Monday, December 31, 2007

I Want to Get This Out Before Midnight

Compared to others, I'm a new blogger. I began in July 2006 and in that time have learned much about the online world and it's manifestations of the offline world. My blog began as a tool to sharpen my writer's voice. A year and a half later, it still serves that purpose and I am blessed to have met and befriended some of the most brilliant, passionate, and sacrificing writers and artists and media makers out there.

I want to say this now because I'm ready to begin 2008 with a new agenda, an agenda that has permanently deleted blogs, authors, and sites that do not contribute to anti-racist feminism and spend more time in reverse than a Kentucky pick-up truck. In short, I'm through with engaging - however slight - with blogs, writers, and commenters that:

  • Group womyn of color together under one person's blog or opinion. Hi, we have names.
  • Comment on blog wars, throw labels around like footballs, and refuse to provide info/links.
  • Pretend that ignoring and allowing racism, sexism, ableism, homo/transphobia to fester like ant holes on their space is not a problem.
  • Primarily centralize US feminism through the lens of pop culture.

Advocating for gender equality has been a thrilling and enraging journey. Over the past year and half, the feminist blogosphere has offered so many things to my identity but none more than division. Sadly, I feel less inclined to hope that mainstream White US feminists will find a bridge with radical womyn of color feminists. However, that has never been my focal point or any other RWOC blogger that I read.

In the thousands of posts of the Radical Women of Color Blogger Ring, that have been around for a while, that cover a billion feminist issues like sexual assault, international violence, political observations, Megan Williams, Katrina, Jena 6, Duke and Durham, the Carnival of Radical Action, Tabasco, or organizing for conference attendance, the ones that cause jittery activity are the posts that take conflict MWUSF (mainstream, White, US feminism). In mathematical reality, these particular posts occupy probably 1/2983656 of RWOC's focus. SO what gets me is how RWOC are labeled jealous, race watch dogs, and as waiting around for a chance to scream bloody blogwar.

Sigh.

I've had enough.

So, to all the rwoc bloggers who I love, you know who you are, stay strong, keep writing, dance and wiggle all around like you do.

And to my supporters and readers - thank you for your time, trust, and energy.

08 will bring it.

Out.

6 comments:

  1. Primarily centralize US feminism through the lens of pop culture.

    I was nodding along reading your list until I got to this line, which really gave me pause. I started wracking my brains trying to think of a blog I read that's not about pop culture and ... um ... (I can't think of any). Except for the ones that are written more like journals, I guess, of which I have a few.

    But I'm trying to expand my reading list too, just ... getting beyond Pandagon and Feministing and the big popular feminist blogs, which are good for what they do, but don't quite resonate with me anymore.

    I had to look up the word "ecdysis" the other day when I first came across your blog -- I really love it. I guess I'm going through an ecdysis of my own, these days ... it's heartening to feel like I'm not alone in that. Thanks :)

    ps. Happy new year :3

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12:26 AM

    love you girl, waiting for you to call me--just pick up the phone, and ::singing:: call me, lalalala, call me, call me and I'll be arouuuund....

    kisses and hugs and lots of love.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous12:28 AM

    tee hee, i just got your message on MY blog! great minds, baby!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm a reader and supporter and I just wanted to say thanks for all of the insight you drop on your blog and I will keep on supporting and reading you in the new year.

    and Happy '08!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous4:48 AM

    I've always had a problem with the term WOC, but I've accepted it as mainstream. Either way, we WOC radical feminist bloggers are kicking ass. We are few and far between. We can change that. Connections to avg. American women are very important. If we are isolated, then our voices will not be heard. Blogging helps!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous4:59 PM

    happy 2008 to you too!

    xoxo

    fabi

    ReplyDelete

Hey there,
Before you leave a comment, just remember two things:
1. You are taking responsibility for a public comment
2. Anything that resembles racism, homophobia, classism, ableism, or anything based from religion, citizenship, or ethnic bias - don't bother commenting, you'll be deleted.