Why women like Patricia Arquette continue to whitewash Feminism.

[bravenak]

198. Thank you for the thoughtful response.

I for one do not think it is fair to allow my friends here to be oblivious to things that they may not hear about unless someone like me brings them up. The black perspective is missing here. I do not understand the anger level for letting peopke know we found a statement a bit offensive. I find that not talking about it increases th level of division. If word matter when it comes to feminism and we feminists speak out against words that depower women or are sexist, I do not understand why it not not okay for black women to speak out if the are offended. I think that may be one of the biggest problems in feminism. White womn assume the defaul 'woman' role and the movement us geared to what they feel are the biggest priorities. If black women say they have other priorities, we get shut down and called divisive.
Also, the way it was said was reminicent of old times. It's our turn (minorities), we helped you, now you need to help us. That assumes that feminism was instrumental in helping 'black people' get rights. But whose feminism was it that was actually instrumntal in black civil rights? Black feminism. We did most of the work ourselves. The struggle for the female vote had us in the back of the streetcar. We were up front and center in black civil rights. Always black women. Tubman, Truth, Wells, Madame CJ Walker. And we did it while raising families and scrubbing white feminists floors. Don't like the way she said it. Doesn't mean I don't like her.

But, after this thread, I do see where the divisions are. I know my place. Apparently feminism has no place for me. I can accept that. I will always be black. And I will always say what I think, even if it pisses off white feminists. I think most try to understand my pov. Once black woman problems become a part of the feminist platform and we are included in making decisions, then we can come together. The second anyone starts grouping people into race, I go to my place. Black.