#FeministsUnite

As a white feminist I only recently began to understand that there are different kinds of feminism.  Now, I recognize that my white privilege excludes me from many of the insults and injustices that non-white women face every day. When speaking and writing about feminism and changing society for the better we as white women must be more cognizant of how racism intertwines with sexism, with regards to women of color, and creating its own form of sexism. To start, I personally, vow never use the expression "not all" with its dismissive tone when discussing feminism with women of color. As white women we will need, on occasion, to put our white privilege in check; we may offer our support but don’t insist anyone accept it. Remember that as women we have all felt the sting of sexism but we, as white females will never know what the injustice of racism feels like. We can empathize but we will never truly understand what it’s like to be hated or undervalued, just because of the color of our skin or for our ethnicity.

If all women, whether they’re born female or not, are to truly be Sisters, then we must change the feminist conversation. The dialogue must stop including the phrase that “feminism is feminism” and know that we are not just fighting against sexism and rape culture, but we are also fighting racism and the petty bigotries faced by the LGBTQ community. True feminism is the belief that all people are entitled to equal treatment under the law and from our citizenry. Feminists of all ethnicities and genders must unite to fight for equality for all us as human beings, while being sensitive to the knowledge that we don’t all experience the same injustice or harassment. We must stand together, share our experiences, help one another to understand how we perceive and feel when the injustices of sexism, racism, and bigotry are directed towards us as individuals and groups. We can begin by listening to one another without being dismissive, divisive, or guilty of the behaviors that we are fighting against. By standing united we as feminists can reduce the hate and cruelty that is encountered every day, thereby making the world better place to live.