A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “One of the most important books of the current moment.”—Time “A rousing call to action… It should be required reading for everyone.”—Gabrielle Union, author of We’re Going to Need More Wine “A brutally candid and unobstructed portrait of mainstream white feminism.” —Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist A potent and electrifying critique of today’s … author of How to Be an Antiracist
A potent and electrifying critique of today’s feminist movement announcing a fresh new voice in black feminism
Today’s feminist movement has a glaring blind spot, and paradoxically, it is women. Mainstream feminists rarely talk about meeting basic needs as a feminist issue, argues Mikki Kendall, but food insecurity, access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues. All too often, however, the focus is not on basic survival for the many, but on increasing privilege for the few. That feminists refuse to prioritize these issues has only exacerbated the age-old problem of both internecine discord and women who rebuff at carrying the title. Moreover, prominent white feminists broadly suffer from their own myopia with regard to how things like race, class, sexual orientation, and ability intersect with gender. How can we stand in solidarity as a movement, Kendall asks, when there is the distinct likelihood that some women are oppressing others?
In her searing collection of essays, Mikki Kendall takes aim at the legitimacy of the modern feminist movement, arguing that it has chronically failed to address the needs of all but a few women. Drawing on her own experiences with hunger, violence, and hypersexualization, along with incisive commentary on politics, pop culture, the stigma of mental health, and more, Hood Feminism delivers an irrefutable indictment of a movement in flux. An unforgettable debut, Kendall has written a ferocious clarion call to all would-be feminists to live out the true mandate of the movement in thought and in deed.
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It’s not easy to read this book. Especially when you honestly believe you have done the work.
The work that you could manage to do, given your limitations. You know, life keeps you busy. Gotta raise the kids, sell the houses, open the new businesses, write the books, walk the dogs, make the dinners, throw the parties, drive to the soccer practices, go to the college graduations, busy busy busy!
And then you pick up a book like this, realizing what you’re getting yourself into (I mean, you read the Washington Post reviews. You MARCHED in 2020.) And then you realize that the work you’ve done isn’t enough.
The stages of acceptance for me–a cis, white, female of a certain age, living in a house with a lot of granite and quartz countertops and a dog I pay to take to DAYCARE–were rough. I got mad, defensive, protective of my beliefs and actions (such as they were–I mean, come ON I donate to NPR) I wanted to call this author up and tell her that I did what I could. I raised a new generation who go even further than I do with their ally-ship. Isn’t that enough?
It’s not.
This book is best treated like a textbook. Best read a bit at a time so as to properly absorb its meaning and intent. Best read more than once.
For me, it was this quote because I relate best as a mom.
“If your child is killed by police, if the water in your community is poisoned, if a mockery is made of your grief, how do you feel? Do you want to be calm and quiet? Do you want to forgive in order to make everyone else comfortable? Or do you want to scream, to yell, to demand justice for the wrongs done? Anger gets the petitions out, it motivates marches, it gets people to the ballot. Anger is sometimes the only fuel left at the end of a long, horrible day, week, month, or generation.”
Every time a Black person is killed without reason other than Being Black, I feel for the parents. For me, Breonna Taylor was the last straw. For me, it’s still not easy to find real ways to ally, to fight, to dig in, to do the work still needed in order to make “feminism” about all who call themselves women. My goal now, a year after my first read of this book, now that I’ve gathered myself enough to write this review, is to find one way every single damn day to put the voices of those who are not heard, first. To bring them forward in any way that I can. To amplify, embrace, and lift those voices a little bit higher.
It’s a start. But it’s definitely not the end of the work I must–that I want to– do.
An indictment and a call to action. Necessary reading, especially for white feminists.
Unbelievably well paced non fic about being Black in white spaces and how feminism needs to diversify
An absolutely vital read for anyone who wants to learn more about intersectional feminism. Every one of these essays was incredibly important. I was able to learn so much, while also noting areas that I want to research more of and to find other books that go further in depth.
Eye opening as well as informative and helpful for transitioning forward as an accomplice. Thank you, Mikki!
I loved this book and think it should be required reading for (especially) white women like myself who have always been active in the feminist movement. This book is a powerful critique but also full of solutions and real-world policy change and efforts — both are needed. Highly recommend as a book to re-visit as folks work to dismantle white supremacy.
Though the author uses some outdated terms, she really discusses the heart of what it means to be left behind by the feminist movement. This is a must read for all feminists, especially those who struggle to see outside the parameters of their own situation.