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A review by graveyardpansy
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
3.0
3.5 stars — I have a lot of thoughts about this.
Overall, this book offers really important critiques of mainstream feminism, pop feminism, and/or white feminism, but falls a little bit short for me personally. I think white women who consider themselves feminists but are clueless on issues of intersectionality or aren’t involved in radical spaces could get a lot out of this book, and I don’t want to discredit the value of it in that sense. However, for me, the majority of these issues are things I’ve already read on and/or was aware of. There were still definitely a few bits that taught me something, but overall I felt a little disappointed, especially in a few more liberal ideas this book presents. It is definitely liberal feminism, but more intersectional than the mainstream. Here are just a few things I wanted to talk about:
- It focuses a lot on voting as a workable option for change, and I lost faith in that long ago. Kendall seems to still genuinely believe America is a democracy, which in more radical circles it’s pretty well-established that it is not.
- Talks quite a bit abt carceral feminism’s flaws, which I agree with, but never truly presents abolitionist feminism as a response or counter. There isn’t really mention of abolitionism as a viable or even extant movement. I guess it’s possible Kendall’s never come across it, but it was odd to me as someone who generally engages with and reads more radical feminism than this book presents.
- At one point Kendall says there are no “glitzy campaigns” for issues she’s bringing up, specifically housing. But what do ‘glitzy campaigns’ really do that grassroots organization, community action, and mutual aid can’t? The HRC’s a pretty glitzy, feminist-adjacent org, but gay marriage and the ability to be in the military don’t do shit for me. I don’t care want super-pac fundraisers and galas, I want healthcare, I want my trans siblings to be safe and protected.
I think, largely, this book exemplifies really well an issue I see frequently that kinda keeps liberal feminism and ~the left~ apart, imo. Kendall frequently says ‘nobody is talking/doing anything about this,’ and frequently my first thought is of a radical org that is, in fact, talking and doing things about it. I wrote an essay recently on making abolition irresistible, and I thought a lot about how many feminists don’t consider themselves radicals, or even leftists. However, most radical leftists I know consider themselves feminists. I think we should engage with each other more. Liberal feminists (like Kendall) should recognize that oftentimes, things that frustrate them are being discussed and combatted — buuuut not in mainstream feminist spaces. Get radical! But like, not in a TERF way. In a lefty way.
Anyways, overall, I don’t think this is a /bad/ book. I definitely picked up a couple new things and I think people closer to the centre than Kendall, especially white women, could definitely get a lot out of it. It just wasn’t... for me. And that’s okay! Not every book is.
Overall, this book offers really important critiques of mainstream feminism, pop feminism, and/or white feminism, but falls a little bit short for me personally. I think white women who consider themselves feminists but are clueless on issues of intersectionality or aren’t involved in radical spaces could get a lot out of this book, and I don’t want to discredit the value of it in that sense. However, for me, the majority of these issues are things I’ve already read on and/or was aware of. There were still definitely a few bits that taught me something, but overall I felt a little disappointed, especially in a few more liberal ideas this book presents. It is definitely liberal feminism, but more intersectional than the mainstream. Here are just a few things I wanted to talk about:
- It focuses a lot on voting as a workable option for change, and I lost faith in that long ago. Kendall seems to still genuinely believe America is a democracy, which in more radical circles it’s pretty well-established that it is not.
- Talks quite a bit abt carceral feminism’s flaws, which I agree with, but never truly presents abolitionist feminism as a response or counter. There isn’t really mention of abolitionism as a viable or even extant movement. I guess it’s possible Kendall’s never come across it, but it was odd to me as someone who generally engages with and reads more radical feminism than this book presents.
- At one point Kendall says there are no “glitzy campaigns” for issues she’s bringing up, specifically housing. But what do ‘glitzy campaigns’ really do that grassroots organization, community action, and mutual aid can’t? The HRC’s a pretty glitzy, feminist-adjacent org, but gay marriage and the ability to be in the military don’t do shit for me. I don’t care want super-pac fundraisers and galas, I want healthcare, I want my trans siblings to be safe and protected.
I think, largely, this book exemplifies really well an issue I see frequently that kinda keeps liberal feminism and ~the left~ apart, imo. Kendall frequently says ‘nobody is talking/doing anything about this,’ and frequently my first thought is of a radical org that is, in fact, talking and doing things about it. I wrote an essay recently on making abolition irresistible, and I thought a lot about how many feminists don’t consider themselves radicals, or even leftists. However, most radical leftists I know consider themselves feminists. I think we should engage with each other more. Liberal feminists (like Kendall) should recognize that oftentimes, things that frustrate them are being discussed and combatted — buuuut not in mainstream feminist spaces. Get radical! But like, not in a TERF way. In a lefty way.
Anyways, overall, I don’t think this is a /bad/ book. I definitely picked up a couple new things and I think people closer to the centre than Kendall, especially white women, could definitely get a lot out of it. It just wasn’t... for me. And that’s okay! Not every book is.