Happy Women’s Equality Day! JUST KIDDING! – We’ve STILL Got Action to Take!

I’ll keep this rant as short as possible.

I see a lot people who look as white as me having an issue with recognizing they have white privilege. It can be hard to see unless you actually go out in the world and talk to people who AREN’T white. The bottom line is we still have racism, it’s just so institutionalized and sneaky, you have to actually examine our policies and the way people are mistreated to see it and you have to give a damn in the first place. Here’s a recent article about illustrating this major problem, http://billmoyers.com/2014/11/03/voter-id-laws-affect-women-color/

Here is a brief history lesson on the right to vote for women and African-Americans, http://www.socialstudies.org/system/files/publications/se/5905/590503.html

Women are still paid less than men, our reproductive health care is still under attack, we’re still more likely to be blamed for sexual assault, most of our political leaders are still white MALES, we’re still ridiculed in the gaming industry and our bodies are still over sexualized and used to sell products and services. All this and we’re almost to the 100 year mark of celebrating our right to vote. Ooops, I mean MY pale-skinned right to vote.

Less than 100 years ago it was illegal for Asian-Americans and Native Americans to VOTE. That means white women could vote! In some southern states black women couldn’t vote due to many obstacles, including unjust laws and violence, purposely planned to discourage voting. http://massvote.org/voterinfo/history-of-voting-rights/

Luckily many in the feminist community are learning to check their white privilege at the door and create truly equal spaces for ALL women(transsexual included). I learned about this privilege at a young age because my lineage is not pure white, and because not everyone in my family is white. Not that it matters to most people since what others SEE is my skin color and they treat me differently than those around me who have darker skin or slanted eyes! Sometimes it is is overt and others much quieter, but I SEE it. I knowingly receive white privilege and it makes me sick!

It’s time to recognize your privilege. Sometimes you need to set it aside and create open ended dialogue and other times you must use it to support others so they can create equal change.

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