Hood Feminism

1. Feminism Must Address Basic Needs and Survival Issues

Food insecurity and access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues.

Broadening the scope. Conventional feminist movements frequently concentrate on improving the social and professional standing of women who are already relatively secure. This focus often ignores the fundamental needs of marginalized women who are navigating daily survival. A movement that fails to address these basic necessities cannot effectively serve the broader female population.

Intersectional approach needed. For feminism to be inclusive and effective across different socioeconomic groups, it must prioritize several core survival issues:

• Food security
• Access to high-quality education
• Residential safety
• Fair and livable wages
• Affordable medical services

By making these foundational needs central to the agenda, the movement becomes more relevant to women facing systemic economic hardships.

2. Hunger and Housing Insecurity Are Feminist Concerns

Hunger has a lifelong impact, shaping not only someone's relationship with food but also their health and the health of their community.

Food insecurity's far-reaching effects. Chronic hunger negatively influences a woman's physical and mental well-being, which in turn affects her professional capacity and her ability to provide care for her family. These impacts extend beyond the individual, harming entire communities and reinforcing generational cycles of poverty.

Housing crisis disproportionately impacts women. Stagnant income levels and the rising cost of living push marginalized women toward housing instability. This crisis is characterized by several critical factors:

• A shortage of low-cost housing units
• Extensive delays in obtaining public housing assistance
• Higher homelessness risks for those escaping domestic abuse
• Displacement of residents in low-income areas due to gentrification

Feminism must advocate for policies that secure nutritional stability, affordable housing, and legal protections for vulnerable renters.

3. Gun Violence Disproportionately Impacts Marginalized Women

We know that without a home, individual families suffer and fall further into poverty. Yet eviction rates and the price of food continue to rise all while wages remain stagnant, and the cycle gets even harder to navigate.

Intersecting factors of vulnerability. Gun violence affects marginalized women through various social and economic channels:

• Elevated risks of firearm-related domestic abuse
• Exposure to violence within high-crime neighborhoods
• Long-term psychological trauma from community violence
• Economic instability following the death or imprisonment of a household breadwinner

Need for comprehensive solutions. A feminist framework for addressing gun violence involves several strategies:

• Supporting stricter firearm legislation
• Investing in local violence intervention initiatives
• Mitigating underlying causes such as economic deprivation
• Implementing trauma-informed support for those affected

Treating gun violence as a public health crisis is essential for addressing the specific ways it harms women of color and those in low-income environments.

4. Education Systems Often Fail Girls of Color

Missing from discussions of bullying issues in schools is the fact that at least some teachers will be aware of what's happening and will ignore it.

Systemic biases in education. Girls of color encounter specific institutional obstacles within the school system. These include disproportionate disciplinary actions, a lack of culturally relevant curricula, and biased expectations from teaching staff. Additionally, these students often have fewer opportunities to participate in advanced or enrichment programs.

School-to-prison pipeline. The implementation of zero-tolerance policies and an increased presence of law enforcement in schools often result in students of color being pushed out of the classroom and toward the criminal justice system. Feminist advocacy should prioritize reforms that establish safe and equitable learning environments for all students, with a specific focus on the needs of girls of color.

5. Reproductive Justice Goes Beyond Abortion Rights

Reproductive justice is fundamentally about agency and autonomy.

Comprehensive approach needed. The concept of reproductive justice is broad and encompasses various factors that influence a woman's control over her body:

• Access to thorough sexual education
• Availability of affordable birth control
• High-quality care before and after childbirth
• Specialized support for parents with disabilities
• Protection against medical coercion and forced sterilization

Intersectional challenges. Marginalized women often encounter unique obstacles when seeking reproductive health services, such as a lack of representative medical providers, language barriers, concerns regarding immigration status, and general clinical discrimination. Feminism must support policies that ensure all women have the autonomy and resources to make decisions regarding their families and health.

6. Beauty Standards and Colorism Affect Women's Opportunities

Having darker skin is linked to lower job prospects, difficulty getting promoted into high-level positions, lower marriage rates, higher rates of arrest, and longer prison terms.

Far-reaching impacts of colorism. Eurocentric beauty standards that favor lighter skin tones create systemic barriers for women with darker skin. These biases result in fewer job opportunities, reduced earnings, and harsher treatment within the legal system. Such disparities also have a negative effect on psychological well-being.

Internalized oppression. Colorism can create tension within marginalized communities, leading to the adoption of harmful stereotypes and pressure to modify one's appearance through methods like skin bleaching. Feminism should challenge beauty norms rooted in racial bias and advocate for equal opportunity and representation for women of all complexions.

7. Mainstream Feminism Must Confront Its Own Racism

When white feminism ignores history, ignores that the tears of white women have the power to get Black people killed while insisting that all women are on the same side, it doesn't solve anything.

Acknowledging historical harm. Mainstream feminism has a history of centering the needs of white, middle-class women while marginalizing the concerns of women of color. This has resulted in a lack of diverse leadership and a failure to address issues that disproportionately affect non-white populations.

Intersectional approach needed. To be inclusive, the movement must undergo several shifts:

• Prioritizing the perspectives of women of color
• Addressing its own history of racial exclusion
• Working to dismantle systemic white supremacy
• Understanding how different types of discrimination intersect

Acknowledging these internal failures is necessary for building a more effective and unified movement.

8. The "Strong Black Woman" Stereotype Is Harmful

The myth of the Strong Black Woman has made it so that white women can tell themselves that it is okay to expect us to wait to be equal with them, because they need it more.

Dehumanizing expectations. The "Strong Black Woman" trope is a harmful narrative that suggests Black women possess an infinite capacity for hardship. This leads to the neglect of their emotional and physical health and is often used to justify a lack of support or resources. It places an unreasonable burden on Black women to endure suffering without assistance.

Need for nuanced representation. Challenging this stereotype requires a shift in how Black women are represented and supported. This includes:

• Diversifying portrayals in culture and media
• Providing mental health resources that address specific cultural needs
• Validating the vulnerability of Black women
• Refuting narratives that require Black women to prioritize others' needs over their own equality

9. Parenting While Marginalized Presents Unique Challenges

For parents in marginalized communities, it's keeping kids out of gangs, out of the crossfire, and out of jail that are paramount concerns.

Survival parenting. Parents in marginalized groups face pressures that go beyond standard child-rearing. They must navigate systemic discrimination, protect their children from community violence, and manage limited resources while dealing with underfunded institutional support.

Judgment and interference. These parents often face unfair scrutiny from society, including assumptions of neglect or incompetence based on their race or economic status. This leads to a higher risk of intervention from child protective services. Feminism should support policies that recognize these unique environmental pressures and provide assistance that respects parental autonomy.

10. Addressing Maternal Mortality Requires Tackling Systemic Racism

Black women are 243 percent more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.

Stark disparities in outcomes. Statistical evidence shows that Black women face significantly higher rates of maternal mortality than white women, a trend that persists regardless of socioeconomic status. This indicates that systemic racism within the healthcare system is a primary factor.

Multifaceted approach needed. To solve this crisis, the following steps are necessary:

• Identifying and mitigating implicit bias among healthcare providers
• Diversifying the medical profession
• Ensuring better access to prenatal and postpartum services
• Addressing environmental stressors and poverty
• Trusting and acting upon the health concerns reported by Black women

Prioritizing maternal health equity is a critical component of intersectional feminist advocacy.

11. White Women's Political Power Often Reinforces Inequality

Despite the expectation that Black or Latinx or Asian voters be treated as a monolith, no one really expects white women to vote as a unified bloc.

Voting patterns reinforce oppression. Political data suggests that white women often prioritize racial advantages over gender-based solidarity. This is reflected in voting behaviors that support policies and candidates that may be detrimental to marginalized communities.

Need for accountability. A more equitable feminist movement requires white women to acknowledge how they benefit from and support existing power structures. They are challenged to prioritize intersectional goals and support the leadership of women of color. Realizing gender equality depends on dismantling the systemic racism that white women's political power often upholds.

Last updated: January 22, 2025