It’s probably a term you’ve heard recently and if you haven’t, you’ve probably been living under a rock. So what exactly is white feminism?
Basically white feminism is a type of feminism that focuses on the struggles and ideas of mostly white women. While maybe not intending to be exclusive, there is a failure to consider the struggles of women of color, non-straight women, trans women, and women belonging to cultural or religious minorities. In short, white feminism is feminism that only pays attention to the “average woman,” without considering others who may not fit the common interpretation of that term.
If you google white feminism, what usually comes up is Lena Dunham (sorry Lena, but it’s true). Dunham has exemplified white feminism in her show “Girls,” a show primarily about the experience of white women. Another infamously white feminist is Taylor Swift, most recently due to her twitter exchange with Nicki Minaj. After not receiving a VMA nomination for video of the year (a category usually favoring white artists), Minaj wrote, “Black women influence pop culture so much, but are rarely rewarded for it.
Then Taylor came in with this. *cue eyeroll*
Nicki then clarified that her tweet was not about pitting women against each other, but was about how black women often go unappreciated in the music industry. By twisting this into a woman against woman issue, Swift showed a complete disregard for the struggles that women of color face. Taylor also seems to keep quiet on the topic of race and police brutality. Interesting.
“Girl Meets World” star Rowan Blanchard, 13, has become an icon in the modern day feminist movement and probably knows more about white feminism than most of her peers. The Disney Channel star recently tackled the topic on her instagram with this important essay on what exactly white feminism is.
Blanchard didn’t stop there. She went on to delve further into an explanation of the topic.
Thanks, girl.
So why is this important again?
If you want to be a progressive feminist that has the biggest impact on society, it’s important to be conscious of the fact that the experience of the white woman is not an accurate representation of all women. Paying attention to media and even something as small as celebrity twitter debates can help provide some insight to perspectives you may not have previously considered. Do your research, keep one eye open, and make sure that when you’re talking about feminism, you’re being inclusive to all women.