Women of Color and Feminism:

30 years later the problem is still the same

Audre Lorde

Mary Daly

 

 

Amanda Marcotte

 

Anthea Butler

In examining the writings of these four women, from 1979 and 2013, they are basically saying the same thing that both white women and black women are

actively involved in the feminist movement, but the struggles and issues are not the same.

In 1979, Audre Lorde,  wrote An Open Letter to Mary Daly. Both women consider themselves to be radical feminists; however, Lorde is a black Caribbean-American writer while Daly is a white American writer.  Lorde’s letter criticized Daly for dealing with mainly the view of white women regarding feminism. Lorde said, “As an African-American woman in white patriarchy, I am used to having my archetypal experience distorted and trivialized, but it is terribly painful to feel it being done by a woman whose knowledge so much touches my own.” Lorde discussed Daly’s exclusion of insight as to women of color in her analysis of the feminist movement. She stated that “the oppression of women knows no ethnic nor racial boundaries, true, but that does not mean it is identical within those differences.” She concludes her letter with the statement that “beyond sisterhood is still racism” indicating that white women, even with true beliefs in feministic values, do not understand the role of black women.

Almost 30 years later, black women are STILL telling white women that they are excluding the struggles of black women in their views on feminism. Amanda Marie Marcotte is a white American blogger best known for her writings on feminism.  Anthea Butler is an author of books on women, religion, and politics. Butler wrote a commentary that appeared in the RH Reality Check, a daily publication that provides a public forum for ideas and opinions. In July of 2013, Butler published a reply to Marcotte’s presentation at the Netroots Nation conference, not to bash Marcotte just as Lorde did not want to destroy her view of Daly, but to open her eyes to the reality of problems with the feminist movement and women of color. Butler discusses Marcotte’s avoidance of the importance of intersectionality. She also discusses that blacks must first consider race, racism, and economic and social injustices before they can simply focus on ‘women’s issues’ mentioned by Marcotte. 

Website references:

http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/lordeopenlettertomarydaly.html

http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2013/07/28/women-of-color-and-feminism-a-history-lesson-and-way-forward/