Intersectional Feminism & Race: The Radical Notion that All People Have Worth

We cannot even begin to speak about socially constructed inequities for gender, sex and sexual orientation/preference (which are, from my perspective, the three pillars of the Queer Experience) without looking at the Institutionalized Oppression of all Subordinated Identities from Dominating Identities.

                                                                

That was my "higher education social justice jargon speak" saying that in order to truly be an Intersectional Feminist, you have to allow all identities to have a seat at the table if you want an honest and diverse dinner party. 

                              

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                                        ~  Oh yeah. I said it. In the form of a gif.  ~

                                    First things first, some definitions

For anyone who uses the words "prejudice," "discrimination," and/or "racism" interchangeably...


Feeling of dislike for a racial or ethnic group + belief in this dislike = Prejudice

Actions that harm those you have prejudice against = Discrimination

Institutionalization of this discrimination, which is perpetuated in society (when discrimination becomes a part of how the society does things and systematically influences biases) = Racism

                                                              And finally

A word for people who typically use these words interchangeably....

The feeling or recognition of when something "is not a problem" because it is not a problem to you personally = Privilege 

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#BlessJessicaWilliams5ever

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Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about why this matters to you, to me, and to all of us together. It matters because there is some rhetoric and belief out there that we are currently living in a Post-Racial Democratic Society because of Civil Rights, Affirmative Action, the fact that we have a Black President, etc. (Ha, no seriously, good joke).

The cold hard truth though, my fellow sweet, naive citizens, this belief is a fallacy.

            Interesting how we used to laugh at comedians and listen to politicians and now we                                               laugh at politicians and listen to comedians. But I digress.

                   WHY THIS MATTERS:

Funnily enough, being a conscious media consumer also includes, yet is not limited to, also being a good human being.
For this reason, it is important to be aware of the language you are using or reinforcing. 

Being mindful of these terms and actions will hopefully make it easier for you to be able to spot problematic words/phrases/slang/ridiculous or politically charged mind-washing jargon (I'm looking at you Fox News) in order to not participate in the larger dysfunctional nature that accompanies pure, unadulterated ignorance. 

MTV's Decoded, a web series which features blogger/comedian/feminist extraordinaire Franchesca Ramsey, tackles the big issues of race, identity inequity, social injustice and pop culture all with an honest and comedic spin geared towards a younger audience. But of course, something meant to help and entertain millennials can also be infiltrated by older audiences as well. I like to think of the Decoded Youtube Channel kind of like a Social Justice Facebook page that you're 60 year old aunt who lives in Idaho never knew she needed to watch until you sit her down and show her how it works.


                         Social Justice training for all. Finally, MTV did something right.

Ramsey recently posted a video titled "5 Things You Should Know About Racism." In the video, Ramsey outlines explicitly what racism is, urging her audience to push through the initial discomfort which usually subconsciously permeates conversations about the topic. She points out the ironic nature of the dictionary definition of racism, which states that racism is the "hatred or intolerance of another race or races." While this definition is not wrong, it is limited and simplified. 

Ramsey defines racism rather from a sociological perspective, which denotes that racism is a combination of how prejudice (that word I defined earlier if you were paying attention) and power interact within the complex societal structures created and reinforced by people, organizations and other institutions. 

                    Here I have broken down the 5 different things Ramsey wants us to know"

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1. Good people can unintentionally say and do racist things.

I know what you're thinking and NO you cannot use this as an excuse. Racism isn't always a conscious hatred or dislike, rather it shows up in many different forms. Therefore conversations about race should be treated with extreme caution and humility. People automatically associate being a racist with "being a bad person," and while sometimes this may in fact just be the case (Fox News, I am STILL looking at you) it is not necessarily true. Well intended people "step in it," all the time. What is important to remember is that it doesn't really matter what the INTENT of your words are, rather the IMPACT they have on those around you.

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2. Race is a social construct, but that doesn't mean racism isn't real.

Ramsey defines a social construction (for anyone who isn't already a self proclaimed social justice warrior who uses this phrase to define literally EVERYTHING) as a "category, perception or idea created and developed by society and then applied to individuals or groups." So even though social constructs are made up, they still affect people and interactions in a very real way. 

Race, though socially constructed, cannot be discounted as a very important and defining identity for someone's individual experience. 

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3. Colorblindness is not going to fix racism. 

The ideology of being "colorblind" is actually the deliberate avoidance of privileging any one race over another, basically denying that this happens systematically in our society/ Essentially what people are saying when they say they are "colorblind" is "Oh, no. I know that isn't fair, but I'm not a racist, so I am just going to act like I know nothing about it." Just because you want a system of privilege to not exist doesn't mean you can choose to not acknowledge racial oppression. Ignoring racism isn't going to get rid of racism. Instead, adopt a color conscious ideology, which seeks to acknowledge and understand differences in race as a means of understanding someone's life experience. 
 

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4. Reverse racism is not a thing.

Do you really need an explanation?
It's not.

If you're still not convinced, read S.E. Smith has to say about this subject in the link below.

http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/reverse-racism-doesnt-exist/

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5. Racism isn't just about individuals. It's about Institutional Power. 

Ramsey wants everyone to know that racism is not just something that happens on a "person to person basis." Racism is a widespread, subconsciously intertwined issue in the lives we all live. All of us. We cannot pretend it doesn't exist or that it doesn't affect people in a very big, sometimes detrimental way.

Hopefully, by breaking down these concepts and misconceptions, you will feel more comfortable to engage in healthy dialogues with those around you about race. 

It is my belief that in order to truly call yourself an Intersectional Feminist, you must act like one. You must be curious, not judgmental. You must be open and willing, not closed-off and shy to dialogues of differences. You must be willing to cross bridges for people and seek genuine understanding and connection.

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- K