The Intersection
The Intersection is:
A Let’s Talk comprehensive survey project completed by several area women. To examine their views, we interviewed black and white women of varying age and background to detail their lived experience concerning topics of race, gender, feminism, and the intersectionality of these labels.
Current sweeping protests against systemic racism, police violence, and myriad other systemic inequities, have made clear the time for communication to foster a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future is long past due.
The Intersection provides unique opportunity for readers everywhere to compare & contrast their world view and reflect on differences or similarities presented in context. Let’s Talk believes through opening the floor to communication and sharing response from these locals, we can increase awareness & empathy, and have a positive effect on the relationships between groups of women moving forward.
Over the last several months, we sat down with a diverse blend of area women, and, providing instruction only to speak freely and honestly, asked them each a series of questions. We chronicled their responses.
Here is what they have to say:
Do you identify more strongly with your race or gender? Why?
“I would say my race. Just because, I mean you can hide your gender. I could dress androgynous and no one would really know. I can't hide the fact that I'm black.”
-Sherry, 40
“Gender certainly. I just feel much more strongly that I'm a woman than I'm a white woman.”
-Jill, 68
"Gender. Because I feel a lot more like a female than I do like male. I don't really think about the differences in skin color or race very often and so yeah definitely gender."
-Rachael, 38
“I identify with both, but identify more strongly with my race and the intersection of the two.”
- Veronica, 39
“To me there is nothing cohesive or culturally meaningful about whiteness, so there’s nothing with which to identify. Growing up in a blue collar neighborhood in the northeast in the 70s and 80s, I never heard anyone self-describe as “white.” Everyone I knew (though many were 2nd and 3rd generation Americans) described themselves in ethnic or religious terms.”
- Anna, 48
“I would definitely say I identify more strongly with my race because I didn't really come into my femininity until I was a full adult and I think my black experience was more presented to me early in life so I got to see what it really felt like and what it really meant to be black.”
- Sunny, 23
“Gender. Not sure why but probably because of white privilege - take that for granted. [I] have had to fight to be heard as a woman, not as a white person.”
- Ann, 68
“Race.”
-Janelle, 31
What is it like to be a black women in the US?
“The first two words that came to mind were powerful and invisible.”
- Veronica, 39
“I think it would be tough to be a black woman in America mainly because of the implicit bias against them that constantly affects their lives.”
- Anna, 48
“Being black is awesome. It really is. And I can't see being any other way.”
- Sherry, 40
“I can imagine a black woman would be suspected of shoplifting if they were in a store much more than white women. Just an example of being judged.”
-Ann, 68
“I think that it's a lot more difficult than being a white woman in America. I think that there is a lot of racism here in this country and you know there are unfair advantages that white people have, white women have, that black women don't have.”
-Rachael, 38
What is it like to be a white women in the US?
"I've never really thought about how white women go about their day- it seems like they don't really think about other people and I don't want to be like that. I don't want to spend my day thinking everything revolves around me which it seems like a lot of white women come off as. Even feminism. Everything is kind of owned by them as default without everyone else. That's a reason I don’t go by my gender [first]. Because everyone's quick to be like "women power, women power" but we really mean "White women". We don't really mean trans women, we just really mean us, and if you get something by default, ok cool, but if you don't that's cool with us too" so I don't really think about what it's like to be other races. I just kind of focus on my race and myself. While I'm all for equality, not everybody feels like that, so it’s hard to be concerned about other people past a humanity/superficial level."
- Sherry, 40
“Easy.”
-Janelle, 31
“I’m sure my whiteness has opened doors that would have been closed to black women, especially when I was younger. Being a woman in the US has meant over the years, quite a lot of physical and verbal harassment from bosses and coworkers. It has meant sometimes being underestimated and ignored in meetings. It has meant fear for my physical safety when walking alone through the parking deck after work or running down a deserted stretch of road.”
-Anna, 48
What is it like to be a transgender woman in the USA?
“I think black trans women are -I'm gonna say the statistics wrong- but I know they're one of the most highly killed in the country. They get absolutely no respect, no love, and it's within our own community, let's be honest. It is what it is, and we don't protect our own, particularly trans. We still don't understand it. We haven't been open to understanding it just because of the history that lies within black masculinity.”
-Sherry, 40
“I think the experience can be beautiful and also tragic, but the tragedy of it is not that [trans]person's responsibility.”
-Sunny, 23
“No idea. I assume it’s frustrating.”
- Ann, 68
Can you provide an example of an experience unique to black women?
“For black women I feel like we're always expected to bail someone out. It's kind of annoying. I'm gonna give you an example: Bette Midler tweeted something a few months ago. It was after Beyoncé had a show and she was like “You have a million followers, why are you not talking to people and getting them to not vote for Trump?" Well actually, Trump got elected by white women, let's be honest. It wasn't black women, so why are you asking black women to stand up for something y'all did? You're white. Ask Taylor Swift.”
-Sherry, 40
“Being black myself, I can really only speak on the black experience. I would say the culture that we have is special, and within that we create our own experiences in art and entrepreneurship. A lot of that is ingrained in our DNA. So, I think that we have this generational uniqueness that comes with being a black woman.”
-Sunny, 23
“Attitudes surrounding hair is a unique experience to black women. People often take liberties to comment on how often we change hairstyles whether it’s true or not. Colleagues we’ve known for years suddenly don’t recognize us no matter how minor the hair change. Unsolicited preferences are expressed. Sometimes I get anxious determining how I should wear my hair because of my perception at work. Outside of work though, black women’s hair is our crown and glory.”
-Janelle, 31
“My sister’s oldest child is black, so although [my sister] is white, she’s discovering an experience that is essentially unique to black American women: she is trying to teach her 12-year-old son how to behave around police in order to protect himself from abuse.”
-Anna, 48
Was there a moment when you were made acutely aware of your race?
“I was working at a luxury hotel when I was reminded most frequently of my race. The front office director would greet everyone in my department by name except for me when passing through. I would talk to clients on the phone for months and when we’d meet in person, there was usually a subtle “double take”. One mother of the groom avoided eye contact when talking with me and even went as far as ignoring my presence a few times on the wedding day.”
-Janelle, 31
“My parents were always black and proud so I've never really had to think about it. It was always "you're a black woman, you're a black girl, black is beautiful" so I've never really had to think about it.”
-Sherry, 40
“Yeah I think early on. I was born in a small town in North Carolina when racial issues were still a really big deal. I mean our schools were fairly segregated. We had four high schools in my hometown and only one of them had black people, and so it was shocking you know.”
- Rachael, 38
“An Irish guy spit in my face at a bar in Boston and told me I wasn't welcome there. Pretty sure it was because I'm black.”
- Veronica, 39
“A friend of mine, who is black, hosted a gathering of women and it was, you know, for women to network. And since she's a black woman, I presume you know she knows a lot more black women than white, just like I know more white women than black. There was a majority of black women in the room. I was way in the minority in that group. I didn't feel in any way threatened or uncomfortable. No one was mean. Everybody was super nice but I was just aware and it kind of made me think, “oh I guess it is what it feels like to be a black person in a largely white gathering.”
-Jill, 68
“Nearly 20 years ago, I was driving, and a black male friend was in the passenger seat. He noticed I was speeding and asked me to slow down; not because he was afraid of my driving, but because he was afraid of being in the car if I got pulled over.”
-Anna, 48
What were you taught about race or racism growing up?
“I never remember any lessons or anything from my family, but again, being from that small town in North Carolina- we were racially divided: what you do, where you go, where you eat. It's still very separated. And I remember I had a crush on black boy in high school and I was cautioned against dating him because I was told it would ruin my life.”
-Rachael, 38
“It honestly was just you have to be wary of white people, that was the main thing. Same thing with cops. You have to be wary of cops because black people are judged immediately by how they look so appearance was a big thing too. Be wary about your appearance. You know, make sure you're kept up, don’t be too loud.”
-Sherry, 40.
“You can't trust white people. That's what my family would always say.”
-Sunny, 23
“Nothing really. My family didn't talk much about racism and we definitely didn't talk about it in school--aside from slavery, etc. My understanding of racism- as a structural force- came much later, in undergrad.”
-Veronica, 39
“Oh man, my parents were just radical civil rights activists. My mother to this day has a picture of Abraham Lincoln hanging over her sofa. My brother's middle name is Abraham, after Abraham Lincoln.”
-Jill, 68
“Absolutely nothing.”
-Anna, 48
Do you see evidence of systemic racism in the USA? Can you give an example?
“Yes, all the time. One example: It is harder for a black person to get a home loan than a white person.”
-Ann, 68
“The country we live in, the institutions we rely on, could not exist in their current forms without the history of slavery and racism in America. One example: It’s impossible to look at the current levels of segregation throughout the US and not see the legacy of redlining and of government programs to encourage home-ownership that explicitly excluded black citizens.”
-Anna, 48
“Health disparities. Education disparities. Wealth disparities. COVID-19. Interactions with the "justice" system. Shall I go on?”
-Veronica, 39
“Big companies like Gucci, H&M will have these racist market strategies to try to get people in an uproar about race to sell products.”
-Sunny, 23
“What do you mean by that, like what would be an example of systematic racism?”
-Jill, 68
“What systematic racism?”
-Racheal, 38
Does racism affect your life? How?
“It affects my emotional life. It doesn't affect me directly. But emotionally...I just- I wish that racism didn't exist and so it hurts me to my core that it is there and that, you know, not everyone is treated equally.”
-Rachael, 38
“It does. The problem with racism is you never know when it's going to affect you directly. It affects you systemically with bigger things like preference for a job, getting paid right. Then it affects you, like if my son is walking home at night wearing a hoody, do I have to worry about him getting stopped? That's the thing, it can affect you overall or directly and you never know when it's going to happen- when it's going to smack you in the face.”
-Sherry, 40
“I believe racism affects all of our lives. And since the systems in place privilege white people, I’ve been privileged. But we’re all diminished by racism. When a country perpetually smothers the potential of certain groups of citizens, it’s impossible to realize our full potential as a society. We’ve lost an incalculable amount of progress and innovation in every field of human endeavor because of it.”
-Anna, 48
“It affects my life in the fact that I am aware of racism (my own and others) and try to do something about it.”
-Ann, 68
What is white privilege?
“White privilege is having the freedom to exist without regard to how things impact other cultures.”
-Janelle, 31
“Country club memberships. Never being looked at suspiciously in a store.”
-Jill, 68.
“White privilege is the unspoken gateway to opportunities, money, and a lot of resources.”
-Sunny, 23
“I've seen a white person walk in a store with no shoes on, walk to the section- no shoes on mind you- pick up the shoes, put them on, and walk out the store. Calmly! But I was getting followed around, constantly greeted but she just walked in and took a pair of shoes and the girl didn’t say anything! I can't think of a better way of saying white privilege than you coming into a shoe store with no shoes on and no one follows you, but I come in with a purse and I keep getting followed and checked on, having people peeking around the aisles.”
-Sherry, 40
“More positive assumptions about and reactions to them compared to people of color. It’s the environment created by the systemic racism of our culture and institutions.”
-Anna, 48
What is white culture?
“White culture is more of the absence of culture to me. In America, the culture is influenced by settlement and entitlement.”
-Rachael, 38
“I honestly can’t think of an example of something that could be considered culturally sensitive to whites as a racial group.”
-Anna, 48
What is black culture?
“Black culture to me is an amalgamation of cultures from the west and central Africa and European influence. In America, the culture is strongly influenced by slavery, being a culture of adaptation. I see strong families grounded in religion, music and the arts.”
-Rachael, 38
Have you ever witnessed domestic violence?
“Yes. My father was physically violent with my brother, though never with my mother, sister, or me.”
-Anna, 48
“Yes. My daughter was abused in a relationship with a black man. It was horrible and it still has a prominent effect on her life.”
-Ann, 68
“I have never witnessed one.”
- Jill, 68
How would you describe an American standard of female beauty?
“Eurocentric beauty. Childlike.”
-Janelle, 31
“I was gonna say it's never been an African-American woman- but that's not true. They want African-American features on a white woman. So technically, we are the standard of beauty, but the wrong complexion.”
-Sherry, 40
“From magazines, it would be thin, pale skin, small features. I would say blonde hair. Even, you know, nice long thin neck that sort of thing.”
-Rachael, 38
“Skinny, white, ideally blond, young, tall (but only if you're white!).”
-Veronica, 39
“Unattainable. Young. Thin. Flawless.”
-Anna, 48
“Tall, thin, sexy and white. Not my view but that’s what you see in the photos.”
-Ann, 68
Do you change your appearance for your job? If yes, what is the difference between your personal and your work style?
“Nope, but I definitely code switch with respect to speech.”
- Veronica, 39
“I did when I worked in an office. I wore makeup, styled my hair each morning, and had a closet full of clothes I pretty much only wore when at the bank. At home, I’m always very casual and without makeup.”
-Anna, 48
“No. I still wear headwraps. We can’t have anything political or anything like that but I still wear my headwraps and what I would call urban fashion. I just make it a little bit more corporate so that way I can be comfortable in it. I would say no. I don't really adjust it too much.”
-Sherry, 40
“I've always felt like I've had to adjust many times in the workplace”
-Sunny, 23
Are you a feminist? Why or why not?
“I don't like to say I'm a feminist. Because I feel feminism only relates to white women. I feel a lot of times when people say feminist, they're specifically referring to white women because they're like "we need women in these jobs!" but it doesn't necessarily mean black women. I don't subscribe to the feminist movement because I feel it doesn't include me.”
-Sherry, 40.
“I think that I have a lot of work to do within myself before I even take on a title like that because it is a big title. But I do appreciate strong women, especially young black women and I try my best to give thanks to each and every woman in my life. Hopefully I'll be able to call myself feminist.”
-Sunny, 23
“Yes. Why? Because I believe that people should be treated equally and that women should have equal rights as men.”
-Rachael, 38
“I’ve never thought about feminism because race and economics impact my life most immediately.”
-Janelle, 31
“I never know how to answer this question because I don’t really know what it means to be a feminist. I believe women are not always treated as equals to men, that women face barriers to success and are judged very differently from men both in private and in the public sphere. I believe that men and women should be treated equally, but I don’t think that equality always means sameness. People need equality of opportunity, but there will never be equality of outcomes.”
-Anna, 48
“I don't think anyone should ever be denied the opportunity to be whatever they want to be because they're a woman.”
-Jill, 68
“Absolutely. I believe women are equal to (and in some instances greater than) men. I believe in women's empowerment and equity across the sexes. That's feminism to me.”
- Veronica, 39
“Yes, everyone should be a feminist.”
-Ann, 68
Heteropatriarchy negatively impacts all women and thrives irrespective of racial lines. According to 2012 National Coalition Against Domestic Violence report, every nine (9) seconds in the US, a man assaults or beats a woman. Further, one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. More than three (3) woman are murdered each day by their boyfriend or husband with nearly a third of all female murder victims being killed by an intimate partner. The Objective Reality of the Wage Gap is still touted as myth by some tragically uninformed and others who don’t intend to uphold an Equal Pay Act either.
Have you ever attended a Women's March?
“I do not, for the same reason I feel like it's not for my cause. I feel like in these women's marches, they aren't marching for me. They're marching for themselves and for their white sisters, not necessarily my cause. Because when there's a black women issue, I don't see white women standing up like that. That is starting to slightly change. On a grander scale there are actually some women showing they are allies and starting to step up, but often that is not the case. It's just kind of us hanging out there [at marches]. If I have to do something with women, I do it directly, rather than march for it”
-Sherry, 40
“No don’t like crowds- no interest.”
-Janelle, 31
“I've never attended a women's march. I grew up a Jehovah's witness. I kind of broke away from the religion when I was around 16 and Jehovah's Witnesses are not political people. They don't celebrate holidays, they don't vote. So, I kind of was just never interested in stuff like that growing up and I was never really exposed to it as well. I was always just told we don't do that and I was kind of late to the game. It affected me in a way when there would be a march or a protest I would find myself self-consciously second-guessing whether it’s a good idea or not. I don't know if that's my inner child not being healed from those experiences but I know deep down I want to be part of something like that so I'll just have to take that leap.”
-Sunny, 23
“No.”
-Anna, 48
“ Yes. After Trump was elected.”
-Ann, 68
“Yes.”
-Racheal, 38
Have you ever attended a Black Lives Matter march?
“No, but I would like to.”
-Ann, 68
“No.”
-Anna, 48
“Not a crowd person.”
-Janelle, 31
“No. I think I have developed a little bit of a chip on my shoulder towards that terminology. I think all lives matter. And I don't really understand why, I mean, I do understand on one hand but I guess and there's part of me that's a little resentful that they think they need to act like their lives matter more, almost maybe it's just because so many things have happened that make it seem like a lot of other people think your lives matter less, I don't know. I have mixed feelings about that whole thing. I also have mixed feelings about affirmative-action. When I was growing up in the 60’s, and my parents were real active in civil rights movement, I remember feeling like the main thing was that we're all the same and we should all be treated the same and then it started, you know, as we move towards the end of the 60’s, it seems like they want to be given extra credit, or extra consideration, or extra chances, and I just started to be confused by when did the tables turn.”
-Jill, 68
“No I have not. It's just my upbringing, you know? I was never allowed. Especially when police brutality was in the forefront of the media I was still a teenager and I just wasn't allowed to go to marches or stuff like that even though I really wanted to cause I was in my room furious.”
-Sunny, 23
“No.”
-Racheal, 38
If you could choose a school for your children, what would be your top priorities in your selection process?
“Curriculum grounded in social justice, diverse, affordable.’’
- Veronica, 39
“When we had young children we sent them to a private school because we were so impressed with the teachers, the mission and the students. If I had to do it over again, I would probably send my children to public schools to support them.”
-Ann, 68
“Income and cultural diversity, career and trade exploration.”
-Janelle, 31
“My top priority would be that there are high academic standards in the school and I would look closely at the curriculum specifically. I would prefer the school to be diverse in its student body and not be all white kids or all black kids and my kids the only white kids. I think I would prefer a school that has a pretty even distribution of Latinos, whites, and blacks, and Asians in a mix of everybody. I think that's advantageous because that's what the world is.”
-Jill, 68
Would you describe your group of friends as diverse? What does or doesn’t make it diverse?
“Not diverse enough. Not enough colors or opinions.”
-Ann, 68
“Yes, although more in certain ways than in others. It really isn’t very diverse in terms of education level and income level.”
-Anna, 48
“Absolutely. Race, ethnicity, country of origin/birth, occupation, social class, experiences. Not so diverse politically though, unless folks are fronting to me.”
-Veronica, 39
“No, almost everyone is black and shares the same goals.”
-Janelle, 31
“My tight group of friends is diverse in every way but racially. My group of friends at an associate level is diverse, but is it hard to have diverse friends, especially in this political time, because someone ends up saying something that is not appropriate to my belief system, or my issues right now, so they end up having to be moved out. I thought I had a friend in my circle, but they made this Facebook post about Trump, and they got pushed out. So I'm going to say it's not racially diverse, but it's diverse in every other way.”
-Sherry, 40
“Yes. I have a very diverse friend group and they come from all different types of backgrounds and stuff like that. I wouldn't say it doesn’t make them diverse, because we're a very diverse group, but I would say what makes them normal is that they're all straight. I don't have any gay friends or any friends in the LGBTQ community. That's just how it happened for me, coincidentally. But my friends are super cool and super supportive of my identity and my experience as a black woman and a black person. We educate ourselves and we support each other.”
-Sunny, 23
“No. Because we’re all relatively the same socioeconomic class and because we are pretty white, you know.”
-Racheal, 38
If you didn't live in North America where would you want to live? Why?
‘’Paris! Because it's beautiful and the food is amazing and you can get to Africa much more easily and they have a relatively high tolerance for Black Americans (although not for Black Africans). Brazil is a close second. And Dakar, Senegal is a close third.”
-Veronica. 39
“I would probably want to live in New Zealand. Why? Because of their environmental standards across the island and its absolutely amazing environmental beauty.”
-Racheal, 38
“I would have to live in Africa. I don't know specifically where in Africa. I would have to say right now with everything going on over there with them trying to bring more African-Americans back to that country, I would say probably Ghana right now would be my first choice just because if I'm gonna have a black experience, I'd rather have it on the original continent. So, it would have to be some country over there, and I'm gonna go with Ghana right now.”
-Sherry, 40
“I've always wanted to live somewhere like Africa. Somewhere by the beach. Anywhere in Africa. I've never been outside the country, but I really love the beach and I want a house on the beach one day. Just because I feel like the living experience here is tainted- it's not natural. A lot of things here are destroyed and built up constantly. It just doesn't feel authentic here to me as opposed to somewhere like Africa where a lot of my roots come from.”
-Sunny, 23
“Central America. Easy going, fresh fruit.”
-Janelle, 31
“Wow, that's hard. I've never thought about not living in North America. Maybe Canada. I think their government has got their shit together, you know? I think they're doing everything right. I feel like they're sort of neutral to liberal politically. It wouldn't be a dramatic change of climate.”
-Jill, 68
“Maybe Europe because of the food.”
-Ann, 68
If you could live in any time period in American history when would it be?
“Ah, the future?”
- Veronica, 39
“I would probably say like the 60’s and 70’s because I like the energy behind that revolution.”
-Racheal, 39
“I guess it would have to be now because it wasn't better for me then! [in the past] Even though it sounds nice and people are like "Oh I love the south and the plantations" and I'm like I bet you do. You weren't doing what my people were doing so, no, any time period that I go back to would be worse than what I live in now. Unless it’s the future which I can't necessarily say would be better either because I never thought we'd be dealing with the stuff we're dealing with right now in this country, so I'm just gonna say right now.”
-Sherry, 40
“Definitely the 70's. I feel like everyone in the 70's was very free-spirited and open, and that's me. I'm definitely free spirited, I'm open, I've always considered myself a sort of flower child. A wallflower. And I love the style and the culture. Flowers in the hair, flare jeans and patches. I definitely wish I was born in the 70's.”
-Sunny, 23
“I guess that's a tough one, I've always been very grateful that I'm living now and always have thought wow glad I didn't have to live then when there was less technology. I liked the 50’s, but I don't want to go way back. The 50’s were not good for the people of color but there are a lot of other things-it was a much simpler time, but you know, I know I wouldn’t be saying that if I were black.”
-Jill, 68
“Harlem Renaissance. But realistically.”
-Janelle, 31
“Now.”
-Anna, 48
“Now.”
-Ann, 68
How do you think a more diverse America could affect race relations in America?
“Well it would help drive equality to all people. Even just the mixing of all of the races so that no one could really identify with you know their true race, whatever single race.”
-Racheal, 38
“It would affect each and every person differently, because a lot of people have different opinions about interracial couples and interracial families; some people like it and some people don't like it. But I've always read articles where the world as a whole will see a more diverse person. Like with fair skin and different textured hair like a depiction of what a person will be in years to come and that is a more diverse person. I think that it's just where we're headed because every day race is being talked about and it's being pushed to the forefront and people are fighting. I feel like that's just an open call to interracial relationships.”
-Sunny, 23
“I think greater diversity is always a net benefit and that increasing diversity would increase overall support for working toward racial justice, which would improve race relations.”
-Anna, 48
“Not going to improve. Diversity isn't the problem: it’s lack of acknowledgement and exclusion issues.”
-Janelle, 31
“I don't think it can, because America is really diverse. It already is. And it has not affected race relations like that. There are plenty of black, brown, and yellow Americans in this country and we are still pretty much prejudiced, the same way we were beforehand, so I don't think adding more to the melting pot is going to make a difference, I think it'll just make it worse. That's what it seems to do. It's like “yeah, we can't do things legally against those black and brown and yellow people like we did before”, but those same ideologies and tensions are there because that mentality hasn't changed. So I can't see how that's going to help. I don't think bringing more people over here or making it more diverse or even racially mixing is going to help. There's still this majority of people in that class of white people who aren’t going to care. Even if they have a mixed grandson, that doesn't mean they're going to care about my dark skinned son. That's their personal family member- of course they're going to care about them, but that doesn't mean they're going to care about black issues. I just don't think it's gonna help at all. I don't think it's useful.”
-Sherry, 40
“If we lived, worked and played together we would realize we have the same dreams and desires, or we would understand each other better.”
-Ann, 68
Colin Kaepernick has been met with great criticism for using his platform to bring attention to racism and police brutality. Are you in support of his action?
“I'm not as familiar as I should be to answer that question.”
-Racheal, 38
“Yes, I'm in support and the fact is, you're not supposed to. You're always told “well if you do this more quietly”, or “if you marched, it's ok.” All he did was kneel. That's all he did. And a huge hoopla was made over it. When people march for black lives matter, huge hoopla about how we're not doing it right, even though civil disobedience is part of the American framework. The tea party! I don't understand how when we do it, it’s wrong, but when everybody else does it, it's “oh we're doing our civil duty and this is the American way..but y'all black people need to cut that out”, you know? [laughter] 'Cause we're not supposed to protest. We're supposed to accept what’s given to us. What little pittance is given. I don't know how we're supposed to protest because any protest we make is not allowed. We are not expected to protest at all. Whether it’s verbally, physically, or by the vote, you aren’t supposed to protest. We're supposed to accept the status quo and be happy with what you’re given. I still think we should protest, but there will never be a form of black protest that is acceptable.”
-Sherry, 40
“I guess you can say I support it. I support his message but it hasn't really influenced me because I'm more of an observer because my background is different and a lot of things didn't spark my interest. I think that his story is unique and I think that it's just as important as any other black person's story and he has the right to do and say what he feels. And I think it's also cool that he's using it to ignite a conversation. I think it's cool that he has a platform to do that. I watched an interview with Jay Z where he said kneeling isn't doing anything; we have to move in another direction, we have to move on to the next step, and I definitely agree. Kneeling right now has kind of become a cultural statement or a cultural trend just like the black power movement or fists in the air. Not to say that hasn't influenced anyone in a good way. There are a lot of different ways we can stand up against racism, but I think the most important thing is each individual really be aware that we all have a voice and we all have individual power to combat these systems that were set into place to fail us. We have the power and ability to break the system. I just think it takes perseverance and commitment. Some people want change, but they aren't willing to keep putting in the work because they feel like they are not getting anywhere. Commitment is key. It's most important to know you have a voice.”
-Sunny, 23
“I am in support.”
-Jill, 68
“Not harmful. He had a platform and used it for what he believed- they were upset.”
-Janelle, 31
“100%”
-Veronica, 39
“Absolutely.”
-Ann, 68
In what ways should we make protest?
“Any way we can. [I am] not a fan of violence but marching, writing our congressmen, supporting candidates, talking out, working to understand our racism…”
-Ann, 68
“Any way that is not harming, violating human rights, and grabs attention. As long as no one is being physically harmed I think all forms of protest are options. It’s important for people to grasp the concept that protests should garner attention and make the target audience feel uncomfortable. That’s how change starts.”
-Janelle, 31
“I think marching is a terrific way. Sit-downs certainly were very popular in the 60’s. A lot of people gather somewhere and sit down and block the entrance to government facilities or you know, physically trying to block people from getting into a place where they're going to make laws or do things that we don't agree with.”
-Jill, 68
How can you personally fight sexism, racism or other systems of oppression?
“Day to day actions- challenge things- make a stance. Give back when you can.”
-Janelle, 31
Let’s Talk encourages continuing authentic conversations about feminism and what racial dynamics look like today. Were any answers given surprising? How so? With protests and Civil Rights demonstrations sweeping our nation, there is no better time for readers to devise their own responses and recognize the powerful impact of pursuing systemic change within organizations. You can participate in our online survey by clicking the link here.