racistbeautybloggers:

justwhitefeminismthings:

 Alright, so I’m getting TONS of messages from white feminists asking how they can be good allies and support women of color. I will say this: the purpose of this blog wasn’t really for me to map out to you how to be a good ally, but I’ll make an exception and give all of you the benefit of the doubt and give you some tips. 

1. Be intersectional in your analysis; this is white feminist’s biggest pitfall. They tend to look at things only through the lense of gender, when in fact for women of color, it’s both our gender and race that informs our experiences. For example, it’s often talked about how women make 78 cents for every dollar that a man makes, but that’s not true. That’s how much a white woman makes. Do you know how much money a black or Latina women makes? Even less! Women of color do not have the privilege of separating their race from their feminism. They will always be intricately connected. 

2. Acknowledge the long history of racism within the feminist movement. So many white feminists worship and kiss the ground that white feminists before them established. I can’t think of names off the top of my head right now, but for example, many American and European white feminists would right texts about liberating and freeing women, but were also incredibly racist. Not only did they view non-white men as less than them, they viewed women of color as even less. It did not matter to them that we were female. We were dirt. They walked all over us, and this is especially true for black women, historically. Fucking own up to it, and don’t go telling me how supportive of a white feminist you are if you support, respect, or preach any of the ideas/texts coming from these women. You cannot separate their racism from their ideas, when every idea they created was founded on white supremacy. Don’t give me this bullshit about how you just like them for what they have to say about gender, sexism, and the female experiences. Well guess what? That’s bullshit. Their analysis doesn’t explain my sexism, my experiences as a female, and I don’t want anything to do with white feminists who think I’m lesser than them. There is no way to tip toe around this. You stuck supporting them, or you willingly and knowingly support white supremacy. 

3. Spend time educating your fellow white feminists and tell them to fucking listen to us. This is your main job! It is utterly exhausting for us to have to go through this every single day. White feminists tell us that we’re hateful, racist, and try to guilt us into silence. That won’t work on you if you’re also white. Your absolute, most important role as white feminist ally is to collect the fucking trash. Call out the white feminist community on their racism, tell them to shut the fuck up and sit their asses down and listen to us. And after you convince them to, you do the same. Oh, and don’t expect any brownie points from us for that. You shouldn’t be getting praised for being a decent fucking human being.

4. Think getting insulted for being a white feminist is hard? Have I hurt your feelings? Yeah, well try living in a world where you’re systematically oppressed for your gender and your race. It’s fucking exhausting. 

5. Listen to our experiences. Believe us. Do not dispute or try to argue with us. Don’t tell us that we’re exaggerating or misinformed or misinterpreting something. I know sexism when I see it, and I damn know racism when I see it. You do not get to define what is and isn’t racist. Keep your mouth shut and listen and respect what we have to say and support our right to say it. Learn from what we say and try to integrate it into your thinking. Always stop to think, how does my race inform my perception? Because let me tell you, there’s not a single moment in my life where I’ve forgotten what my race or ethnicity is. 

6. Do not place the burden of education on women of color. We are not your Wikipedia, your Google, or your fucking dictionary. Yes, we have a lot of issues and challenges facing us every day, but we’re also normal people to. We like to live and have fun and do our own things. Don’t just see us as a walking political statement, and make an effort to educate yourself. Clueless on where to begin? Try Googling it. There are several resources available to you. Read texts written by women of color from all of the world. Our experiences as women of color/non-white women are unique not only depending on our race but also our geographic location. Don’t put all of our experiences into a single box or try to generalize them. How I experience racism as a Muslim Arab woman is a hell of a lot different than, say, a Black Jewish woman does. Sure, we may have similar experiences, but neither one of us can ever say we fully understand the complexity and intricacies involved in our own identities. What we can do, however, is try to learn.

7. Expect to be uncomfortable. If you don’t want to feel uncomfortable, then you’re not ready to try being an ally. You’re not ready to be challenged. You may not think you’re actively racist, but you will not believe the ways in which your race informs your perspectives and attitudes. It’s no joke. As a woman of color, it’s plain as day to me how your whiteness influences your point of view. Make an attempt to recognize that and change it.

8. Recognize that you’ve been conditioned to be racist. Again, you may not think so, but that’s likely because you’re missing out on something. You don’t have to intentionally be racist because a lot of racism is internalized and the result of influence from society and various external forces. I’m not white so I can’t say how it’s going to be exactly, but you need to self-monitor and call yourself out on any racism.

9. And finally, the most important thing is to just listen. Be quiet. Observe. Be comfortable with not being the center of attention or the conversation. Not everything is about you, especially when discussing race. 

For those asking about how to be good allies.

-mod c