Tiya Miles addresses a number of problematic issues that threaten to weaken the resolve of feminist movements today as well as in the past. Miles’ account “On the Rag” told the story of her feminist journal club/ women’s society which existed for a very brief time at Harvard in the 1990s. I was very interested to see just how deeply rooted racial issues are in the consciousness of a woman who is both black and a supporter of feminism. It seems to me that Miles involvement with the feminist movement was far more focused on only issues which concerned black women. Early in the narrative Miles credits “organizational problems which seems to have taken root at the very first meeting” as the ultimate cause for the failure of the group. However through the subsequent telling of her story, it became obvious to me that it was in fact the racial tensions which ultimately brought about “The Rags” demise. For example, Miles recalls an instance in which she expressed anger at the title of the campus event called “The Booty Slam Jam”, saying it reinforced negative portrayals of black womens bodies. Miles very quickly jumped to the conclusion that the mention of the word “Booty” would be offense only to black women, when in fact there is a myriad of negative female stereotypes that are in no way gender specific. Rather than turning her disgust with the objectification of women into a racial issue, it would have been more inclusive for all members of the Rag to battle anything which emphasize any woman as a sexual object, not solely black women.
Furthermore, I felt like it was ridiculous that one of the main sources of tension in their woman’s group was the term “feminist”. Miles herself, eventually acknowledges the supposition that many of the club's black women made in thinking “feminist” was strictly a term which apply to a movement for white, wealthy, educated women. Miles says “Our misinformation about feminist history—the false idea that feminist thought and activism in the United States has been exclusive to white women—led some of us in the ABRW to reject feminism immediately and refuse to work with white women who claimed the label. As we discussed in class the very first say feminism is not a term that is gender, class, or race specific, must simply refers to the belief that women are equal to men and thus deserve equal treatment and opportunity.
I really enjoyed the Audre Lorde quote that Miles shared toward the end of her essay. Lorde says, “The true focus of revolutionary change is never merely the oppressive situation which we seek to escape, but that piece of the oppressor which is planted deep within each of us.” I believe this words ring true for any social movement, but especially the feminist movement. It is especially compelling in the context of the patriarchal society we discussed last week. Once we acknowledge societal oppression as something also rooted within ourselves, only then can we seek to rectify it.
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ReplyDeleteEmily brings up several good points in response to Miles' article which I had not initially thought of while reading. Women of ALL races have curves, so the word "booty" should not be taken as offensive to only black women.
ReplyDeleteHowever, issues over the term "feminist" are more difficult to resolve. The root of the word, as Emily says, has nothing to do with race or class and can be defined simply as someone who supports the advancement and equality of women in society. Black women identify the word feminist with the original feminist movements which left them feeling abandoned and excluded. We can use Sojourner Truth's, "Ain't I A Woman?" as an example. It is then, understandable, that black women resent(ed) the term feminist. Lorde writes, "The failure of academic feminists to recognize difference as a crucial strength is a failure to reach beyond the first patriarchal lesson." This failure to recognize difference is what many women "outside the circle of this society's definition of acceptable women," as Lorde describes them, see in the word "feminism."
All of the readings, but the Miles' account of the failure of "The Rag" especially, got me thinking again how crucial a common rallying point for this third wave is. It would give the movement direction and something that everybody could agree on. There is no reason the Equal Rights Amendment shouldn't be added to the constitution -- why not work towards that?
Lorde's words really resonated with me: "In our world, divide and conquer must become define and empower." Defining a result that all groups of women can strive for together would certainly be empowering.
I feel like throughout the reading, "On the Rag," Tyra Miles explains that one of the ,one of the main problem the woman's face when discussing feminist issues is their differences in their race and class. These two factors is what makes up the different experiences women have with oppression. I think that while, feminism, should keep its mission of advocating for equal opportunities and self reliance for women, the different issues of class and race should aslso e considered as important factors. If we do not understand this then we will be leaving out those who are not middle white women. The issues when discussing about feminist issues issues change radically once you put the factor or class or race. An upper class women maybe want more representation in CEO's position while a low class women will want to get the same wage that her white male partner earns. If we are not able to understand this differences then we can not come to, as Lorde suggests "use each others' differences to enrich our visions and joint our struggles."
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