this case.
Al- as per usual, yes dear you do get where I'm coming from. And yes the polarity is my genuine point in the matter. To presume that the construct, or even concept if you will, of feminism is rightfully the territory of one ethnic or socioeconomic group is most divisive, as we uselessly tear ourselves apart- we gain nothing and the energy better spent to constructive ends is squandered on bullshit..
I would however add again that it's not only women of color, but those that haven't the benefit of a college education and those that are the working poor are equally marginalized-
Excellent point Dora. While class is not usually given the air time that race is, it often can have a similar oppressive dynamic that frequently stems from similar progressives thinking they are there to save, speak for, and define experience for others less privileged or less fortunate.
It can almost sound like an embarrassing comedy skit, but we have all seen the well meaning activists almost accost people of color on the street and loudly proclaim "I am your ally, teach me of your land, ways and culture so I may be enlightened".
In reality, the POC is probably three blocks from where they have lived their whole life, and that's why it gets patronizing. I don't fault only feminism but all social justice movements that are based in that certain white class structure. It is something that can definitely be overcome, but these kinds of issues are going to continue to be common ones until that occurs unfortunately.
I bow out and leave it to those that are more erudite than I at this point. But I must say in parting that the wedge that has been forced, as Al so aptly pointed out, has only served to further shatter what should be a cohesive movement. In reality we all stand or we all fall. And it astonishes me that so many refuse to see this moronically simple fact.
I can only say that until class and color are taken out of the equation, women as a whole can never be a cohesive voice, because there are many women that have been ignored due to their lack of education, or social status that are the ones that need emancipation in the truest sense. Irrespective of any other defining factor.
But then again Al, you know I'm the simple one..
After reading your comments Doralong, if you're the simple one, I don't want to know what that makes me!
Yeah, really sis. You need to cut that simpleton crap out. Your points are well taken.
Hey Tate *insert Bronx cheer* but you love me anyway.
If 'white feminists" don't seem particularly supportive of radical women of color (and yes, I'm, sorry, by now I am I am sick to death of that term) than we have good reason. "White feminists" have been doing cartwheels over every stupid, pety, overly sensitive "insult" for the past two weeks. Do they just not get it?
Let me be clear - WE ARE TRYING TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE MOVEMENT. I'm sorry, they do not get to define it too! Pay your dues ladies!
Oh EssenceS you poor, put upon thing. The nerve of those women! Wanting to define the movement, that's a lot of nerve. But look on the bright side, if you keep being vocal, being outraged, and taking great offense, it will be clear to all just how much of a "white feminist" movement it really is.
Oh, wait...
Please excuse me while I pull out my hair, and count to ten.....
EssenceS, you darling, take the cake for being by far, the stupidest woman to grace these pages. Why?
"WE ARE TRYING TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE MOVEMENT. I'm sorry, they do not get to define it too! "
Start there dear.
OK Al, that was a joke, right??
Sadly, no, she's a live one, and has been very vocal on the mainstream sites. For days, MAKING HER POINT WITH THE CAPS don't you know. Funny with regard to just how vapid one must be to espouse that nonsense, but sad in that there really are a rather large number of them.