Bitch Magazine Hiring!

 

 Please note new deadline: Friday, August 15th.

———-
Here at Bitch, we’re in search of a perfect someone to join our tiny but dedicated staff as a program director (full-time) at our office in Portland, Oregon. Someone bright, with a deep talent and love for analyzing media/pop culture from a perspective rooted in social/economic justice, who’s passionate about both print publishing and newer (to us, at least) forms like online, audio, and video, someone excited about helping shape the future of the work we do at Bitch (and who recognizes Bitch’s potential), someone committed to DIY/grassroots operating, who understands Bitch’s role as both critiquing what’s crappy and praising what’s good, who’s as excited about Bitch as a multimedia organization as Bitch as a magazine…

All that and more. We’re asking for a lot, yes, but as the saying goes, You’ll never get what you don’t ask for.

As we mentioned, we are a tiny staff (hi, there are five of us!). We’re also at a critical moment. For the first time in our 12-year history, we’re not in financial crisis (if you’re familiar with the realities of independent publishing, you’ll know this is a huge accomplishment). We’re beginning the process of infusing our work with a set of core values and visions. And though we were originally created as just a magazine, our work is evolving into a movement. In many ways we have unlimited growth potential.

In other words, we have some exciting things happening, part of which is bringing a new organization into being. This is what “nonprofit gurus” call an organizational refounding – evolving, moving forward, asking questions, creating space for new visions and voices.

So what would your role at Bitch be?

Right now we’re calling it a program director position, but this could change depending on the outcomes of this search and our visioning process. In many ways our program director will be like the editorial/content director for the magazine (and may also be involved in our website, but we’re hoping to create an additional position soon for someone to oversee the site), but since we’re so much more than our editorial content, the program director will also be responsible for helping direct and maintain the vision of the organization, as well as things like fundraising, outreach, attending events, doing some public speaking, and just generally being a huge advocate for Bitch. In other words, we’re looking for someone who’s a highly skilled editor and is excited about helping us grow as an organization and reach our
potential.

Also, though we’ve grown tremendously since the magazine was originally founded (we currently print about 50,000 copies of each issue), we’re still very much a DIY operation and want to remain that way. Our grassroots publishing model is integral to our work, so we’re looking for someone who’s as committed to that as we are. We’re looking for someone who will actively seek out ways of publishing quality (critical, thoughtful, etc.) content while being mindful of our tight budget, and is excited about helping us evolve into a multimedia organization

Experience/skills that are essential to this position (*please note that this is not an entry level position*):
- At least three years features/developmental editing experience
- Strong familiarity with past and present trends in media and pop culture
- Excellent communication and organizational skills
- Excellent grasp of grammar and spelling
- Stellar proofreading and copyediting abilities; familiarity with Chicago style
- Proficiency with Excel, Word, and InDesign
- A strong capacity to multi-task, prioritize, and delegate
- Experience with web writing/editing
- Experience with video and podcasting technology a major plus

Some of the job duties associated with this position:
- Oversee the editorial and production process for the magazine
- Edit articles and help shape editorial tone and scope of magazine
- Manage writer’s agreements and payment for each issue
- Outreach, fundraising, and event planning
- Oversee editorial internship program

Personality traits/skill sets that are helpful in a small organization like ours:
- Clear and frequent communication
- Ability to collaborate and share decision-making in small groups
- Ability to think creatively even when resources are tight
- Strong initiative, drive, and self-direction, ability to work independently
- A sense of humor

As an effort to live out our commitment to systemic social change and grassroots organizing, we encourage politically radical folks from marginalized identities/backgrounds (people of color, people from poor and working class backgrounds, queer-identified folks, etc.) and others committed to anti-oppression, collective, grassroots organizing work to apply.

In the interest of transparency, you should know:
- Regrettably, the only way to our office is up a set of about 15 stairs. We are not wheelchair-accessible.
- The job is based in Portland, Oregon, and unfortunately we’re unable
to cover moving expenses (unless you would like to start a fundraising
campaign for the cause).

Please include a cover letter that addresses these questions
(apologies if these seem like hoops, but we hope you’ll understand that we have a lot riding on these decisions):
* What would you like us to know about you, and what you’d bring to Bitch?
* How long have you been reading Bitch, and what has your perception
of it been through that time? (Please be honest; we’re not sensitive
and constructive criticism is always welcome.)
* In what ways do you identify (or not) with the word feminist?
* What do you think of both the title Bitch and the subtitle Feminist
Response to Pop Culture? (If you could change one/both of them, what
would you change them to?)

Salary and Benefits:
* $33,680/year, salary, exempt, paid medical/dental/vision

Closing date for applications: August 15th
Anticipated start date: late-August

Please email detailed cover letter (*answering all the questions,
please!*), resume and three references to publishing@b-word.org.
Please write “program director position” in the subject line.
Or mail to: B-Word, Debbie Rasmussen, 4930 NE 29th Ave, Portland, OR 97211
No phone calls, faxes, or drop-ins. No, no!

Michigan Chapter of Womens Caucus for Art

Those Damn Women of Color Again!

 

TWO ARTICLES: ONE MESSAGE

AND 

Latin American Press (Elsa Chanduvi, June 5, 2008): “Living Well,” a development alternative

Proposal is considered legacy of indigenous peoples to humanity

More than 1,000 representatives from indigenous communities across the Americas gathered in Lima, Peru, have agreed on a new social system, known as “Living Well,” focused on reciprocity between people and the Earth.

A break from market dogmas

“We believe there is a big difference between [living well and] those who believe that living well is to live better than someone else. [The latter] reflects a competition instead of respect and equality. So, ‘living well’ is the exercise of rights, respect, equality and means of life for everyone, said Blanca Chancoso, a renowned leader of Ecuador’s Kichwa women, who formerly served as one of the directors of the country’s largest indigenous organization, CONAIE. She is currently part of the Dolores Ulcuango Indigenous School in Ecuador.

Reading Blanca Chancoso’s description summed up perfectly what women of color and other marginalized groups have been battling against in the feminist movement for centuries: those who believe there is a difference between “living well” and those who believe “living well is to live better than someone else.”

So when Linda Hirshman (feminist author), sitting comfortably in the journalist poshland of the Washington Post, writes an article chastising women of color for dividing the feminist movement, I, like Chancoso, also ask for “a break from market dogma.” In this case, the dogma that feminism is best led and guided by white professional women, and that the ultimate goal of feminism should be to elect a woman president.

Hirshman has the audacity to blame the division and misplaced focus (in that feminism didn’t succeed in getting Hillary the Democratic nomination) of the feminist movement  on “intersectionality.” For those not familiar with the term, “intersectionality” refers to the recognition that various forms of oppression rely on and reinforce one another - not exactly a surprise, but apparently something feminists like Hirshman would prefer everyone ignore.

You couldn’t have asked for a more perfect example of white, upper-class, elite feminism than this article. As the villians responsible for feminism’s current crises, Hirshman points her finger at Brownfemipower and Sudy. Not only does she take their quotes out of context, misrepresent Brownfemipower’s criticism of Amanda Marcotte, and doesn’t even bother to contact them directly, but who does she contact and quote? Jessica Valenti (Feministing) and Jill Filipovic (Feministe) as authorities on how feminism has progressed and translates for all 20-somethings, including women of color.  You demons stay over there and shut up while I talk to white women about you. 

It’s ironic that Hirshman defines herself as a “Chris Matthews-inspired Clintonite,” since she understands as much about women of color as Matthews does about anyone who isn’t white, male, and securely within the Washington power elite. By the way, since when is the election of a woman to the presidency the solution to destroying partriarchy? Or anything else to do with justice? I guess it was inspiring when Madeline Albright was Secretary of State. It was also disgusting when she suggested that 500,000 Iraqi children dead as a direct result of U.S./U.K.-enforced sanctions was “worth the price.”

The article is an insult. And while we’ve opened up the floor for pointing fingers, I ask you [Hirshman] to reread your own article and consider how well it bodes for feminism, how your observations have helped unify the movement, and how big a role YOU play in dividing the movement.

But than again, why look at yourself when you can blame those angry dark people? You speak of a more innocent time, when you first received Friedan’s book and knew she was speaking about you and to you. While you fought and protested and worked to strengthen a movement based on equality and reproductive rights, you never imagined that those “crazies” below you would actually want the same, even though they were fighting alongside you. Did you miss that in all your years of being a feminist? Or could you only see women of color as potential hired help in your kitchen (like a good liberal, you’d pay them a higher wage and pat them on the heads for a job well done)?  

Beyond your one-sided world view, there are individuals and groups fighting the original fight, with the understanding that women’s rights means something different for a white professional woman earning over 150k per year, a white single mother hovering at the poverty level, a black woman living in the inner city, and a Latina living in a prison for immigrants. You don’t risk anything focusing on the “last glass ceiling” and putting an elite, corporate white woman in office; try battling steel bars, immigration raids, and concrete jungles.

Finally, the article is poor journalism. I can guarantee that if BrownfemiPower or Sudy wrote an article critical of an entire movement and never bothered to contact anyone in that movement, it would be regarded as shoddy journalism lacking the sophisticated research skills necessary to be taken seriously. I wonder how often we’d see them in print again? What about an article bemoaning the divisions in the feminist movement and putting the blame squarely on white women? Think anyone would take it seriously?

In a way, I feel sorry for Hirshman and her lack of vision. She speaks of her work in the feminist movement yet degrades others for taking up the same fight - our crime is that we are vocal about people who don’t happen to look like Hirshman. How quickly we forget what the feminist movement (supposedly) stands for.

Hirshman notes that the “reform” movements within feminism - focused on issues like race and class - “would have been enough to weaken the movement. But it still could have been like many other reform movements, which manage to remain effective by using such traditional political tools as alliances and compromises. There’s an old-fashioned term for it — ‘log-rolling.’ Put crudely: First I vote for your issue, then you vote for mine.”

The problem with the notion of “first I vote for your issue, then you vote for mine,” Linda Hirshman, is that you never came around to vote for our issues.  We have always been expected to vote on your terms; your interests always come first, and we’re always left waiting.

I’m over waiting in line for the greater good of those who clearly already have. Tired of waiting, patient and subservient, for our turn, for our crumbs to trickle down. I’m out of that line, and getting in the one clearly marked “revolution.”  My hefty Latina bones can’t survive on white bread, so forget the ceiling - I’m kicking down the meat-locker and sharing the wealth with my community. Old, white, or male - you’re welcome to join, but know this: living well means rights, respect, equality, and access to the means of life for everyone, now. Freedom is not given, so I’m taking.

Here’s Brownfemipower’s response to this article.

Here’s Jill Filipovic’s (Feministe) response.

Until The Violence Stops: Support Detroit Festival

“A Bitch Project” Recap

On Sunday, May 4, I took part in “A Bitch Project,” a participatory discussion about how—and whether—feminism can become a transformative movement for social change. The discussion was held at the community collective Trumbullplex in Detroit; it was initiated by Bitch Magazine publisher Debbie Rasmussen,* and co-organized by myself, fellow Detroit Feminist organizer Andrea Lavigne and local Detroiter Jess Hauser.

 

 

The discussion was part of a small tour Debbie put together after reading an article by Jessica Hoffman (of make/shift magazine) titled “On Prisons, Borders, Safety, and Privilege: An Open Letter to White Feminists.”** As preparation for the discussion, Debbie encouraged all participants to read Hoffman’s piece. Below are excerpts from her invitation, and the questions to be addressed:

 

 

A Bitch Project

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

 

·     How can we drive attention to the power, privilege, and marginal­ization that continue to play out in feminist communities and how can those of us with power and privilege become effective, genuine allies to those without it?

·     How can we collectively create an independent feminist media-justice movement that doesn’t rely on white supremacy, class privilege, and economic exploitation?

·     Can the idea of “feminism” shift to foreground an uncompromising, transformative commitment to systemic social change, or is it time to evolve to new language

 

 

When Debbie got in touch with me and Detroit Feminists to help facilitate this discussion, I thought it was a great idea, and immediately wanted to be involved. I did so with some trepidation, however, because I understand how difficult it can be to open up a discussion about diversity, social change and inclusive language in the feminist movement, and how hard it is for some to talk about one’s privilege. It’s easy to get off topic, and even easier for tensions to run high very quickly. But I welcomed the opportunity, and was pleased that Debbie had decided to take this first step.

 

 

The morning of the 4th, I was nervous. Diversity is sometimes touched upon within the feminist movement in Metro Detroit, and written about periodically, but usually it seems restricted to rhetoric, which allows feminists to maintain a distance from taking steps toward real change, or actually committing to being inclusive.

 

 

In my own personal interactions, I’ve offended more than a few people trying to address this issue. Others have decided they don’t like me personally, and therefore we are not on the same “feminist” page, and have little to talk about. Many simply go cold when faced with the issue. So opening this up to a full room where I had to help lead the discussion felt a bit daunting. Yet, if I was expecting others to show up and be open and vulnerable, I had to do the same.

 

 

We were pleased with the turnout, which was bigger than we thought it would be; approximately 25 - 30 people showed up. The conversation began with introductions, which were a little uncomfortable given that most people didn’t know each other, and the underlying nervousness about the discussion to come was obvious. Then again, how do you avoid that? You just keep going.

 

 

Then we asked the first question: what is your feminism, and why does it matter? What was most apparent from these first interactions was most of us felt some disillusionment with feminism, and thought something was missing from the movement, but we lacked a general consensus on what it was. Yet everyone there still felt invested in feminism, and wanted to see it evolve in a positive way.

 

 

Often we couldn’t get to a place where we were talking about just one thing; it seemed like we had too many different issues we were each focused on.

 

 

Some thought motherhood was never really highlighted or considered important enough in feminist discourse. While abortion and reproductive rights are highlighted, motherhood is often at the bottom of the list.

 

 

Others felt feminism has become too intellectualized; it has shifted from a mass movement to a field of elite study. It doesn’t leave much room for those who haven’t taken women’s studies courses, and don’t plan to. The working class and the working poor, and the issues important to them, are generally disregarded. Since it’s evolved this way, it loses mass appeal.

 

 

The men in the room – while receptive to the conventional goals of feminism – expressed that they had no real sense of what feminism was, other than angry, man-hating women. They understood this view is continuously perpetuated, and wanted to learn how they might identify as feminists without being the butt of someone’s joke. In general, they expressed an interest in understanding feminism, but also a sense of frustration at not being able to comprehend what it means.

 

 

Over the course of the discussion, we kept circling back around to the idea of diversity, people of color as leaders of the feminist movement, and examining our privilege. While the group was receptive and open to discussing diversity and privilege, it still didn’t seem to be the topic most people wanted to, or even could, focus on. The main question that came out of this was how do we create diversity and also make people of color leaders in the movement without them being tokens, or perceived as tokens? There was also a concern about white people trying to learn about issues important to women of color; how do they ask without being offensive or treating people of color as subjects of learning, or demanding that people of color “teach” white people about their culture and concerns?

 

Another related issue was the tendency of white women to offer solutions for how women of color should participate in the movement, and how white women might help them solve their problems. It’s become a conversation between therapist (white) and victim (woc) instead of a conversation between equals.

 

This question and the related questions were never answered. Still, I think it was a great beginning. With introductions and first discussions like this, we can get over our initial discomfort. And if we can create a safe space, we can address these issues openly and productively. While we had many more questions than we had solutions or movement toward change, the introduction is an important starting point.

 

 

We are now planning part two of this discussion to get back to the original topic as Debbie first proposed. Here’s the information:

Thursday, June 5, 7:30-9:30pm

Trumbullplex

4210 Trumbull, Detroit

• Everyone is welcome (it takes a community!), even if you missed the initial conversation.
• In preparation for the discussion, we aks that everyone read On Prisons, Borders, Safety, and Privilege: An Open Letter to White Feminists, by Jessica Hoffman. The article is available in the current issue of make/shift magazine or online.

  

One of my concerns as we move forward is that the people who are open to these kinds of discussions and are willing to put themselves in uncomfortable positions are often the same people we’re likely to continue seeing. How do we open it up to new people, and/or to a much broader segment of the movement?

 

This is an ongoing struggle that most movements deal with, and we’ll continue to struggle with it. We have to; the alternative is the self-destruction of the movement.

 

Finally, I want to thank Debbie and Bitch Magazine for including Detroit in this tour. We look forward to having you back at the end of June for A Bitch Project Listening Party!

 

*Debbie has a great recap on her blog at Bitch Magazine; she’s also looking for feedback, so feel free to head over there and comment (there’s even a cute picture of me - ha!)

Estrogen Fest II (Commerce, MI)

 

Estrogen Fest II is a three day event, scheduled July 25-27 at the Proud Lake Recreation Area, in Commerce, Michigan.

The event is centered on women empowering women through music, the arts, workshops, networking, and a common cause. We are hoping to raise funds thought ticket sales, raffles, food service, sponsorship, donations, and keep the costs of the event low, with hopes of raising enough money to build a playground for kids that really need one.

The Godmothers are seeking support in a variety of ways. Sponsor the event; we are seeking sponsors that range from $500 - $5,000. Sponsorship is a great way to advertise. Donations for the event are also needed, such as dessert trays, baked goods to sell or raffle, or gift certificates, and donations. A donation, in any amount $$$ would be greatly appreciated, and in turn we will recognize you at this year’s event, in our literature, and on our web-site.

• Expected Number of Attendees for Estrogen II: Over 2000
• Demographics: Women 21 and up out to have fun and network, vendors, numerous volunteers and of course, the Godmothers!
• Event: This is a three-day festival event set in the beautiful, natural recreational area of northern Oakland County, Michigan, only a 35 minute drive from Detroit and surrounding suburbs.
• KICK-OFF PARTY: Friday Gates open at 5p.m.
  V.I.P MINGLER PARTY STARTING AT 7 P.M.
  in the Conference Center. WINE. FOOD. MUSIC.
  Everyone is welcome! The roster will be posted in the coming weeks! This event promises to have something for everyone! Music. Art. Workshops. Special Guest Appearances from top musicians and DJs. Comedians, poets, crafts, vendors, gourmet foods sure to please anyone’s pallet. This event you won’t want to miss, they will be talking about it for years to come!
• SATURDAY & SUNDAY: Musical performances will begin at noon and carry on into the evening with local and national headliners, recording artists and bands. Sunday will include leisure activities, “Old School” reunions, live D.J.’s from past and present, more contests wrapping up the weekend with an Afternoon Tea Dance.

Bio of Entertainers: By request as acts are signed.

Primary Contact: Vicky Lewis
Email: vicky@thegodmothers.org
Phone 248-346-8960

WEBSITE

 

Utah Phillips on Democracy Now!

 

“… We’ve got a serious male problem. And I bought into it, so I know. And I’m buying myself out of it, you see. It’s terribly, terribly important for me for people to understand that and begin to shut up and listen. The most important movement in the world is the feminist movement. If we can really figure out what’s going on between men and women, the other problems will take care of themselves. I’m sure of it.”

-Legendary folk musician and peace and labor activist Utah Phillips, from an interview with Amy Goodman in 2004. Phillips died last week at the age of 73.

Watch the entire interview here.

Conferences and Events: Outside of Michigan (with one exception)

 

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008 - BOSTON

PARA NOSOTRAS: The first LATINA PRIDE PARTY from Queer Women of Color and Friends

You are invited to join Queer Women of Color and Friends (QWOC) to show love and support for our Latina sisters during Latino Pride week!

@Club Choices, 379 Somerville Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143

FREE Social 7:30 - 9 p.m., FIESTA 9 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Dance lessons available from MIT’s Casino Rueda Dance Troupe!

La Rueda de Casion originally began in Cuba in the 1950’s, and consisted of couples dancing salsa in a circle, following the moves called by the caller, who set the pace of the dance. The calls ranged from thos known by everyone from Cuba to San Francisco to more unique moves that people invented on their own.

Featuring Informal Latin Dance Lessons From Volunteers, Appetizers, Mingling, Flirting and so on…

Featuring DJ Shorty spinning Hiphop, Reggaeton, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and Top 40

Click here to get your tickets! $5 Online ($10 at the door)

Official Site

________________________________________________________________________________

JUNE 6-8, 2008 - MINNEAPOLIS

National Conference for Media Reform

Join fellow activists, media makers, educators, jounalists, policymakers and concerned citizens in calling real and lasting changes to our nation’s media system.

2008 provides us with a great opportunity to put the issue of media reform in the national spotlight. Join us in Minneapolis and help us build this critical movement.

Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 South Second Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403

Event website

______________________________________________________________________

JUNE 20 -22, 2008 - DETROIT

ALLIED MEDIA CONFERENCE

The Allied Media Conference cultivates media strategies for a more just and creative world. It is the primary point of intersection in the U.S. for alternative media makers and committed social justice activists. In June, we will come together on the campus of Wayne State University to share tools and tactics for transforming our communities through media-based organizing. Learn more about AMC

Get these women of color to the AMC! Visit their websites and donate to their travel funds!

SPEAK Women of Color Media Collective and members of the Radical Women of Color blog ring have kicked off a fundraising campaign to cover their travel expenses to Detroit. You can donate by clicking the links, following the instructions and clicking the PayPal donate button.

Every donation makes a difference, and your support is greatly appreciated.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

JULY 18- 20, 2008 - SAN FRANCISCO

BLOGHER CONFERENCE

Adele will be participating in a panel discussion on “Race and Gender: What are the lessons of 2008. No this actually isn’t a re-hash of the Obama vs. Hillary debate. But certainly Election 2008 has made us look at our own (and society’s, and the medias, etc.) attitudes about race and gender. BlogHers proved that you can indeed discuss these incredibly sensitive topics without it descending into anarchy or hate speech, bit it’s tough. Pleas join Maria Nile, Jill Miller Zimon, Adele Nieves and others as we discuss what we’ve learned about ourselves…and about others so far in 2008.

BlogHer’s annual conference is like no other — it is the thrilling diversity of the blogosphere come to life!

Featuring techincal labs, educational workshops, intense discussion sessions, relevant sponsors, speakers from every corner of the blogosphere, established and new, and plent of opportunities to network and socialize.

Appropriate for anyone and everyone who is interested in any kind of blogging, from the personal to the professional to the political.

Full overview, Agenda

 

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.

BlackAmazon & Brownfemipower

From BlackAmazon

Congratulations.

I quit.

I’m done. My blog will go live again when I’m compiling stuff for  my time to apply to gradschool but  I am done for now.

I want to say that this is permaent or that this is just a small break but no , this is teh beginning of a death knell.

 Continue reading at Problem Chylde

 

I have to admit I’m not very active in the blogsphere, for a number of reasons. It takes me forever to write something, I get lost in what’s going on at home and work, and my debating skills are a work in progress. Plus I still feel like I don’t know enough, like I’m always trying to catch up. But there are women (people) who, unlike me, have spent long hours engaging with the community, speaking to issues most of us ignore and opening themselves up to critique and personal attacks for what they believe in. BlackAmazon and Brownfemipower have always been two of those people. While we’re on the subject of defending people’s character and careers, it deserves mentioning that besides being amazing bloggers, they are genuinely good people. This is important and it often gets lost in the debate raging around issues.

Whether you’ve disagreed with them in that past, taken issue with some of their ideas and opinions, or just outright refused to dialogue with them, doesn’t erase the fact that they always remained willing to give.

We’ve arrived at a point where two important, prominent leaders - not only of the women of color community, but the feminist community in general - feel they are better off shutting down. I’m not sure who wins from this, but certainly not us - not any of us (although I don’t begrudge them their right to do what they think is best).

So please don’t come to this blog looking for my resume, or to ask me what I’ve written and where you can find my contributions. I am merely one of many addessing these issues. Instead, ask me to help you find the women who taught and never asked for anything in return; the women who wrote/worked for me even when I couldn’t see it, and gave when it was easier to take.

BlackAmazon and BrownfemiPower, thank you - and thanks are not anywhere near enough!

Read:

Mamita Mala

Angry Black Woman

Thanks Elaine, for helping me retrieve this post.

Pay equity

 

On average, women working full-time, year-round earn only 77% of men’s earnings as a whole. And for women of color the problem is even bigger. African American women earn only 68% and Latinas just 57% of the average earnings of all males.

Worse, a poll from the AAUW Educational Foundation reports that 29% of people questioned think that young women aren’t promoted because employers assume that they will leave their jobs if they have children.

Find out what you can do to support pay equity at www.aauw.org/payequity

 

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

  

Response to WAM! comment

Jill: I’m answering your very long comment with an even longer comment.

 

Let me clarify that I don’t speak for all people of color. Others have said things similar to what I’m saying (and much better = BFP) while others will disagree. I want to maintain a vibe of being inclusive, while recognizing the irony that at times white feminists are neither inclusive nor welcoming.

 

I appreciate your willingness to put yourself out there, your curiosity, and understanding that some things we say might cause others to be defensive. Please know that I read your comment and responded in that same spirit. I tried not to take anything you wrote personally, and hope you do the same. I’ll go through your points by number, as you did.

 

1. I don’t particularly like labels either, but identifying the obvious, such as being a woman of color or white feminist should not be dismissed as “labeling.” I would like nothing more than to see women of all backgrounds represented and respected as equals. But that’s simply not the reality – race and class are very real divisions, and they are divisions that white feminists leading the movement have helped maintain and perpetuate. For that reason, it is ultimately their responsibility to bridge those divides. Again, I’d like to ditch the labels too, but this is the reality, and it’s not of my making. The solution is not to use labels less or more, but to address the underlying issues.

 

If we are going to “galvanize the dormant,” as you wrote, then we must start by openly and honestly discussing our differences (including culture and societal norms), even when it’s uncomfortable. I have to be able to point out a glaringly obvious fact without it being considered counterproductive.

 

I understand the importance for people to feel safe and comfortable in order to participate. Yet, I’ve rarely been afforded the same privilege. I’d love to ask media outlets, organizations, elected officials and corporations to develop new approaches to include me as a leader, and create new languages and systems that are not hostile to my community and environment. But I don’t have that privilege or that power, and anyway I’m not going to beg anyone to include me. Instead, I’m working on building our own institutions. Some people do have that privilege and power, however. Jill, I encourage you to examine what kind of power you have, and challenge you to use that power to start the conversation, to propose a new dialogue; to create a diverse panel, group, or media alternative and invite me (and others) to lead it with you. Make WOC/POC, transgender, queer, disabled, immigrant, fat, and gay communities the basis of your programming. Do the research, listen, and learn!

 

2. I think we all come to feminism in our own way, and like most of us, I was new to the feminist movement at one time. I also never had women’s studies courses, nor a firm grasp of politics or history for that matter, but I also didn’t have the luxury of a “good” education (I say luxury because U.S. education is clearly designed and structured for the wealthy). 

 

I didn’t always know how to express this, and felt that I lacked the necessary understanding of the issues – beyond my own experiences – to stand up. I too fell into the trap of wanting others to teach me, but getting involved required me to do some serious research (which still continues) and be involved in communities (Helen, tiona, Michelle, Serenity, etc.) I was unfamiliar  with. In other words, the change had to first come from me! I couldn’t approach people in different communities and demand they make me feel comfortable, or insist they not use language I didn’t understand. Being an advocate for and a participant in a movement requires looking beyond your own small box (that includes me).

 

To be honest, I’m surprised you’ve never thought about this before, and apparently you never had to. It’s a fair question to ask how you missed the issues that WOC/POC have to face and battle, being as involved as you are. I would suggest that you missed it because you can miss it – you have the privilege of not having to pay attention.

 

I’m not interested in making you feel guilty. That does nothing beyond damaging potential alliances. But if I’m being asked to teach, we have to start from the point of admitting privilege. This is not the same thing as admitting guilt, although many confuse the two. We have to identify it, accept it, and use it to improve our own lives as well as the lives of others. For example, I have certain privileges my grandmother, my aunts, and a large portion of my community lack. Why would I pretend it doesn’t exist? What does that accomplish other than exacerbating my own ignorance?

 

3. I understand that different people came to WAM for different reasons, and I’ve read many pieces reflecting this diversity. I don’t deny anyone their rights to come with their own interests and perspectives, but that will never stop me from saying what I think, nor are they the reasons I wrote the WAM! recap.

 

4. I think it’s terrific that you want to learn from different people and push yourself. I’m not sure what you mean by “too strong an identity in any one direction could diminish my attraction to WAM.” First, I never suggested pushing WAM in one direction. My hope was that a conference like WAM might be more inclusive, more democratic, and more respectful of diversity. Second, as long as there isn’t a sign up that says “No ______ allowed!” what is stopping you from going in? Why do we assume that a panel with “women of color” in the title is only for women of color? If I’m waiting for someone to make me feel comfortable, I’ll never leave my small world. Hence, my participation in the WAM! Conference.

 

You were drawn to WAM! in part because of its media aspect. As people in media, we have a responsibility to look beyond so-called acceptable discourse and principles and tell the stories of the marginalized and dispossessed, to report on atrocities and wars, and give voice to the misunderstood and underrepresented - especially when it’s right in front of us.

 

Being a WOC isn’t a label for me, it is a mark of pride, something to be shared. I refuse to substitute that richness for the ease of a 15-second sound bite, or as a sacrifice for a movement that speaks of support yet asks me to tone it down. Or for people who say they want to come together if only I didn’t make them feel bad or uncomfortable. Jill, when you spoke with me did you feel uncomfortable? Was I unapproachable, did you feel you had to censor yourself? I hope the answer is no, but you have to understand that I (and others like me) have been made to feel exactly like this, now and historically, and are expected to just deal with it for the sake of the “movement.”

 

We have a tendency to critique countries with severe inequalities in class, gender, or wealth. But when those critiques are directed at us, when they come too close to the privileges we enjoy, we protest. “Stop being so angry,” we say. “It’s counterproductive.”

 

It’s ironic - the feminist movement has a history of making people uncomfortable, of pushing the limits, of heated debate and incensed discourse. We dissected and fought against male privilege. Why should we ignore white female privilege? Why is it different now that the tables are turned? Why was it acceptable for women to be confrontational and hold people accountable for their treatment of women, but it is unacceptable for me (and others) to confront white women and hold them accountable for their treatment of WOC/POC?

 

You felt comfortable coming to this blog and engaging in dialogue, I invite you to do so more often, and I also invite your peers and community. I hope you will go further and take the initiative—as I and many women of color have done with white feminists—to learn my language, engage my community and come to “our” conferences/workshops/panels (Allied Media Conference). If you can do that, I’ll meet you half way.

 

•  Read: Rebecca Walker’s Feminist Infighting

 

Alice Walker on Obama

Lest We Forget: An open letter to my sisters who are brave.

I am a supporter of Obama because I believe he is the right person to lead the country at this time. He offers a rare opportunity for the country and the world to start over, and to do better.   It is a deep sadness to me that many of my feminist white women friends cannot see him.  Cannot see what he carries in his being.  Cannot hear the fresh choices toward Movement he offers. That they can believe that millions of Americans –black,  white, yellow, red and brown - choose Obama over Clinton only because he is a man, and black, feels tragic to me.

When I have supported white people, men and women, it was because I thought them the best possible people to do whatever the job required.  Nothing else would have occurred to me. If Obama were in any sense mediocre, he would be forgotten by now. He is, in fact, a remarkable human being, not perfect but humanly stunning, like King was and like Mandela is. We look at him, as we looked at them, and are glad to be of our species. He is the change America has been trying desperately and for centuries to hide, ignore, kill. The change America must have if we are to convince the rest of the world that we care about people other than our (white) selves…

 

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 o