Here’s What White Feminism Is – And Why We Really Need to Talk About It

August 25, 2015 / Zeba Blay

You might have come across the term “White Feminism” recently.

This term sometimes comes up when we talk about intersectionality – and it was used a lot in discussions of Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift’s recent Twitter exchange.

But do you know what White Feminism means? Here’s a short breakdown of what it is, why it’s problematic, and how you can make sure you’re not part of the problem.

Let’s work together to build a stronger feminist movement, instead of one that silences so many of us.

With Love,
The Editors at Everyday Feminism

Click for the Transcript

Zeba: You might have heard the term “White Feminism” used lately, after Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift’s Twitter exchange, or when people critique HBO’s Girls. But what does it mean?

Emma: Basically, White Feminism is feminism that ignores intersectionality.

Zeba: Not all feminists who are white are White Feminists.

Emma: Most White Feminists are white, because white people just don’t have to think about things like race on a daily basis.

Zeba: We’re not just “pulling the race card.” White Feminism excludes the experiences of basically anyone who is not white, cis, and straight.

Emma: Here’s why that’s so problematic.

Zeba: First, it assumes the way white women experience misogyny is the way all women experience misogyny, and that’s just not true.

Emma: White Feminism aims to close the wage gap between men and women, but what it fails to recognize is that most of the time, Latina and black women make even less than white women.

Zeba: And police brutality should be viewed as a feminist issue, but it doesn’t affect white women the way it affects women of color. If Sandra Bland had been a white woman, would a simple traffic stop have resulted in an arrest? Would she be viewed as a loud, angry black woman? Would she be dead?

Emma: White feminism ignores the role that whiteness plays in creating things like beauty standards. For example, this is okay (the video shows an image of a white model squatting in a sexualized way), but this isn’t (the video shows an image of Nicki Minaj squatting in the same position on her “Anaconda” cover).

Zeba: White women are most often the face of the feminism movement. Tina Fey, Taylor Swift, Amy Schumer have been able to break into industry that have been dominated by cis, white men. But Black women, women of color, we face barriers that white women don’t.

Emma: Critiquing White Feminism isn’t about silencing those women. It’s about opening up space for even more diverse voices to be heard, and that’s great for everyone.

Zeba: Being a white feminist doesn’t make you a bad person. It just means you have a lot to learn.

Emma: The most important thing any White Feminist can do is educate herself, and listen, and engage with the experiences of women of color without silencing them. Because sometimes as white ladies, we just have to shut the fuck up.

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Zeba Blay is a Voices Culture Writer for The Huffington Post. Check her out on Twitter @zblay.

Emma Gray is a Senior Women’s Editor for The Huffington Post. Check her out on Twitter @emmaladyrose.