A book recommendation: Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall.
I finished listening to the audiobook this morning and this book is fire. Hard to swallow fire. It burns brightly in its truths. The book is a collection of essays highlighting the issues that face marginalized communities, specifically the community of Black women, and why they are feminist issues. . . feminist issues that white, mainstream feminism has failed:
“One of the biggest issues with mainstream feminist writing has been the way the idea of what constitutes a feminist issue is framed. We rarely talk about basic needs as a feminist issue. Food insecurity and access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues. Instead of a framework that focuses on helping women get basic needs met, all too often the focus is not on survival but on increasing privilege. For a movement that is meant to represent all women, it often centers on those who already have most of their needs met.”
It’s worth the read and worth the action we take from it. The feminism of the past isn’t serving us anymore and in fact, it’s failing us.
Here’s a longer, more thoughtful review. I’m still too sucker punched for words. Read this book.
With Love,
Natalie