Stories in the news this morning: June 9, 2008

It’s 10am and I’m already seething with reports from mainstream media.

NY Times: States Take New Tack on Illegal Immigration

MILTON, Fla. — Three months after the local police inspected more than a dozen businesses searching for illegal immigrants using stolen Social Security numbers, this community in the Florida Panhandle has become more law-abiding, emptier and whiter.

[One business owner says,] “I don’t blame them [police],” Mr. Barragan added. “It’s just that it hurts.”

Yes, how painful it must be to have your business lose the much-needed dollars of those little brown people in your small community. It doesn’t hurt because the lives of good, hard-working people have been disrupted by deportation or jail; no, let’s not consider that. Let’s only focus on the hole this raid left in your business. Since a large portion of the latino community frequented his restaurant, he doesn’t have any answers for how to stay open. No protests, no help in rewriting policy, not even a call to the local police, just a plea of “it hurts.”

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NY Times: Where Whites Draw the Line

How black is too black?

Millions of African-Americans celebrated Barack Obama’s historic victory, seeing in it a reflection — sudden and shocking — of their own expanded horizons. But whether Mr. Obama captures the White House in November will depend on how he is seen by white Americans. Indeed, some people argue that one of the reasons Mr. Obama was able to defeat Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was that a large number of white voters saw him as “postracial.”

I wonder if I wrote an article “How White is too White?” how quickly the NY Times would pick it up. If they did, if anyone did, how quickly would I be accused of reverse racism? I’d be attacked for trying to divide the country, rather than using my words productively to unify. I’d probably be put on a terrorist watch list. But “too black”? That’s perfectly reasonable for the paper of record.

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NY Times: Inside Gate, India’s Good Life; Outside, the Slums

Hamilton Court — complete with a private school within its gates, groomed lawns and security guards — is just one of the exclusive gated communities that have blossomed across India in recent years. At least for the newly moneyed upper middle class, they offer at high prices what the government cannot, at least not to the liking of their residents.

Thank goodness such class inequality would never happen in the civilized United States.

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Daily Kos: Iowa — Another Katrina?

Darrell in Iowa writes:

I am in Mason City.  Our levees broke Sunday morning.  Flood stage is 7 foot and waters are now at 19 feet.  Hundreds of homes and businesses are underwater.  The City’s water plant was flooded and the entire city of 30,000 is without potable water.  A couple of hours ago the main electric substation flooded and failed and much of the city is without power.  People remain in flooded homes.  Early tonight I saw people wandering the streets not knowing where to go.  There are entrie areas of the city with NO emergency personnel on hand.

NOBODY from the outside has come to help.  Our local first responders are exhausted and overwhelmed.  Small rural towns downstream tonight are being devasted.  Levees everywhere are failing.  Calls for help in these small towns have been unmet.  Portions of our local guard are in Iraq.

The homeland has been left unprotected and people are suffering horribly.

As if we needed another reminder of how our government fails its basic obligations. Like New Orleans, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Army Core of Engineers lied about the effectiveness of these levees, too. When we put people in charge of government who are convinced government can’t work, they will do everything to make sure it won’t work. Mason City, Iowa is drowning in Republican rule.

I realize this is an angry post (oh no - anger!) but every once in a while, a Latina needs to show her teeth! Besides, if you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention

Bitch Magazine & Detroit Feminists

Feminism In/Action: What is your feminism for and why does it matter?

This past Sunday Bitch Magazine and Detroit Feminists hosted a participatory discussion about—and whether—feminism can become a transformative movement for social change..more details.

We had a great turn-out and are thrilled Debbie Rasmussen contacted us to help organize this powerful and important conversation. Thank you to Bitch Magazine, Trumbull Plex, those who supported the event and especially the people who came out to get involved!

Bitch publisher Debbie Rasmussen posted an update, please feel free to give us (and Bitch Magazine) any feedback, comments or critique on the format or future discussions.

Stay tuned for our full recap and details for a Listening Party.

Notes on teaching racism (teleconference)

Tonight Las Comardes held a teleconference to discuss “when and how children should be taught about racism.”

The conference featured the authors of the book That’s Not Fair!: Emma Tenayuca’s Struggle for Justice /¡No es Justo!:La Lucha de Emma Tenayuca por la Justicia
(Wings Press, 2008. Illustrated by Terry Ybañez) and focused on the issues it raised:

This is the first book ever published about the significant Latina civil rights leader (Emma Tenayuca) from the 1930s, who at the tender age of 22, organized twelve thousand pecan shellers in a strike that was to become the first successful action in the Mexican American struggle for political and economic justice. Aimed at readers 6 and up, That’s Not Fair is the April 2008 national Las Comadres Book Selection.

Notes

I came in on the call a little late, therefore my notes are 10 minutes into the conversation. Also, these are not direct quotes, but my best attempt at paraphrasing:

Author Carmen Tafolla/ Sharyll Tenayuca (not sure): When you ask children about the election, do they feel Latinos or women can be president, they are very attuned to what’s going on around them. You get answers like: no, because women are weaker, or it’s illegal for Latinos to be president.

Dr. Rebecca Bigler, UT Professor of Psychology, mentions how white parents are usually very reluctant to talk to their children about racism and racial injustice.

Interviewer Adriana Dominguez asks how we can best introduce the topic of racism and social inequalities to children?

Bigler: We don’t have quite enough research to know. What we do know is you start by introducing topics slowly, without violence, so they aren’t as troubling. Start with cases like Emma’s (good evidence of important change and good outcomes), in a fair and compassionate way, that teaches children about history and also gives them hope.

Bigler: Research shows children do have an awareness for justice at an early age, and you need to be encouraging them to develop attitudes towards social justice. Encourage love of reading, writing and courageousness.

Dominguez: How is the book received among Latino/a families as well as non -Latino/a families?

Tafolla: Very well, with Latino/a children there is a little extra excitement. They ask, “she (Emma Tenayuca) really existed, this is really her picture on the back of the book?”

Bigler: White children who heard the story about racial discrimination often demonstrated a level of guilt; they felt bad about their privileged status. Because of this, I have received hate mail asking, “how dare you make children feel bad about their privilege”

But feeling racial guilt wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. What we found was the initial guilt lead to them feeling connected (to some degree), and toward caring about social justice. Some of the stories might be sad and troubling for children, but what we need to learn is how can we tell these stories in a way where we have good outcomes, and make them feel like there is hope.

Dominquez: What would you like Emma’s legacy to be?

Tafolla: Everyone can make a difference in this world. That’s very reflective of Emma’s voice. Make use of everyone who wants to help. “You can make a difference in your world”

Bigler: Emma’s story shows that heroes are people who see, acknowledge and fight social justice, and those heroes come in all shapes and sizes and genders. It shows that children can be on the look-out for social injustice, and when they see it, they can name it and fight it.

Announcement: The full teleconference will be available on the website in a couple of weeks.

Las Comadres is also starting a book club, which should begin sometime in May. Learning through reading, and practicing what we learn. Hasta luego!

Side Note from Las Comadres:

We ask that you purchase a book and give it to an elementary school of your choice.

In Austin you may purchase the book at the Resistancia Book Store. If you purchase at Resistancia you can give the book in memory of Raul Salinas, our activist compadre who recently passed, and whose life was devoted to issues of justice and fairness.

Resistancia Book Store
1801-A South First St.
Austin, TX 78704
Phone: (512) 416-8885
Email: revolu@swbell.net 

From BrownFemiPower:

 

 Some context.

I wrote what I wrote in response to all those feminists who, during the Full Frontal Feminism blow up, kept insisting over and over again that if “WOC” want book deals, they should “go get it them themselves.” That publishers weren’t skimming through the blogosphere looking for just anybody who’s a good writer. That you had to work for a book deal—you had to fight for it, show a little initiative, stop complaining, just do it. JUST. DO. IT.

As if there were no such thing as racism—as if there was no such thing as racism that is alive and well and present in the most cellular of spaces. As if simply opening a proposal and viewing the odd name at the top of the proposal doesn’t influence how the person reading that name will understand the rest of the proposal.

I wrote what I wrote to all those people, to all those feminists, who insist that short of refusing publication (and what good is that?) there is little to nothing feminists can do to stand in solidarity with other feminists who are not as privileged as they are…

Continue reading

 

The ideas of others are not resources to be plundered. They should be shared, and in the sharing we must give credit where it is due. It’s how we recognize the worth and humanity of others, and ourselves.

 

*Also read: Team Rainbow and PhysioProf (thanks to magniloquence for the links) and The Curvature

 

“Anonymous” Identified

Many of you are familiar with the conflict that has arisen in recent weeks between Seal Press and women of color bloggers, Black Amazon in particular, after she wrote “Fuck Seal Press” in one of her posts. Given that this has been completely misconstrued, and Black Amazon has (honorably) refused to reveal the story that was the catalyst for her comment, it is important for me to come out as the friend Black Amazon was ultimately speaking to on that blog.

 

An informal meeting with an editor from Seal Press at the WAM conference regarding the proposal for my anthology left me feeling frustrated and deflated. I was not seeking or particularly interested in having them publish the anthology, but merely hoping for advice on my book proposal. The editor, while impressed with the format of the proposal, advised me that anthologies don’t sell, and I should get someone like Gloria Steinem or Katha Pollitt to contribute, even though, as she said, I wouldn’t be able to get access to them. I was struck by the fact that she did not suggest I contact Daisy Hernandez, bell hooks, Andrea Smith, or Alice Walker. I might not have access to them either, of course, but given the intent of the anthology is to highlight the voices of people of diverse backgrounds, especially those we’ve not heard from in other works, I found her comments discouraging.

 

Afterwards, I had a private conversation about the meeting with a small group of friends, including Black Amazon, in hopes they could help me work through this. They did.

 

After the conference, Black Amazon posted a blog, toward the end of which she wrote “Fuck Seal Press” as a message to me, as a show of friendship and support. It was not a call for attention, or as bait for Seal Press. In response, I posted the following: “Seal Press has NOTHING on women of color.” This comment was in response to BA’s message of support, and not – as many mistakenly assumed – that Seal Press does not publish women of color. Still, as the comment thread on the post shows, this is the direction the conflict took, and not without justification.

 

No one (especially Black Amazon) could have expected the backlash that came from this, or that Seal Press would ever find their way over to her blog, let alone respond.

 

Since then, many people have been hurt by this, especially Black Amazon. For that, and to her, I apologize. She is someone who truly understands sisterhood, and the invectives hurled at her are unfounded and unfair.

 

It is important to point out the reason I have largely kept silent about this. I felt a responsibility to the 50-plus contributors to my project; they do not deserve to be dragged into something they had no part in or any control over. I refrained from entering the debate for their sake.

 

My initial reaction was to make a call to Seal Press. Black Amazon advised against it, as she did not want me to risk the project. That is not the reaction of an “angry, snarky, WOC,” as she has been called, but of a friend and a sister. Besides, by that time the debate had evolved into the question of women of color, respect (or the lack thereof) for their work, and the general inability/fear of many white feminists to engage women of color.

 

To be clear, I am under no illusion that Seal Press has any responsibility to me, or to any woman of color. They can publish what they want, and ultimately will publish what they think will sell. If women of color are not part of that equation, or can be only under certain conditions, that is completely up to them.

 

Despite the risk to those associated with the anthology, it is more important to me that I set the record straight and assume responsibility for a conversation that started with me, and, I can only hope, will end here with me.

 

This is not Black Amazon’s burden to shoulder, and it is not fair that I remain anonymous while she takes the heat. Black Amazon acted out of friendship and sisterhood. In the end, that’s what all of us want. In a life without books, press, or fame – which is life most of the time – it’s our friends that hold us up. That’s what she did for me, and I’m eternally thankful for it.

 

 

Adele

  

WAM! Recap - finally!

 

By now you’ve probably read enough WAM! recaps in the past week, and might not be interested in another. But I want to write about it, so …

I heard about WAM! through the blogosphere. I was drawn to the conference, as I said in my interview with Jill Zimon, because of the diversity of presentations and workshops, and because a number of women I met last year at the Allied Media Conference were presenting.

 

When I arrived, I felt somewhat alienated and alone, which I chalked up to my not knowing many of the attendees. Yet the first invitation I received was a text message from Nadia of No Snow Here, hoping I’d arrived and inviting me to join them (WOC) at the conference. Although I don’t know them as well as they know each other, nor for as long, they welcomed me instantly and warmly. 

 

I assumed, or hoped, that the rest of the attendees at the conference would welcome everyone in the same spirit. That same day, however, I was proven wrong. At a conference as large as this, I didn’t expect everyone would take the time to introduce themselves and make themselves available to everyone else - the conference was only so long, after all - but I sensed a clear distinction between women of color and white feminists in their interaction with others. As the conference moved from the networking event to the reception and keynote speaker Helen Thomas, the divide grew more stark, with WOC sitting together in a sea of white feminists. That was unfortunately a mark of how the rest of the weekend evolved.

 

I attended several workshops, including “Here We Go Again: Bad Stories About Women that Never Die,” “Raising Women’s Voices/Building Women’s Power: Collaborative Approaches to Strategic Communications for Social Justice,” and the film “Silent Choices” on reproductive rights. While these were informative, two presentations stuck with me more than others: “Immigration in the U.S.: The Women’s Rights Crisis Feminists Aren’t Talking About” and “We B(e)lo(n)g: Womyn of Color and Online Feminism.” The panel on immigration was exceptional because finally someone was talking about the New Bedford Raids in MA, where police apprehended 361 people, mostly immigrant women who suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of their captors. The presentation highlighted the cruelty of immigration enforcement directed towards human beings regarded as defenseless and invisible; it focused on an inhumanity that is rarely discussed, and the need for action. At one point during the film clip about the raid I became so distraught at watching these women suffer - women who could be my mother, my grandmother, or my sister - I had to leave the room so I could break down in private. I knew my tears were a poor excuse for action, but I was simply overcome with emotion.

 

The panel “”We B(e)lo(n)g: Womyn of Color and Online Feminism” was by far the high point of the conference. It began with introductions, a short film clip by Sudy on WOC in the blogosphere, and then each panelist read a “wish” poem she’d written. Rather than sit at the tables in the front, they instead came to the side of the room with the attendees, and asked each of us to give our wish. They did not talk at us, but with us; it created a safe, loving space for everyone. My wish was that there would be a space like this wherever I went.  

 

The panel on immigration was a mixed group, although I wondered if the title had contained the phrase “women of color” and all the panelists were WOC would the participation have been as diverse - especially since “We B(e)lo(n)g” was almost completely WOC. A lot of white feminists seemed to regard presentations or workshops about women of color as exclusive to women of color, and wanted to “respect” that space. They might have considered taking part, but apparently didn’t want to intrude. This assumption has now become the escape route for white feminists to not participate, to not open themselves up to be in a new and potentially uncomfortable space. Not one person did what any normal human being would do, ask “May I participate, or is this only for women of color?” Therein lies the real problem. My roommate (Metha) at the conference, and Black Amazon’s Wifey, both white women, joined us everywhere we went, including the Queer Women of Color and Friends reception/party. They didn’t assume they couldn’t take part; they just came along. If you don’t make it a big deal, then it isn’t!

 

Metha says she trying to envision ways in which WAM!, or other conferences, could better create spaces for dialogue with people from different backgrounds. Along with a panel on women of color, for example, have a panel of women from a wide range of backgrounds to discuss and debate the same issue, but from a variety of perspectives.

 

The rest of the conference felt like us trying to hold onto the love we created in the “We B(e)lo(n)g” workshop, instead of being able to share it with everyone outside. The divide was still there. I got the distinct impression that we had been given permission to participate in a small way, but not as equals, not as leaders of the same movement.

 

I’m not the first person to say this, and since the conference there has been an outpouring of reaction as a result. Some have dismissed our reactions as negative or angry; suggesting if we aren’t part of the solution (as they define it) then we’re part of the problem. Sounds like Bush: “Yer either with us or agin’ us!”

But isn’t that what the feminist movement was supposed to be about? Standing up for your rights, for equality, using that anger as a force for change? If we are now only defining that as reactions of women of color, as abnormal or damaging, then the feminist movement has ceased to exist, or can no longer define itself in the terms it once could. If women of color (POC) are the only people willing to express our anger and act on it, then it’s with us that you will find real change!

 

For a much more profound and detailed critique on the feminist divide, read Jessica Hoffman’s OpEd: On Prisons, Borders, Safety, and Privilege: An Open Letter to White Feminists (AlterNet, April 4, 200  

*Correction: Jill from Feministe did make a point of asking if the We B(e)lo(n)g session was for WOC only.

Adele Nieves on Blog Talk Radio this weekend

Join us for Come Together: The official live discussion of the Women’s History Month blog carnival

 

Join Heart of Women’s Space and What Tami Said as we conclude our Women’s History Month blog carnival with an hour-long live discussion on Blog Talk Radio, 6 p.m. EDT, Saturday, March 29. We will review our favorite submissions to the blog carnival; discuss issues raised by the carnival, including race and feminism and their roles in the 2008 presidential election; discuss the state of feminism today; and talk about the most effective ways for women to work together towards equality.

We will be joined by panelists including:

Adele Nieves, a writer, journalist, and speaker, focusing on politics, women’s issues and race.

Shecodes, an entrepreneur and activist dedicated to the uplift of black women. Shecodes runs the blog Black Women Vote, described in its inaugural post as “a war cry to all Black women who are fed up, pissed off, and mad as heck about the present conditions of Black womanhood in America, and are ready to do something about it. Make no mistake… we’re about to change some stuff up in this piece! We have the social, economic, political tools to compel America to become more hospitable for ourselves, and for our daughters.”

We also want to hear from YOU. Tune in and call in! Listen live by clicking this link and let your voice be heard by calling (347) 205-9125 during the show.

Watch Women’s Space and What Tami Said for programming updates, including panelist additions.

 Read more at Blog Talk Radio.

People of Color and the Fat Acceptance Movement (Fatshionista)

 

Written by Tara

There are reasons why people of color aren’t flocking to the fat acceptance movement, and they’re probably not the reasons you’re thinking of…

 Continue reading

NY Times article on Prostitution

The Myth of the Victimless Crime by Melissa Farley and Victor Malarek

WHAT do we know about the woman Gov. Eliot Spitzer allegedly hired as a prostitute? She was the one person he ignored in his apology. What is she going through now? Is she in danger from organized crime because of what she knows? Is anyone offering her legal counsel or alternatives to prostitution?…

Women’s History Month Blog Carnival: Join in!

What Tami Said and Women’s Space are partnering to host a blog carnival to encourage a dialogue between all women committed to gender equality.Dates: March 1 through March 31

Theme: Come Together–Healing Tensions among Women Working for Equality

We are accepting essays, poetry, photographic essays, art, You Tube presentations, short fiction and other creative expressions designed to strengthen the bonds among women and heal rifts caused by historic and current conflicts, as well as by differences in race, age and sexual orientation.

Beginning March 1, submissions will be posted alternately at What Tami Said and Women’s Space, and eventually on an as-yet-to-be-developed blog dedicated to the Come Together blog carnival. We are planning to close the month with a live open discussion on Blog Talk Radio.

Submission Guidelines: Submit work no later than Feb. 28 to whattamisaid@gmail.com or cheryllindseyseelhoff@gmail.com. We cannot guarantee on which blog your work will be posted.

Along with your submission, please include a short bio (2-3 sentences) and a link to your blog if you have one.

Rules
- Women only
- Feel free to voice your hurts and disappointments, but focus on solutions not attacks
- No personal attacks
- No hate speech
- Use examples and facts to back up your statements
- Contributions should reflect personal experiences or direct personal investment as opposed to the academic or theoretical. This is important: We want to hear your truth, your lived reality. This includes you have been personally affected by conflicts over feminist politics, strategies, history and theories.

Possible topics
• Painful chapters of women’s history (conflicts around black male suffrage/women’s suffrage, lynchings, the role of black and white women in bringing lynchings to an end, sexism in the Civil Rights movement, racism in Second Wave feminism)
• Conflicts between women over strategies to end racism (i.e. radical miscegenation v. racial separatism/black nationalism, race traitors v. anti-racists, identity politics v. deconstructing race)
• Conflicts between women over strategies to end lesbophobia and heteronormativity (i.e., lesbian identity politics v. Adrienne Rich’s lesbian continuum v. political lesbianism v. celibacy)
• Being heterosexual, married, a mother, a feminist and experiencing the rejection of feminist women
• Being a lesbian and experiencing the rejection of feminist women
• Issues related to pornography and prostitution
• Immigrant and indigenous women’s experiences of alienation, isolation, rejection from other women
• How poverty or growing up poor affects relationships between women
• Issues around how women look and how that affects our relationships (race, gender nonconformity, being fat, disabilities)
• Generational issues; how disrespect because of youth or age affects relationships between women
• Personal experiences of racism/lesbophobia/classism/abelism/looksism in women’s communities of all kinds (school, church, political groups, professional organizations, unions)
• Conflicts over spirituality, i.e., women rejecting one another because of their religious beliefs
• Conflicts over issues of reproductive choice (i.e., focusing on abortion rights/focusing on the right to bear children/forced sterilization/genocide with respect to indigenous people and people of color)
• “I’m sorry” contributions: Posts, poems, art, etc., apologizing to individual women online or to groups of women you have intentionally or unintentionally offended
• “Post Secrets”: Anonymously submit secrets about your feelings about/relationships with women (a take off from the “Post Secrets” book)
• Or just do your own thing

All women are invited to participate, including women who have tangled with one another in the past, women who have fought with each other or attacked each other online or in real life, women who have offended other women or been offended by other women, online or in real life. This includes all of us! The hope is that by our honesty and truth-telling we can move in the direction of healing and building bridges, no matter what has happened between us in the past. Even if we aren’t ready to forgive and forget quite yet, or to say “I’m sorry,” we can declare a truce for the month of March in honor Women’s History Month.

We need a graphic!
Come on all you talented artists. We need a logo or three or four for our blog carnival. Whip one up and send it to me or Heart at Women’s Space.

Comments

I just received an anonymous comment on my critique of the film Flying: Confessions of a Free Woman.

I thought it important to highlight in order to respect differing opinions. Although the more I think about the film the more convinced I am of my position, I still appreciate considerate, well-thought out comments like this one. Here’s what they think, you’ve read what I think, now you should see it and decide for yourself.

I have a feeling that this won’t be received very well but I actually thought the film was quite good. I definitely hear what you all are saying in regards to Fox’s egocentricity. I still think she clearly recognized how amazing the women she was speaking with were and did a wonderful job of capturing their strong personalities on film. Hate her or love her, Fox’s personal life is the thread that ties the film together and without her we wouldn’t have heard these other women’s remarkable stories.

Fox makes it very clear that her motivation for making the film is for personal reasons so there’s no need to feel surprised and angry if there’s a lot of her in it. What makes it good is that on her path to self-discovery or whatever you want to call it she meets a great number of women who share (with Fox and among each other) a surprising number of similarities. Seeing these connections that linked women from all over the globe was for me inspiring and thought-provoking. So, I apologize for the long post but I basically wanted to say that this film has some fantastic characters and if you allow yourself to look at the larger issues the film addresses (i.e. sexual abuse) this can be a very powerful documentary.