By now you have probably heard about or watched what happened in McKinney, Texas. You’ve seen the horrific images of a teenage girl, Dejerria Becton, in her bathingsuit, being pinned to the ground and assaulted by a police officer at a pool party. The first time I saw it, I was so upset that I had to take a couple of hours of self care. This shows even if you get invited to a party and a person of color, you still won’t be accepted.
The community of McKinney is outraged. Communities everywhere are condeming the officer’s actions in the height of tensions between police and people of color. But where are all the feminists??
I have heard nothing from feminist organizations such as the National Organization for Women (NOW) or the Feminist Majority Foundation. No statement, no publishings, nothing. These organizations should have been the first to show support for Dejerria, but they have suddenly disappeared. Should we be surprised? These organizations are entrenched in white feminist ideals. There is a very disturbing message here: we care about women’s rights, but really only white women.
Your silence is deafening.
Your feminism is clearly not intersectional, and I will have nothing to do with it. I cannot even imagine the trauma that Dejerria had to cope with. But on top of it, there is the underlying message that we don’t care about black and brown girls, even when their rights are violated on video. We are told that, if it does not bother white women then it really doesn’t matter at all. There is a war against girls of color in America, perpetuated by white women (and others). It’s time to do better.
Artwork by Marcus Prime
