White Women Need to Confront Their Complicity Regarding Systemic Oppression
It would be erroneous to claim white women were innocent bystanders all throughout history
Privilege. I don’t know what it is about November but I have written, tweeted or said the word at least 10 times a day. A close second is ‘accountability’. Maybe it is because of the upcoming general election? Or that my social media is flooded with injustices? But privilege is on my mind. These days regarding white women. Blame Sarah Dessen but I have been on high alert.
When talking about all things to do with racism, our focus is squarely on the white man? Rightly so, they were the forefathers of the hell-storm we are currently navigating.
They always say, behind every great man is an even greater woman, but I think that is bullshit. More times than not, it is the woman in pulling the strings in the background.
We so easily forget the role of white women in history. As Kyla Schuller says, “White Womanhood acts as a buffer between whites and non-whites. Serving as the virtuous, innocent face of western civilisation, white women have historically kept power firmly in white hands by defending and denying its violence.”
It would be erroneous to claim white women were innocent bystanders throughout history. Yet because they were secondary and subordinate to white men, their role is often erased and forgotten. But as Aileen Moreton-Robinson put it in Talkin’ Up To the White Woman: “White women civilised while white men brutalised.”
Gabrielle Union complained about racism at ‘America’s Got Talent’ and was fired. Yet I haven’t heard the sound of a rallying cry from anyone besides Black women. The same people who were vocal supporters of Taylor Swift when she was facing pushback from her label to perform are silent. Yet we want to claim solidarity? This is why I have such a problem with white feminists. They will be quick to — correctly or otherwise — call out misogyny yet hold their silence and avert their gaze when it comes to supporting women of colour.
Billie Eilish and Adele have spoken candidly about their struggles with anxiety. Adele going so far as to explain why she may never tour again. The public met all these women with love, understanding, and open support. Women flocked to them both, praising them for their strength and candour. Yet, where were these feminists when Summer Walker was sharing her struggles only to be hounded and abused on social media? Where was her crown for her bravery for speaking out?
Recently a tweet has gone viral showing that for the past 9 years a white woman has won Billboard “Woman of the Year.” In that time, Taylor Swift won twice. In that time Beyonce, Rihanna and even Nicki Minaj have destroyed records and changed the music industry. Yet silence.
Lately, there has been a plethora of viral videos often showcasing the harassment of Black individuals (BBQ Beckys, Permit Pattys etc). It is not lost to me that a number (if not most) of these viral videos show white women as the perpetrators of the racial abuse.
In 2016, 53% of white women voted for Donald Trump. Yet all we hear is about how Black people need to stop queuing outside of Popeyes and go vote. How easily we forget that 94% of Black women voted for Hillary Clinton. We show up for them, but they never show up for us.
We as Black women are vilified when we don’t get up and show support for our fellow women yet when we ask for the same back we are met with, nothing. Even though we cry silent tears at night, bury our sons and face racism at every turn they expect us to stand for attention when they shout, “Misogyny!”
There is this perception that being a part of a marginalised group makes you instinctively good allies but that isn’t true. Womanhood shouldn’t erase bigotry or be wielded as an excuse to protect you. I have seen far too many women who use their gender as armour yet they play on their proximity to white supremacy as protection too.
As Rudy Hamad said, “White women continue to reap the benefits of the default to innocence they have been granted — but only when this innocence can be used to bolster whiteness as a system of power… The price white women pay for masking the violence of white civilisation is to in turn be disbelieved when they are brutalised by it.”
I, a Black woman, am tired of the hypocrisy and complicity. You do not get to claim ‘sisterhood’ when it suits you to appease your guilty conscience and then stay silent to protect yourself. Do better.
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