Photo by Jonathan Bachman
Disclaimer: This article does not reflect the views of Her Campus nor HC UK. The views and beliefs are those of the writer.
Bow down to black feminism because black women have forever been at the bottom of society’s totem pole. Black women were enslaved, beaten, raped among many other horrific things just to come and be heroes in the end. Our voices silenced. Our stories forbidden from ever being told and left out of history (i.e. Claudette Colvin).
Whenever black women achieved anything it was achieved for all. Whenever anyone else achieved anything it was just for them, we had to go and bust our asses for the same rights.
We were the breadwinners and the homemakers. White women had the luxury of choosing which they would rather be. That was a luxury that was never afforded to us. They fought for their rights, but never for ours because they were just as racist as the men that oppressed them. We were not good enough to be included in their fight, but we were good enough to feed their babies with the same milk that was meant for ours.
That is what your feminism is. Your feminism is ran by the white women who are so oppressed that they never have to worry about the police in their communities pulling a drive by on their 12-year-old son, brother or cousin. The ones who decided to fight for their rights by putting a p*ssy hat on a statue of Harriet Tubman, the same ones who scream “All lives matter”. The exact same ones who say “If you don’t want to be shot, do not run from the cops” and fail to forget the story of Sandra Bland who was murdered by police in their custody. The very same ones scream “Make America Great Again”, “fight” for women’s rights, appropriate black culture, scavenge for black athletes and sing every Drake and 21 Savage verse verbatim all in a day’s time.
We are the ones on the frontline of every fight. From Black Lives Matter to women’s rights
Bow down to black feminism because ironically it can be seen throughout American history that somehow when you’re at the bottom of everyone’s pole you become everyone’s hero.
Thumbnail photo by Jessica Podraza