When talking about feminist theory, it isn't uncommon to hear of the following:
"Feminism is over...."
"We don't need feminism anymore..."
"Men and women already are equal...."
"Didn't this end a long time ago?
The above make me want to shout from the mountain tops about the inequalities and injustices that women in our country and around the world face at every moment of every day. The above make me want to talk about the ever-present glass ceiling, the gender wage gap, access and education...
Mostly though, I find the above to be frightening. The speakers of such phrases are so disillusioned, blind to the reality of the state and status of women in our society.
In the wake of a "not guilty" verdict, news and social media have come alive in a fit of frenzy and fury. Sparked with the who, what, when, and where of the State of Florida v. George Zimmerman decision - conversations on 'race relations' are alive and trending.
I will begin by saying this post is not about the death of Trayvon Martin. This post is not about George Zimmerman. This post is not about the jury explanations or family responses. I have my opinions and questions - just as we all do. Yet, that's not what is being unpacked here - in using this as a venue, I wanted to unpack something that this case was totally submerged in. I wanted to engage in a dialog that has engaged millions of Americans as a result of the decision, and I wanted to add on to that conversation.
When talking about feminist theory it isn't uncommon to hear the above. When talking about race or racial conflict it isn't uncommon to hear mere echoes of the same sentiments. When talking about class disproportion...
While many lanes of feminist theory will ardently disagree with me. I believe that it is impossible to unpack gender relations, sex, and sexuality, without two other fields being highly relevant to the conversation. I believe that when it comes to social commentary in the United States, race, class, and gender, are without a doubt the pillars to which all social issues find themselves attached. This is a notion contrary to what many first-wave feminist would believe or the products of such had experienced. Flipping through ye olde feminist discourse, you'll see this standard changes again and again. What it mean to "be a woman" in the the 1960's meant something totally different than to "be Black" and "be a woman." Feminism was for the middle class white female facing the woes of oppression. To "be poor" or "to be Black" were different notions and ideas - they had their own fighters and their own movements. Women had to choose between identifying with their race, class, or gender in order to participate.
I've found myself frustrated during the course of the Zimmerman trial. Frustrated at those around me. Frustrated at the news and mass media. Frustrated by the social media legal analysts we've all been subject to (which I know is ironic since I'm subjecting you to my own analysis now).
I am frustrated by my peers, my fellow Americans for the seemingly mass confusion and disillusion. These issues aren't new. This isn't a revitalization of racial conflict or race-centered conversation. Just as the dealing of women and equality are not old news, they haven't gone away!
I'm afraid that when my peers say that "feminism is already over" or "there is no need to talk about Civil Rights," they are doing so not because it's true - but because it's easy.
It's easy to avoid conversations that invoke feelings of discomfort or fear. It's easy to change the channel or tune out the sounds of social injustice.
It is far easier to call an individual a "liberal troll" or a "tea bag bigot" and walk away than it is to unpack all of the realities we face regarding these issues.
With race, class, and gender as the primary colors of social commentary - any social issue or humanitarian action falls on the spectrum in between. We need to recognize that it still means something to "be Black" in America. It still means something to "be a woman" in the Western World. It still means something to "be poor" from the moment you're born. To engage in, or allow for the ignorance of such to become convention, is to do our generation a great disservice.
When we don't recognize the need for dialog regarding all of these fields together, we cannot fully or effectively address any of them independently.
We need to lean in to the discomfort of these discussions in order to find solutions. We need to ask hard the questions in order to get the correct answers that will move us forward.
Why in 2013 are only 41% of low-income students graduating in 5 years or less from colleges and universities?
Why are women still make 77 cents to every man's $1?
Why did we even have to question if race was a factor between Trayvon and Zimmerman?
So, now I shout form my digital mountain top:
"We're not done yet! We've still got a long way to go!"
Equal opportunity didn't end with Plyler.
Civil Rights didn't end in 1964.
Feminism didn't end with the 19th Amendment.
These are not calls to party lines or great divides. This is not a Republican thing or a Democratic thing. This isn't about the role of our government or the size of politics. This is a people thing, and it's about the power that we have to make change. This is a human thing, and it's about the ability of every individual to work, and live, and learn and love in a culture that allows them to do so at their best.
