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Feminism and Race

Hey friends, welcome back to My Feminist Voice. I cannot thank you enough for taking time out of your busy lives to listen to what I have to say. Today, six days after the senseless murder of George Floyd, I feel compelled to start a discussion about the intersection between gender and race. The truth is that systems of oppression are linked to one another in our world. There is a connection between racism and sexism whether you believe it or not. These issues affect all of us whether you're black or white, straight or queer, young or old. But privilege is not black or white. It's a spectrum, which is how each system of oppression relates to one another.

Some people say you're either privileged or you're not. However, I don't believe this is the case. Some may be MORE privileged than someone else, but it isn't a yes or no issue. For example, I as a white Canadian am privileged on the basis of my skin color. I've never been stopped by mall security when leaving a store to sift through my bags because of my race. I've never been violently confronted by police because of my race. I've never been refused entrance anywhere in Canada because of my race. I've never lost the life of a family member to violent racism. But while I am white, I am also female. I have been dismissed as "overly emotional" because I'm female. I've had people assume I am upset because it's "that time of the month." I have been unable to play on some sports teams because I am female. I've been underestimated because I'm female. I've been told "you're really good at that... for a girl." But there are others who have been discriminated against because she is a girl AND because she is a woman of color. While I myself am not as privileged as a white male, I am more privileged than a colored female. Privilege isn't something you are or you aren't. It's something that you can be under certain circumstances, but not all circumstances.

With what is going on in our world right now surrounding the death of George Floyd, I am privileged. I am privileged because I don't have to be afraid that I'm next. I don't have to worry that my father or my brother may be crushed beneath the knee of a white police officer. I don't have to fear for my life because of the color of my skin. I will not be the next George Floyd tomorrow, next month, next year, next decade. I will never be a victim of racism. I don't have colored skin but I do have a voice. I am asking every white person who is reading this to use your privilege, your platform and your voice to stand up for our friends of color. You have the privilege of going outside, protesting and standing up without having to worry about becoming the next George Floyd. If you think this doesn't affect you, you are wrong. You may not belong to the black race but you do belong to the human race. We are one race and we need to stick together. We need to fight for each other. Every single voice counts whether you're black, white, Indigenous, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin, etc. You may not be the next victim, but your neighbor could be, your friend could be, your classmate could be, your cashier could be, your dentist could be, your teacher could be. This is your country, this is your home. You may not be next but somebody else will be if we don't use our voices to stand up.

To my friends of color, I want you to know that your life matters. You are important. Your life is as valuable as mine and every white life. You have the potential to be anything you want to be. You deserve to have the same opportunities as I do. You deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. You deserve to be able to go to the grocery store, go jogging in your neighborhood, go biking through the park, drive down your street, eat lunch in public spaces with your family, go to the bank, stand in line, and live your life without fear. You are human, you belong here and you matter. Do not let anyone silence you. Your voice is so important right now. You have right to safety, comfort and security. Don't give up this fight when George Floyd's death is no longer trending on twitter. This is a fight that cannot end until we've won. I know you're tired, I know you're afraid and I know you're frustrated. I am so sorry this is your reality. This fight began with Martin Luther King and it is still ongoing. I pray that someday this world will be as safe for you as it is for me.

If you believe that racism is not a feminist issue, you are wrong. Women of color were left out of the first wave feminism movement. White women aligned themselves with black men when they fought for the right to vote. Women of color were oppressed by white feminists for years. They were not included, they were not considered human beings. Your feminism isn't feminism if it doesn't include women of color. The fact that I even need to say this in 2020 is outrageous. This should be common sense by now. It's been decades, centuries of fighting for equality. We are all one race. We are all human beings. We all have lives we want to live, we have voices, we have people we love. Your gender and the color of your skin does not change that. You matter. I don't need to know your age, gender, race or religion to know that you matter.

While large gatherings and protests are not very safe right now with the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, there are many safe ways to get involved in the #BlackLivesMatter movement from home. Please do not go out and gather if you are feeling sick, or if you've been exposed to anyone who was or is sick. I want to end this post with a list of resources you can connect with to get involved and help safely. Thank you all for taking the time to read, and don't stop talking about it until justice is served.




Comments

  1. Thank you so much for raising awareness and for sharing these resources! This is a crucial conversation to have and I'm so happy to see white people standing up for people of color. One thing to keep in mind is we don't want white people's voices to be the most prominent, even if you're on our side. Keep using your platform but put an emphasis on hearing black stories from black people. there are times where people don't listen to us as well as they may listen to a white voice so it would be awesome if white people could use their voices to pass us the mic and allow us to share our own stories. Thank you for all your support anyhow, we can't talk about this enough!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Julia Jamieson WachsmanJune 13, 2020 at 7:25 PM

      Hey just wondering what's so bad about white people standing up for & supporting their black friends? Like is there a ratio of how many black to white people should be talking ab racism? I feel like the more voices you have on ur side the better. Like I'm not trying to be rude I just don't get what's so bad about white people fighting for racial equality just bc we're white. It's our world too and we don't want black people being murdered in the streets anymore than u do.

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