The following stems from me calling out the so called “jokes” published/sent via e-mail by the Voice.
On the morning that I received the Vice newsletter, their annual April Fools edition, I found myself highly upset.
While in conversation with students on campus, many of them also found the “jokes” to be highly inappropriate and offensive. After looking over the online copy of the newspaper, I pondered whether I was being highly sensitive or would I remain with deeming that content as highly inappropriate?
It was a constant battle because while being at The College of Wooster, I have never felt more aware of my blackness as I am constantly drowning in a sea of white folks.
After conversing with the same students, I came to the conclusion that the people behind creating the “jokes” and giving the okay that the “jokes” were acceptable were in the wrong.
To “joke” about hardships that two marginalized communities have faced is highly inappropriate and shows a lack of intersectionality.
It is a common motif for folks here on campus to constantly chase after being called or self-proclaim the following titles: ally, feminist or woke.
Unfortunately, such titles have been easily taken by folks who do not truly understand what their titles encompass. To engage in being woke (a concept that it is embedded with a vast amount of problems), feminism and allyship towards marginalized groups requires the implementation of intersectionality.
Intersectional feminism sets up a platform for folks to abandon non-inclusive/white feminism and chase after something that recognizes all of the intersectionalities that play a role in different people’s lives.
Examples of intersectionality would be including folks who are of different ages, races, disabilities, religions, socio-economic statues and other identities. For those who have adopted the title of being an ally, feminist or woke, here are some problems/thoughts that I have towards those three titles:
Learn that feminism is for everyone, but to engage in feminism that is not intersectional is not beneficial to other marginalized groups.
Making “jokes” about marginalized groups will never be seen as something funny by those within the groups.
Y’all alt-right white folks need to stop with the “our country” narrative because natives were here before you infested this land with your smallpox.
Call out your local modern day Uncle Tom.
Understand that the vocabulary that is not inclusive toward women and all of the beautiful forms that they come in is detrimental.
Queer white folks who are part of a marginalized group, but are Islamophobic, anti-black and carry forth with racism need to evaluate their actions.
White gay men need to stop with channeling their “inner black woman.”
Understand that certain groups have reclaimed slurs as a sense of empowerment, but that does not give folks outside of the group the right to use the word (example: the term queer).
Anti-blackness from all folks, including black folks, is constantly occurring and needs to be stopped.
Learn that sex positivity does not include thinking that everyone should like sex and sexually objectifying others.
Beware of feminist men who subscribe to double standards.
White Jews need to lend a hand to black folks.
Do not engage in the oppression olympics.
Know that no one is about to give fake allies a star for a job well done with their ally theatre.
You can change the filter on your Facebook profile picture when the new trend hits, but if you are not truly supporting and working towards diminishing an -ism, then stop.
Stop seeing folks who have HIV and AIDS as deplorable.
Ask yourself is your feminism a movement just for women or is it about all the forms of oppression?
There is so much missing from this article, but this is a short presentation of what folks can do in order to become better.
As social activist Assata Shakur once said, “IT IS OUR DUTY TO WIN. WE MUST LOVE EACH OTHER AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER. WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR CHAINS.”