Feminist: One advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for
women equal to those of men. It seems that the conversation around what it
means to be a feminist has always either elicited concord or conflict. For example, in December, shortly after Beyoncé’s
release of her fourth music album, I came across a blog article titled: “The
Problem with Beyhive Bottom Bitch Feminism.”
There followed a thread of over 400 comments from women of various ages,
wrestling with the very definition of feminism.
But feminism isn’t
flawless.
When constant questions are raised as to whether artists like Nicki
Minaj and Beyoncé are feminists, I am reminded of this. In fact, while some like to romanticize the
details of the feminist movement and assert that women across color and
circumstance were on one united front advocating for the equality of all
women, the contrary is true. Black
women were not included in the definition of woman. Works like Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I A
Woman?” manifest the black woman’s unapologetic struggle for her society to
view her as fully woman. In fact, many
scholars deemed the plight of the black woman in a majority white world, a
“double bind.” Essentially, as stated by
Anna Julia Cooper, black women were “confronted by both a woman question and a
race problem.” Therefore, given that the aims of the feminist movement excluded black
women, I wonder if any black woman— Ms. Minaj, Mrs. Knowles-Carter or otherwise,
can truly call herself a feminist.
In addition, women
deserve the freedom to create our own definitions of womanhood. Some
may desire to express that meaning by using the words: feminist, black
feminist, womanist or none of the above.
And that’s just fine! Our true
power lies in our ability to define womanhood on our own terms. Moreover, the benefit is that each of these
terms may challenge us to think of womanhood in ways that we hadn’t before.
In one of her essays, bell hooks discusses the representation
of the black female body in popular culture.
For hooks, she is empowered when notions of womanhood “subvert sexist
and racist representations” that have pervaded our society. While this is an honorable and necessary
task, does it force women into a sort of existential straight-jacket? If a
woman constantly engages in overturning images, which undermine her gender or
sexuality, is there any middle ground? For example, a woman may say that she refuses
to marry because she does not want to support the sexist institution of
patriarchy. Or is there a way for her to
operate within the system (institution of marriage) and be an equal to her
husband? Or if a black woman refuses to
wear a mini-skirt and halter top for the sake of not upholding the “black woman
as Jezebel” stereotype, where is her freedom to dress as she pleases? For
me, the freedom lies in the ability to create and recreate a personal
definition of womanhood as often as needed.
While subversion of “racist and sexist” images is important, my
definition of womanhood cannot stop there.
If it does, I am merely tip-toeing around the meaning of womanhood
(which includes sexuality) as opposed to embracing it!
Also, it seems that being a woman is difficult. While there are days
that it comes with ease, there are also days that being a woman comes with
struggle. Maya Angelou confirms this for
me. She writes,
Being a woman is hard work. Not without joy and even
ecstasy, but still relentless, unending work. To become and remain a woman
commands the existence and employment of genius. The woman who survives intact
and happy must be at once tender and tough. She must have convinced herself, or
be in the unending process of convincing herself, that she, her values, and her
choices are important. In a time and world where males hold sway and control,
the pressure upon women to yield their rights-of-way is tremendous. And it is
under those very circumstances that the woman's toughness must be in evidence.
In our struggle to be
women, we must remember that we are human.
We do not possess all of the answers of what it means to be a
woman. If we had all of the answers, what need would we have of the Divine
Mother’s spirit to guide us on our journey?
It may be that the definition of womanhood is fluid and not static,
growing as we grow. Perhaps womanhood
exists beyond any of the labels that we have imagined. It may be that it is as breathtaking, as vast
and as mysterious as the horizon.
