Congratulations For Creating a Token

Another guest post by Renee of Womanist Musings addressing tokenism.

It's something the WWBT's have tried to deploy when I've called their vanillacentric behinds out.

They've attempted to use Ashley Love as a human shield in a pathetic attempt to deflect criticism from moi over their bull feces.

Take it away, Renee

Okay, so I am still pissed off and want to address a few more things before moving on.  It's no secret that over the years I have had a few online altercations, with different people over various issues. Over the years, White feminist women have engaged in a common rebuttal that I would like to address. Whenever there is a disagreement, the stock phrase has become even WOC don't agree, and you don't speak for all WOC.  Sometimes, it's a case of there are WOC in our group and you are erasing them with your charges of racism, or there are WOC in our group, and you are not acknowledging their existence.

Here's the deal, if you have to run behind the skirts of a WOC to base your defense, you have effectively turned them into your token darky.  Just because you can find one or even many WOC to take your side, does not mean that what you did, or said is not racist.  It's like declaring something isn't racist because your best Black friend said so. Having WOC in your group, does not necessarily make it a safe space for all WOC to engage, or give you some kind of inclusive street cred for you to wave around.

I am going to let you in on a little secret.  I know it's shocking, but it's time that someone told you.  All WOC, though we share the oppression of race and gender, do not think a like. We are individuals and this means that we are capable of disagreeing with one another and frequently do.  Having WOC in your group does not mean that it is not a hostile place or harmful.  Did Condoleezza Rice make George Bush's administration Black friendly?  Should I agree with everything that she did in her term in office because she is a Black woman?  Finally, does Condoleezza represent all Black women because of her race?

I am not going to go through the name calling, because I know that the guilty parties are well aware of who they are.  I bring this up because I am sick to death of seeing it as a defense, and the racist nature of it disgusts me. Turning the POC in your group into a defense mechanism, is tokenism and it shows that you have no real respect for who they are as people. Your argument either has merit, or it doesn't.

The second most frequent response I get is the charge that I hate White women.  I often chuckle when this happens, because nothing could be further from the truth. Throughout history, White women have been given a pass on their racist actions. It's quite true that because of patriarchy their ability to make systemic changes has been limited, but that should not stand as a reason to ignore the various ways in which White women work to maintain their White privilege. I am in the business of talking about systemic isms and that means no one gets a pass.  Pointing out that a White woman has done or said something racist, or discussing the ways in which they can be racist, eg., White women's tears, or purse clutching, is not a declaration of hatred, but a statement of truth.  I see no reason to ignore something that actively oppresses me, simply because the action came from a White woman.

To blog one needs a very thick skin, and I think this is especially true in the social justice blogosphere, with the mob like mentality of many of its participants.  There seems to be this pervasive belief that group think is necessary for participation. This is absolutely counter to who I am and what I believe in. Mistakes require one to prostrate oneself and at any moment. A mistake you made years ago will be thrown into your face, as though your worst day is representative of who you are as a person.  None of you are Jesus for me to beg eternal salvation from. The level of perfection demanded is ridiculous.  This is especially true because decolonizing one's mind is a lifetime journey.  In many ways, it reminds of the way we treated convicted criminals.  We stigmatize them, refuse to hire them, and then have the nerve to complain about the recidivism rate. I'm not saying that we as marginalized people are required to accept an apology, or that we are responsible for own oppression, but what I am saying is that living in glasses houses, as though each of us not guilty of oppressing someone, in some way, is counter productive.

I am not the same person as I was when I was 12, I changed again in my 20's, and again in my 30's, and I highly suspect that each decade of life that I am granted will bring new lessons and a better understanding of the world around me.  One of the things that bothers me about the blogosphere is that there is very little room for redemption. If we don't believe in the possibility of change, why are we even talking and fighting to raise awareness?

It seems to me that many have tried to define this space for me.  Some believe that it a feminist blog, in spite of the fact that it is called Womanist Musings, and still others believe that it is a woman's space.  The moment I decided to open my space to guest bloggers, it ceased to be solely a woman's space.  When I think of this blog, I think of it as a space for marginalized people.  That means it is open to anyone who faces some form of ism to speak about how said ism harms them.   There have been several male identified people who have been regular guest posters here, and that is something you don't see on a space that is designed specifically for women.  Yes, these male identified people do have male privilege, but that does not negate the fact that they do exist as marginalized people.  I am not one who buys into the notion that gender is the primary oppression.

Finally, I would like to address the fact that some believe that this space is unsafe because I swear.  I actually find this laughable. Years ago, every second word on Feministing was fuck this, fuck you, and fuck off and this was considered transgressive, because good little White girls aren't supposed to swear.  When I swear, I become the angry aggressive Black woman who threatens the safety of others. I have had email after email exhorting me not to swear, because apparently my point is made so much more clear without expletives and it offends people's delicate fee fees. If I happen to swear at someone, they feel threatened.  What is this but another racist tone exercise?  When I believe something forcefully, I am going to speak my mind, and this is especially true if it is happening in my own space. I know damn well that the reason my speech is as highly disciplined as it is, is because of my race. I am well aware that many would reject this because in their color blind world, they believe that they are beyond such characterizations, but the truth of the matter is that race is always omnipresent in any interaction that involves a person of colour. I don't have to disagree with you nicely and I am entitled to my rage just like anyone else.  If I want to run around screaming, I wish a mother fucker would, that's my damn business. Swearing doesn't make my point any less valid and to suggest otherwise is ridiculous. To say that you feel unsafe because I swore, or even swore at you is laughable. Do you leave the house wrapped in bubble wrap as well?  How the fuck do you function in the real world, if the word Fuck totally throws you off your groove?

The issues raised in this post have been brewing in my mind for quite sometime.  I know damn well the blogosphere is filled with personal grudges, backstabbing and anger.  The ironic thing about all of this, is that each time a blow up happens, the oppressors gather in their corners and clap their hands with glee, because they recognize that us tearing each other apart means that we are not focused on them. It's great entertainment for them.  When someone fucks up, call them the hell out, shit call me out, but if your reason for doing so is because you have an axe to grind, then you are not serving your issue at all.  Showing up out of the blue when you never read this space to chastise me and then appearing again only when I fuck up is about disciplining me, not engaging me.

Okay, rant done, and thanks for your patience.

The title of this post came from Danny, of Danny's Corner, in our five hour convo last night.

TransGriot Note: Photo gracing this post is of conservasellout Angela McGlowan

Red Hook Summer And Why Spike Lee Isn't A Racist.

Guest Post by Renee, the talented and thoughtful editor of Womanist Musings.


At the Sundance film festival, Spike recently premiered his independent movie, Red Hook Summer.  Spike has had several problems over the years getting funding for his films, and I firmly believe that at least part of the issue, is Spike's commitment to telling our stories without the coonery that is featured in the typical Tyler Perry film.  To be clear, Spike's male privilege has at times made some of his work problematic and in fact, other than She's Gotta Have It, strong female roles have been few and far between. Even She's Gotta Have It, includes a rape as punishment for failing to agree to a monogamous relationship.

The reviews for Red Hook Summer have been decidedly bad. I have not seen the movie, so I cannot argue any faults or biases the reviews may contain.  In the question and answer period, Spike Lee and Chris Rock had a verbal scuffle.

Rock, who appeared to be joking around, said, "You spent your own money ... What would you have done differently if you'd actually gotten studio money? What else would have happened? Would you have blown up some (bleep)?"

Lee, apparently unamused, responded, "We never went to the studios with this film. I bought a camera and said we're gonna do this mother(bleeping) film ourselves. I didn't need a mother(bleeping) studio telling me something about Red Hook! They know nothing about black people! Nothing!" Lee then added, "And they're gonna give me notes about what a 13-year-old black boy and girl do in Red Hook? (Bleep) no!" [Source]

I have to agree with Spike when he points out that no White studio head has the slightest clue of what it to be a 13-year-old Black boy and girl.  This is especially true if we consider the class aspect that the movie seeks to interrogate.  These White men of class privilege are only interested in the bottom line, and not about depicting the true experiences of kids of colour, or even why such movies are desperately needed.

A negative reaction has become common place to much of what Spike says or does. The following are some comments on the discussion between Spike and Chris Rock.

Bluelife4: I like Chris Rock. He pokes fun at any race. But Spike Lee? He's a racist.

Wallace:  Spike Lee is one of the biggest racist I have ever seen. Man I'm tired of his low budget films. Enough already. Yes I am a black man. Racism from any person is wrong. I think this guy sucks. I'm a middle class worker who live one of the most racist states in the US (S.C.) and to hear this guy speak is crazy. Man grow up. Please. I think his anger comes from his height. Blame ur parents not the world.

Nicolas:  Spike Lee is an angry, racist little bigot. Always has been. No such thing as "reverse racism". The whole idea that you can say racist things about your own race is laughable. Racism is racism, black, white, yellow, brown, red, blue, etc....

The Love Doctor: I've been wondering for more than 20 years, when are we going to start saying that being racist towards white people is wrong too????

I was always taught that racism is wrong period. But it seems in our modern culture, discriminating against and being racist towards white people seems to be accepted in our culture...

Duntov: Seems like an Angry African-American that continues to prey on racism for his own gain and agenda. Go away until you can talk like an intelligent human. Stop the hate and move on.

Jack Plummer: Why is it okay for a black person to be a racist?

Hustonman:  On the Yahoo homepage it said Spike Lee went on a surprising tirade. Who is surprised? This agitator has had one tirade after another for twenty plus years. No class, no truth, just a little disgruntled man. A racist with a Napoleon complex.

These comments all appeared on the first page of the article, and as you might imagine, they continue in the same vein no matter how deeply into the article you go. Spike speaks without apology about race and racism in the U.S., and this makes people uncomfortable.  Many either have bought into the bullshit idea that the world is now colourblind, or they very firmly believe that their thoughts, or actions, are not part of the problem -- and this includes the sell out negro -- who made sure to announce that he is Black.

Whiteness may not like to admit it, but Blacks of the African diaspora are entitled to our continued rage, and the very suggestion that we should moderate our speech to suit their comfort level is only an indicator of how far we still have to go, rather than the unreasonableness of our position.  Spike Lee is not a perfect man, but he is most certainly not a racist.  No Black person speaking out against White supremacy will ever be a racist.

These commenters are not the first to refer to Spike Lee as racist for his approach to race and film, and they most certainly will not be the last. Whiteness would very much love the definition of racism to be prejudicial thoughts, acts, or language against another race.  It's a nice and simple definition, which allows Whiteness to be able to claim to be oppressed by people of colour.   It allows Whiteness to be able to circumvent our rage, and once again center themselves in the conversation.  Most importantly, it allows Whiteness to deny and alternately censure our speech on the alleged grounds that we are all equal. This is why the co-option of the term racist, is an absolute disservice to people of colour.  It's ahistorical, in that it ignores the ongoing inequality in power relations between Black and White.  When a White person acts, ze does so with the full institutional weight of Whiteness at their behest. An analysis of race without an acknowledgement of power is an incomplete and faulty analysis.  This is specifically why it is necessary to understand and accept that racism equals privilege plus power.  No matter how angry, or hate filled a person of colour may be, they do not exist with the institutional power to act on their feelings. For all of the class privilege that Spike Lee has managed to amass over the years, the fact remains that he still a Black man in America and that makes him an oppressed person.

Spike's status as a racially oppressed Black man means that his speech is not welcome, and that is particularly so when he is confronting racism.  While I may not agree with everything that he says and does, there can no be denial that he continues to be relevant.  He has forged ahead to make movies that White run studios have not seen as important, and it is because of this struggle that he is so derided.  When he spoke of being tired of yet another White WWII war movie, Clint Eastwood's response was to tell Spike to "shut his face".  If you cannot acknowledge that Black blood was shed in the battle fields of WWII, only to come home to Jim Crow, then you fail to see the truth. When he spoke about the coonery and buffonery engaged in by Tyler Perry, Mr. Perry was affronted.  He was happy to ignore the tradition in which his movies were made and the negative effect that they have had on Blacks.

There are certainly many criticism that can and should be levied at Spike Lee, but being a racist is not now or ever will be a legitimate charge.  The truth of the matter is that Whiteness loves to engage in revisionist history, and at times it is supported by Blacks, but finding even hundreds or thousands of Blacks to agree to their own continued colonization and oppression does not make the truth less true, or any less relevant.  Truth tellers are never embraced in their lifetimes and as Dr. King has shown us through his life and death, in the end, until their speech can be used to bolster the oppressor they are relegated to being understood as angry, disgruntled and hateful.  By this statement I am not saying that Spike Lee is the equivalent of Dr. King, only that truth when told without embellishment, to favor the ruling class will always be unwelcome.

Calling Someone a Feminist is Not Necessarily a Compliment

 
Another guest post from Renee of Womanist Musings.

I love the blog The Crunk Feminist Collective, but I recently came across a post that I found disturbing that feel I need to respond to.

I’m a feminist. Sometimes it feels like I live breathe, eat, and sleep feminism. Sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I’m just feminist enough. A while ago, I made the mistake of calling another like-minded individual a feminist. I don’t even remember what they did to merit the honor, but I sure do remember their reaction. They actually got offended at the fact that I called them a feminist. Wait. Stop. What?

I was taken aback by the negative reaction. I didn’t even know what to say or where to start. I apologized for offending them and we both went our separate ways. I still think of them as a closeted feminist. This made me realize that I need to be prepared. Should the opportunity present itself again, this is what I will say:

“Relax. I wasn’t trying to offend you. Me calling you a feminist was a fucking compliment. Why? Well, for starters your actions showed me your amazing strength. In spite of the patriarchal/political/cultural/societal structure that fails and oppresses you daily, I saw you fight back. I was impressed. So impressed that I called you a feminist. That was some real feminist shiiiiiit.

So, the next time you want to go on and be offended because I called you a feminist, please check yourself. You’re a fucking feminist. Deal with it. Don’t do feminist shit if you don’t want to be called out. Stop fighting it. Join the movement (willingly). We fight for you. We will fight with you. We believe in you. We will believe with you. We SEE you. We will always see YOU.” (source)

I probably would have let this go, had I not come across a piece on Transadvocate exhorting trans women to take on the label of feminist, despite the history of transphobia engaged in for decades by feminists.  Monica of Transgriot, responded by talking about the issues faced by transwomen of colour. I have written several posts about why I am not a feminist, since starting Womanist Musings almost four years ago. 

I remember how excited I was when I first became a feminist.  In my early years, I was hyper aware of gender imbalance in my own family, and that coupled with my experiences inside of the Pentecostal and Seventh Day Adventist faith, left me feeling extremely disillusioned.  At one point, I had even stopped believing in God, because I saw no place in the doctrines that I was raised in for gender equality.  It is thanks to feminist theologians that I can declare myself a believer in God today.  I was so excited to find a group that affirmed by beliefs and gave me back my religious faith.  I thought that I had found a home for life, and it is only over time that I discovered the various ways in which feminism can be exclusionary.


I was desperate for the longest time to hold onto this label. How could I turn my back on something that had given me so very much?  I found a way to justify everything, and told myself that it was all in the service of the greater good, but over time, the bad simply out weighed the good and I was forced to say goodbye to feminism.  This separation did not cause me to change my belief system, or my desire to fight for social justice.  After some time I stumbled across womanism, and though it does have problems largely based in those whose womanism is faith based, it was a place that I could call home because it recognized all facets of my identity. You see, I cannot separate my race from gender and still be myself.  Womanism allowed me to marry my belief in anti-racism with gender equality and in time with more reading, gave me the language to talk about various other isms.

As I mentioned earlier, this latest post at Crunk Feminist Collective makes the second post in a week to pressure women into taking on the label of feminist.  How is this different than Jehovah's Witnesses going door to door in an effort to get new converts? These kind of pleas place no interest in what the individual woman believes, they simply seek to create converts to their way of thinking, and yet we are to believe that feminism is about respecting the agency of women.  Trust women they tell us, and yet they have displayed no trust that we are capable of deciding for ourselves what label we want to identify as.

It is not now, or ever will be a compliment to call someone a name that they either find offensive, or are uncomfortable with.  It will never be acceptable to tell women to cast aside their lived experience for the greater good.  None of these suggestions support women, and in fact represent patriarchal thinking, because that is the genesis of the idea that women need to be told what to believe, and what to do for their own good. Even though the name of this blog is Womanist Musings, I still have people refer to this as a feminist space, denying my very obvious stated identity.

Instead of fixating on what women choose to call themselves causing a rift, what feminists should be doing is seeking to build alliances and examining what kind of activism that women are involved in.  Just because this space is a womanist space, does not mean that I am not actively engaged in challenging various isms, and in fact, a look through the archives proves this.  I am further positive that women who refuse to take on the label of feminist also engage quite actively in the struggle to end gender based oppression. The suggestion that women need to be feminist in order to be active to end gender inequality specifically discards the work of womanists, and radical women of colour, who separated from the feminist movement due to decades of active racism engaged in by White women, in an effort to maintain their White privilege.  It also ignores the work of disabled activists, and trans women, who separated themselves from feminism due to ableism and transphobia.  Feminism is not the only vehicle in which women can come to awareness and choose to rise up against the forces that restrict their lives.

The following list printed at Crunk Feminist Collective are feminist beliefs:

• Don’t believe the hype
• Take action to make the world a more just place (for all its inhabitants)
• Question the patriarchy
• Acknowledge your own privilege(s)
• Believe that you are beautiful just they way you are–even on bad days
• Talked to your friend/child/neighbor/family about the skewed norms the media/marketing machines create, uphold and push on us
• Stood up to someone when they did you (or someone you love) wrong
• Told your child that his/her hair, skin, smile, are beautiful
• Questioned a double standard
• Gave yourself permission to love yourself and others

But they are also the beliefs of scores of women who don't identify as feminist for various reasons.  Feminism does not hold a monopoly on women's activism, and it's time that they start to understand this. If they truly want women to identify as feminist, rather than attempting to force this label on us, perhaps they should address the various issues which have caused so many to take issue with feminist organizing.  It's far easier to point a finger outward, than it is to look inward and examine the various issues within feminism.  It is not those of us who continue to work for change and refuse to identify as feminist that are failing women, it's feminists who have failed to work on the exclusionary aspects of the feminist movement that are failing us.

Diamond Stylz-Being And Living Your Gender Unapologetically

Diamond Stylz rocks!   My Houston homegirl penned a post combined with video on the subject and I loved what she had to say about living your trans life and gender identity in an unapologetic manner.

As I say repeatedly, transpeople are part of the diverse mosaic of human life.  Elements of you out there need to remember that, stand up, stand tall and be proud of being a woman of trans experience.  

Here's what Diamond had to say:

Don't we claim to be just like regular people? Then start acting like it. I know some manly looking biological females who identify as women. When people mistake them for men. They don't make it a trigger for a depression episode. They say “No sweetie, I'm a woman”…and move on with their life. On  personal note, I use to get so insecure when someone would say “ooo you’re tall for a woman” because I'm almost 5’11…. UNTIL…I saw a bio woman who was taller than me get the same statement at Burger King. She smile and said “Yea I am. Can I get no onions and extra mayo on that burger?” That one few seconds change my whole perspective of how I interacted with the world… YEA I AM …NOW MOVING ON

Dear White Women, You Never Fail To Disappoint Me

Another post from the fabulous creative force behind the award winning Womanist Musings blog

I had the opportunity to speak to a friend of mine whom I love dearly this weekend.  She identifies as a feminist and is one of the few White feminist women that I trust wholeheartedly.  Inevitably, the conversation turned to Slutwalk and she told me that she was upset because their response to the sign hurt not only me, but several women of color that she has befriended over the years. Obviously, I don't hold her accountable for the actions of another, especially because she has proven over the years that she is more than willing to challenge her racial privilege and learn. In the process she has become a beacon to me when it comes to learning to challenge my own privilege.

When I learned about the 'Woman is the Nigger of the World' sign at Slutwalk NY, I was not surprised. Call me jaded, but centuries of ignoring the womanhood of women of color, actively enslaving us, and engaging in racist actions does not suddenly disappear when a woman becomes a feminist.  For some it might lead to heightened consciousness, but it is the rare few that will take the identity a step further to examine the ways in which one not only is oppressed but actively oppresses.  Feminism is not some magical elixir to enlightenment, despite the White men and women who seem to believe it is.

There was a time in my life when if a White woman told me that she was a feminist, I would automatically have given her the benefit of the doubt but today, trust is something that must be actively earned over time and not given freely.  I am no longer surprised when an event aimed at women's organizing suddenly has a racist bent.  I am no longer hurt when racism raises its ugly head because I have come to expect it.  I am however amused that White women fail to catch a clue when White feminist men interject themselves into the conversation to defend them.

As much as White women have been oppressed by White men, they have also gained from their association with them.  They may rail against patriarchy, but if a White man comes rushing to his damsel in distress to declare her actions to be decidedly not racist, they are more than happy to accept the aid with a feeling of relief. See, a White guy said so, so it must be truth.  If a White man were step forward to declare that an action is not sexist, their input would be soundly attacked, yet WOC are expected to simmer down when the White man speaks.  The fact that White men and women often collude when they have a common purpose has not failed to register with us, despite the whole ya ya sisterhood of the traveling suitpants routine.

If you don't belong to the group in question, you are not in the position to declare that an action or statement does not rise to offensive level, of course this doesn't seem to apply when it comes to White men rushing in to battle on the side of White women. This is further problematic because WOC are often chastised for bringing up issues that involve the men in our lives, as if their struggles don't directly impact our life's chances. It's not that issues which directly involve men are problematic in discussions regarding gender, it's that if they serve to challenge White supremacy in anyway suddenly they are not deemed relevant.

It comes down to the fact that many self labelled White feminists aren't really interested in equality for all, they are interested in equality with White men.  It's never about tearing down the system, but assuring that they have the power to oppress others.  If even on social equality exists then there can be no claim that women have achieved equality because the category of woman is broad.  It means that gay rights are a woman's issue, race is a woman's issue, class is a woman's issue, disability is a woman's issue etc,. There is no issue that is specifically outside of women's activism.  So when I hear White women saying things like, "think about it from a woman's perspective," when WOC are calling out racism, I know they are really pushing  for WOC to solely put our energy into improving their lives and not ours.The only way I will ever be surprised by White female activism, is when they learn that world isn't all about their pain alone.