Racism and Women's Studies

Reflection: 

"For those of you who are tired of hearing about racism, imagine how much more tired we are of experiencing it." 


While I can't help but agree with the text, I also found it to be a little aggressive. In class we talked about what the definition of feminism, and what feminists work on. Race was one of them, but we also talked about how it dealt with all inequality of all different people, races, genders, etc. Smith brought it to a whole new level or realization. I read the article once and I just didn't grasp the idea. Having questions, I read a blog online. Then I re-read the article and the whole thing made so much more sense. Smith states it simply in her definition of feminism, "Feminism is the political theory and practice that struggles to free all women: women of color, working class women, poor women, disabled women, lesbians, old women, as well as white, economically privileged, heterosexual women. Any thing less than this vision of total freedom is not feminism, but merely female self -aggrandizement."   So anyone can be a feminist no matter your gender, sexual orientation, economic status, race, or age, as long as you believe in the freedom of all of women, even with the issues that may not have to do with your race, sexual orientation, economic status, gender or age. Feminism deals with the equality of everyone.