5 Ways White Feminists Can Address Our Own Racism

Kupugani camp director passed an article onto me titled “5 Ways White Feminists Can Address Our Own Racism”.  Given my work at a girls-only summer camp, I was instantly intrigued; how can feminists be racist when their cause is for gender empowerment and equality? This article put an array of subjects into perspective for me. A particular quote stood out for me: “People don’t remember what you say or do but rather how you make them feel.” The article essentially outlined many of the things Camp Kupugani stands for. We aim to explore the themes of acceptance, diversity, gender differences and culture; all while empowering one another.

It’s easy to forget that gender issues are often conflated with racial issues of society. As the article points out, feminists need to not only embrace gender rights and equality but also cross the racial barriers to join hands as a diverse group. As feminists fighting for our own cause of female empowerment, we can also broach the societal issues of racism. The message of the article reminded me of some camp activities such as “take a walk in another shoes” or “label me”. If we can place ourselves or immerse ourselves into the situations of others in terms of racial or physical discrimination, we not only realize where our own faults lie but also how we can fix them for the future to make ourselves and our neighbors racially and culturally aware. We have to accept our own flaws rather than trying to justify them because then you are dancing with the ideology of White privilege.

How will you choose to cross the barrier and address racism as a feminist?

Read the article for yourself at this link!