From Oppressed to Unseen Oppressor
by Magnus Tatum
Feminism, the fight for the equality of the sexes, is a topic that has been widely debated
on since the term came into creation and even before then. People on both sides of the argument
have more than their fair share of words to say when it comes to the topic, and with time came
more of an understanding and nuance to the topic. Along with this nuance came different types
of feminism and different types of feminists, each new term meant to correct or at least address
the problems of the term previous. One of the most recognizable and arguably most debated
upon types of feminism is a term known as ‘white feminism’. While feminism as a whole is
generally considered a good thing, white feminism makes one thing clear: just because white
women are a marginalized class doesn’t excuse them from taking advantage of the values pushed
on them from their oppression to beat down women of color.
While all women are part of a marginalized and often oppressed community, there is still
an imbalance between white women and women of color. As written in White Tears/Brown
Scars by Ruby Hamad, “White women can oscillate between their gender and their race, between
being the oppressed and the oppressor. Women of color are never permitted to exist outside of
these constraints” (Hamad 14). Hamad tackled throughout her book the subject of just how
prevalent this subset of feminism is and the effects it has on society. White women are often seen
as frail and weak, overtly feminine to the point of needed protection. In one breath they will fight
this claim, demanding equality in how they are seen, but that doesn’t seem to stop a lot of white
feminists from leaning into that same stereotype to get their way when a woman of color says
something they may not agree with or tries to correct them on something that they have done
wrong. Women of color, specifically black women, face something known as ‘misogynoir’.
Misogynoir refers to the intersection between sexism and racism that black women face, the
same intersection that allows white women to be both the oppressed and the oppressor.
White feminism isn’t contemporary; it can be seen as far back as when the fight for
gender equality started. During the ages of slavery, white women were quick to blame black
women for their victimization, stating it was “as yet another one of the many transgressions
white men made . . . against white women” (Hamad 31). The ideology of white supremacy was
so rampant and so ingrained, it can almost be seen as impossible for a white woman to see black
women on the same level of themselves. This perspective still exists to this day, changing to fit
into the rest of the bigoted ideology as time passes. When women were beginning to protest for
voting rights, this attitude was pronounced among the most forward-thinking of white women.
African American women tried to be active participants during this first wave of feminism,
however “black women were largely barred from entry in first wave groups, even after slaver
was abolished in 1865” (Garbacik 49). With the women’s movement being built off of anti-
slavery activism, that still wasn’t enough to open the doors to African American women when it
came to women’s rights. As long as black women could be seen as a detriment to a cause, white
feminists were ready and able to cast them aside so their image wasn’t soiled.
This type of thinking isn’t just an ideology; it can and often does lead to undeserved
consequences towards women of color, such as loss of a job (Hamad 12) , loss of friends and
colleagues, and even loss of peace and wellbeing in both a historical and contemporary context.
Even when handling fictional media this is a common problem, especially within the channels of
social media. In the fictional realm, this can be seen in movies such as The Hunger Games
trilogy, where people were quick to point out their outrage about Rue, an innocent young girl,
being black instead of white, even though it was true to the source material; black women have
always been disconnected from the image of innocence since the beginning of colonization
(Hamad 21-23). As a result of this stereotype dating back to colonization, years later women of
color are still seen as lesser compared white women who will lean into the stereotype if it means
they aren’t uncomfortable. White women, while deemed to be emotional and vulnerable, will
lean into this stereotype (knowingly or not) if it means protecting the image of Angry Black
Woman, the Jezebel, the China Pot or the Exotic Orientals instead of addressing the
uncomfortable truth of their wrongdoing.
White women have been conditioned to hold this ‘white damsel’ value about themselves
since the times of slavery, especially with the breach of Abolition. White men were quick to
uphold the status of the pious white woman, not just because it gave them a reason to protect the
sexual virtue that was deemed so important, but to claim a reason to terrorize the black
community. It wasn’t uncommon for a white man to lynch black people in the name of a white
woman’s sexual honor, only to turn around and decide which white women deserved the
protection. Women who were sexually active, who didn’t rely on the finances of a man and
didn’t seem to need one were the women who were denied help, and as a result white men were
able to have their cake and eat it, too (Hamad 84-88). It was a white man’s world, and even today
we can see how they fight so hard to make sure it stays this way. With white women leaning into
this standard when it suits them, women of color can only seem to trust themselves as they try to
finally break down this wall for good. With documented cases such as ‘Permit Patty’ and ‘BBQ
Becky’ (both involving a white woman being aggressive and calling the police on black people
for doing something benign, only to fall apart in tears when a white man gives her attention), it’s
not hard to make the assumption that white women know exactly what they’re doing. The ‘white
damsel’ excuse unfortunately gives them the benefit of the doubt, no matter if the truth is they’re
just as guilty.
Garbacik, Jaimee. Gender & Sexuality for Beginners. For Beginners, 2013.
Hamad, Ruby. White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color.
Trapeze, 2020.
on since the term came into creation and even before then. People on both sides of the argument
have more than their fair share of words to say when it comes to the topic, and with time came
more of an understanding and nuance to the topic. Along with this nuance came different types
of feminism and different types of feminists, each new term meant to correct or at least address
the problems of the term previous. One of the most recognizable and arguably most debated
upon types of feminism is a term known as ‘white feminism’. While feminism as a whole is
generally considered a good thing, white feminism makes one thing clear: just because white
women are a marginalized class doesn’t excuse them from taking advantage of the values pushed
on them from their oppression to beat down women of color.
While all women are part of a marginalized and often oppressed community, there is still
an imbalance between white women and women of color. As written in White Tears/Brown
Scars by Ruby Hamad, “White women can oscillate between their gender and their race, between
being the oppressed and the oppressor. Women of color are never permitted to exist outside of
these constraints” (Hamad 14). Hamad tackled throughout her book the subject of just how
prevalent this subset of feminism is and the effects it has on society. White women are often seen
as frail and weak, overtly feminine to the point of needed protection. In one breath they will fight
this claim, demanding equality in how they are seen, but that doesn’t seem to stop a lot of white
feminists from leaning into that same stereotype to get their way when a woman of color says
something they may not agree with or tries to correct them on something that they have done
wrong. Women of color, specifically black women, face something known as ‘misogynoir’.
Misogynoir refers to the intersection between sexism and racism that black women face, the
same intersection that allows white women to be both the oppressed and the oppressor.
White feminism isn’t contemporary; it can be seen as far back as when the fight for
gender equality started. During the ages of slavery, white women were quick to blame black
women for their victimization, stating it was “as yet another one of the many transgressions
white men made . . . against white women” (Hamad 31). The ideology of white supremacy was
so rampant and so ingrained, it can almost be seen as impossible for a white woman to see black
women on the same level of themselves. This perspective still exists to this day, changing to fit
into the rest of the bigoted ideology as time passes. When women were beginning to protest for
voting rights, this attitude was pronounced among the most forward-thinking of white women.
African American women tried to be active participants during this first wave of feminism,
however “black women were largely barred from entry in first wave groups, even after slaver
was abolished in 1865” (Garbacik 49). With the women’s movement being built off of anti-
slavery activism, that still wasn’t enough to open the doors to African American women when it
came to women’s rights. As long as black women could be seen as a detriment to a cause, white
feminists were ready and able to cast them aside so their image wasn’t soiled.
This type of thinking isn’t just an ideology; it can and often does lead to undeserved
consequences towards women of color, such as loss of a job (Hamad 12) , loss of friends and
colleagues, and even loss of peace and wellbeing in both a historical and contemporary context.
Even when handling fictional media this is a common problem, especially within the channels of
social media. In the fictional realm, this can be seen in movies such as The Hunger Games
trilogy, where people were quick to point out their outrage about Rue, an innocent young girl,
being black instead of white, even though it was true to the source material; black women have
always been disconnected from the image of innocence since the beginning of colonization
(Hamad 21-23). As a result of this stereotype dating back to colonization, years later women of
color are still seen as lesser compared white women who will lean into the stereotype if it means
they aren’t uncomfortable. White women, while deemed to be emotional and vulnerable, will
lean into this stereotype (knowingly or not) if it means protecting the image of Angry Black
Woman, the Jezebel, the China Pot or the Exotic Orientals instead of addressing the
uncomfortable truth of their wrongdoing.
White women have been conditioned to hold this ‘white damsel’ value about themselves
since the times of slavery, especially with the breach of Abolition. White men were quick to
uphold the status of the pious white woman, not just because it gave them a reason to protect the
sexual virtue that was deemed so important, but to claim a reason to terrorize the black
community. It wasn’t uncommon for a white man to lynch black people in the name of a white
woman’s sexual honor, only to turn around and decide which white women deserved the
protection. Women who were sexually active, who didn’t rely on the finances of a man and
didn’t seem to need one were the women who were denied help, and as a result white men were
able to have their cake and eat it, too (Hamad 84-88). It was a white man’s world, and even today
we can see how they fight so hard to make sure it stays this way. With white women leaning into
this standard when it suits them, women of color can only seem to trust themselves as they try to
finally break down this wall for good. With documented cases such as ‘Permit Patty’ and ‘BBQ
Becky’ (both involving a white woman being aggressive and calling the police on black people
for doing something benign, only to fall apart in tears when a white man gives her attention), it’s
not hard to make the assumption that white women know exactly what they’re doing. The ‘white
damsel’ excuse unfortunately gives them the benefit of the doubt, no matter if the truth is they’re
just as guilty.
Garbacik, Jaimee. Gender & Sexuality for Beginners. For Beginners, 2013.
Hamad, Ruby. White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color.
Trapeze, 2020.
