I am a huge supporter of passing the CROWN act in every state and US territory. That said,... So why does Rachel Dolezal get side eye for t...
I am a huge supporter of passing the CROWN act in every state and US territory. That said,...
So why does Rachel Dolezal get side eye for this from the same people who have firmly decided that women and girls have no right to question words that we are called or not called:
Mother
Woman
Pregnant woman.
Does Oxfam Handbook Advise Against Using the Words 'Mother' and 'Youth'? (msn.com)
We are not women. We are:
"bleeders"
"menstruators"
"cis"
"vagina havers"
"birthing bodies"
"birthing people"....
because the category of "woman" is now reserved for people who are not females.
Imagine if one random day, we as Black people were informed that we are not Black ...AND informed that this "update" to language is inclusive and should be adhered to for the good of "all".
Or women like Macy Gray and others are not allowed to define womanhood....
Who Controls Definitions?
Imagine being told that we as Black people are not allowed to define Blackness. We have no say in who is and who is not Black.
People get concerned when BET awards give awards to white artists. Or when a white artist takes home the best artist award for rap/hip hop.
I get that.
Black people started our own award shows BECAUSE our accomplishments are not given the proper respect that they deserve. As a Black woman, I can openly and freely express my disdain for this. I will be called "racist" by some people, that's a guarantee.
But I can say it and write it publicly. I can speak my peace as a Black woman. I might be disinvited to speak at an event. I might lose some support. But overall, I will be fine.
It is not highly likely that a dear "friend or acquaintance" that I have known for a while will accuse me of being "hateful" for speaking up about injustice, unfairness, and inequality around race.
I have white friends and acquaintances. We've been fine for years. And meanwhile I have always written, spoken, and taught on the history and current conditions around race relations in the United States of America.
But this month, women were expected to be silent when the month, the day, and the awards, that we finally started to receive every now and then are no longer just for males.
So as a Black person I can speak. As a woman I must stfu? Or else?
The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free.
I love that quote ......"none of us is free until all of us are free."
But how am I free, if one part of me is free and not the other part of me?
If one part of me can define myself for myself, but not the other part of me? (Paraphrasing Audre Lorde)
There is no freedom in someone else being allowed to alter the facts around my existence, at will.
Who’s Guilty of Appropriation? Only Males Get to Decide | WE Survive Abuse
There is no freedom to be had in any people who share the same identifying characteristics as me being unable to be heard and respected when they ask for respect.
We can stop pretending that we do not know for certain that girls, women in prison (but for Grace, there go I...and you too,), & athletes are not allowed to request and expect reasonable and fair measures for safety.
Teammates are uneasy changing in locker room with trans UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas (nypost.com)
(UPDATE) We Teach Girls To Say "No", Until: The Brave Girls in Vermont | WE Survive Abuse
Upon Reflection
Why do you think that it is socially acceptable for women and girls to be silenced about our own safety and existence?
What do you think about social and government leaders who tell women that we "can't define womanhood" or have no right to assert our boundaries?
How are Black women and Black girls safer in a world that will not allow us to define ourselves, for ourselves....as Audre Lorde put it best?
How are Black women and Black girls better off in a world that will not allow us to define ourselves, for ourselves?
Do these people say the same things about being Jewish, Black, or disabled? Why or why not?
What about the girls? All girls. How does all of this impact them? What messages are we sending them?
Who’s Guilty of Appropriation? Only Males Get to Decide | WE Survive Abuse
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Diluting the Boundaries of Women and Girls is Extremely Dangerous | WE Survive Abuse
Gaslighting and Red Flags: Black Women & Girls and Safety | WE Survive Abuse
The Days of Girls | WE Survive Abuse
Your OWN Reflections on Womanhood and Manhood | WE Survive Abuse
Keeping Children Safe in School: Body Safety | WE Survive Abuse
Self-Care Includes Recognizing the Adult Bullies Around You | WE Survive Abuse
Speak Woman, Speak (audio) | WE Survive Abuse
How 'WE the People' Violate Women in Prison Today | WE Survive Abuse
You Got This: To Brave Women Advocating for Women in Prison | WE Survive Abuse
Women's History: Victories and Setbacks in the War on Women | WE Survive Abuse
Defining Womanhood for Yourself: 4 Questions | WE Survive Abuse
Are You 'Tolerating' More Hate Than You Think? | WE Survive Abuse
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