When is racism a feminist issue?

There's been a lot of discussion in the feminist blogosphere about when and if racism is a feminist issue. The starting point was feminist bloggers writing about the fact that the police who killed Sean Bell, an unarmed black man, were acquitted. Other feminist bloggers complained that not all racism is a feminist issue, and that there are no feminist issues in the case of Sean Bell. I think the ever-insightful A Woman's Ecdysis has excellent things to say on the subject:

The question is not what makes the issue feminist, but has a feminist perspective been applied to the issue? Many perceive the Iraq war not to be a feminist issue. I don't give two shits if it's a "feminist issue," I care if feminists have applied their analytical skills, intelligence, resources, and insight to the Iraq war. The once "not feminist" issue of the war, weapons of mass destruction, torture, and sovereignty transform after a feminist's examination - seeing the affect of war on womyn and families, womyn fighting in the war, the gendered language of warring countries, rape used as a tactic of war - when we apply a feminist lens, it then BECOMES a feminist issue. How in the hell does it matter at first glance if it's a feminist issue? If it affects one womyn, anywhere, it can be examined. Who in the world has the right to dictate what is or is not a feminist issue? It might not be to YOU personally, but get off my carpet, it may be a feminist issue after I'm through with it. It's not about taking a "general" issue and twisting it all around to "make it a feminist issue." Our progression should not be measured or dictated by what issues we deem acceptable, but by how insightful and truthful our responses are in accordance to ALL womyn's experience and gender concerns. It's not about the issue, it's about the assessment of kyriarchal forces working in the situation and then dismantling it from a feminist perspective.

What do readers think?

Comments

[Jenny]

Can't figure out how to edit this now that it's posted, so I'll have to add this on in comments: One worry is that Sudy at AWE only pushes the question further back, to "what is a feminist analysis"? And for those who want to know what kyriarchy is, Sudy's got that too: http://myecdysis.blogspot.com/2008/04/accepting-kyriarchy-not-apologies.html

[Char]

I think this is an important insight. I have added a pingback of this article to mine on the difference between sex and gender. I think these are issues that more of us could think and talk about to bring about active change.