Talking Point’s #6

Racism and Women’s Study

Barbara Smith

Hyperlinks:

In the text, Racism and Women’s Study, the author, Barbara Smith, goes on to say that she believes that racism is a feminist issue. “The reason racism is feminist issue is easily explained by the inherent definition of feminism. Feminism is the political theory and practice to free all women.” Feminist have a vision of total freedom for all women, no matter their status, rank, story, skin color, sexual orientation, age, etc. Feminists do not discriminate and that is exactly what racism does.

I found this article online that agrees with racism being a feminist issue.

The article explains how native Canadians are living under Third World conditions. They have “lower levels of health, education, employment, life expectancy and living conditions than non-indigenous Australians.” With insufficient health services, the indigenous women are affected the most because they are usually the ones who take care of the sick people. It also explains that the imprisonment rate of the native women of Australia “[reflects] the racism attitudes and practices within the Australian’s “justice” system.” They go on to give examples of why that is so, like the fact that “aboriginal women prisoners on remand have 20% less chance of being bailed than non-Aboriginal women.” It is not fair that the native women have it harder the non-native women. What could possibly be the reason for their mistreatment in comparison to the non-aboriginal women? It is a feminist fight that must be taken upon.

Furthermore, in the text, Smith explains, “Its not white women’s fault that they have been raised, for the most part, not knowing how to talk to Black women, not knowing how to look us in the eye and laugh with us. Racism and racist behavior are our white patriarchy legacy. What is your fault is making no serious effort to change old patterns of contempt - to look at how you still believe yourself to be superior to Third World women and how you can communicate these attitudes in blatant and subtle ways” (26).  That they need to make a change in the way they approach racism and to the understanding of what racism can do and how it can affect those who are victimized in levels greater then one would ever experience or even knew existed. If they do not know that racism exists, then it means they have never been victimized, thus it would be “hard or uncomfortable” to bring up the issue and talk about it.

I came across a documentary (shown below) that focuses mainly on an exercise conducted by Jane Elliott on older men and women today, which she had first conducted in a 3^rd grade classroom full of white children in the 1960’s. The purpose of the exercise was for them to feel “what it is like, to feel discriminated against” and also to feel what it is like, to be a “victim of race and discrimination.” The people participating in the exercise were split up into two groups, group one, the blue-eyed group, and group two, the brown-eyed group. The blue-eyed group believed that racism did not exist and compared racism to little things.

For example a white male in the blue-eyed group compared racism to him not being able to find his size in most of the stores he shopped in because he was too fat, stating that he too was discriminated in that sense, and that although its not in a greater level, he still has to deal with that discrimination on a daily basis. Elliott made it clear to him that being over weight is a choice; you are not given the choice to be black… or white.

I feel like most of the people that were apart of the blue-eyed group thought Jane Elliott was trying to tell them that all white people were racist but I think that they did not understand that she was just trying to make it clear to them that although white people are not the only racists, they have the most power in regards to racism because they are the ones who are in the most denial. “All white volunteers [were] refusing to accept the exercise [had] anything to teach them, while the majority brown-eyed group [were] watching, reluctant to speak out”.

Lastly, a black lady in the brown-eyed group confirms the statement also described in Smith’s text that racism “because it doesn’t affect you… it doesn’t exist, and that isn’t the case, your just not noticing.”

Jane Elliotte then goes on to say that “before we are born”, (we as in white people), “we are conditioned to the myth of white superiority.”

A male in the brown-eyed group added that in the lifestyle of most black people or any of those victimized with racism, they must “either conform in which case you get an easy life, or you fight against it and you’ll end up criminalized, outcast, and removed from the situation.”

“Qualities and skills that will help you to bring about change: integrity, awareness, courage, and redefining your own success.” Barbara Smith