Barbara Smith: Unexamined and unchallenged white supremacy has always divided those who should be allies in this country and racism accounts for profound divisions among women including in the supposedly progressive context of feminist movements.
Single issue “lean-in feminism” that only addresses the concerns of economically privileged, cis gendered, white women is extremely effective in maintaining the status quo. As a Black woman, this narrow type of feminism has never worked for me, which is why my sisters of color and I, usually unnoticed, have spent decades building an alternative.
I am excited to be a part of the effort to organize the International Women’s Strike on March 8th because it is grounded in a democratic vision of feminism that acknowledges and fights for the rights and freedom of all women. Our platform acknowledges that racism, economic exploitation, and imperialism as well as gender oppression destroy the lives of women and their families around the world. The Strike exemplifies the power of feminism for the 99 per cent and deploys it at a time when it could not be more needed. More here.