Sunday, July 27, 2014

Civil Rights and Women's Rights

The racism of white women during the 1950s and 1960s, when the Civil Rights Bill was being pushed was seen as if they were the main reason of it passing. The suffrage movement wasn't for all women. It wasn't for equality and the bill prioritizing race wasn't sufficient for the backers. The racism of Susan B. Anthony and Martha Griffiths has not been blown to a point where their legacies are touched. They are deemed as fighters for the rights of all women. Yet, they were shamed at the fact that black men and women would receive more rights than them. The plan was then devised to ride the coat tail of the Civil Rights Act.

Even to this day, the Feminist/Women's Movement isn't for the equality of all women. The only change may be the decrease of blatant racism and superiority of race. The underlying subtleties are still enough for a small type of segregation. Although the guise is an organization full of unity there still lies a discrepancy.

I have recently began to delve deep in the feminist movement. I started by imposing my opinion on Black Feminism and Woman's History Month. Through my research for each topic I have seen an inequality. Feminism is merely an umbrella for women who are activists for rights. There is a separation between race and orientation yet we are all women. Shouldn't we all be fighting for the same cause rather than taking on "priority" issues one at a time. There is Black Feminism, Transgender Feminism, Queer Feminism and other subdivisions that aren't covered by the main topic.

White feminism seems to outrule the subdivisions. Yes, race and other factors shouldn't separate or deter from the cause but in reality it does. There are issues that just can't relate to a subdivision of feminism.  A black woman may not encounter the same problem as a white woman and therefore leads to either miscommunication or misrepresentation.

It makes me wonder if unity is inevitable or just a dream. Can feminist unity be a real thing any where in the world? We may not even touch the surface of answering this question when the stigma of women united is fearful. There are negative words and thoughts thrown at united women causing the preposterous of obstacles. Women's rights are also civil rights but when discrimination within the unity of all equality comes from those who should be fighting for all then it becomes an issue of integrity.

There is a myth behind the reality of truly equal feminism as there is that of civil rights. In my opinion true equal feminism has a small probability of taking off. There are too many factors to overcome when starting the conversation. The thought of it is great but actually implementing the ideas are a heavy task. I wish for fully equal feminism as well as civil rights but the discussion has to come together like the people willing to see the day.

Let us release every bit of discrimination for fighting for true equality. Let us stand up and fight the good fight for all.

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