Hood Feminism
Books | Social Science / Feminism & Feminist Theory
4.5
(1.1K)
Mikki Kendall
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “The fights against hunger, homelessness, poverty, health disparities, poor schools, homophobia, transphobia, and domestic violence are feminist fights. Kendall offers a feminism rooted in the livelihood of everyday women.” —Ibram X. Kendi, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist, in The Atlantic“One of the most important books of the current moment.”—Time “A rousing call to action... It should be required reading for everyone.”—Gabrielle Union, author of We’re Going to Need More Wine A potent and electrifying critique of today’s feminist movement announcing a fresh new voice in black feminismToday's feminist movement has a glaring blind spot, and paradoxically, it is women. Mainstream feminists rarely talk about meeting basic needs as a feminist issue, argues Mikki Kendall, but food insecurity, access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues. All too often, however, the focus is not on basic survival for the many, but on increasing privilege for the few. That feminists refuse to prioritize these issues has only exacerbated the age-old problem of both internecine discord and women who rebuff at carrying the title. Moreover, prominent white feminists broadly suffer from their own myopia with regard to how things like race, class, sexual orientation, and ability intersect with gender. How can we stand in solidarity as a movement, Kendall asks, when there is the distinct likelihood that some women are oppressing others? In her searing collection of essays, Mikki Kendall takes aim at the legitimacy of the modern feminist movement, arguing that it has chronically failed to address the needs of all but a few women. Drawing on her own experiences with hunger, violence, and hypersexualization, along with incisive commentary on reproductive rights, politics, pop culture, the stigma of mental health, and more, Hood Feminism delivers an irrefutable indictment of a movement in flux. An unforgettable debut, Kendall has written a ferocious clarion call to all would-be feminists to live out the true mandate of the movement in thought and in deed.
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Author
Mikki Kendall
Pages
288
Publisher
Penguin
Published Date
2020-02-25
ISBN
0525560548 9780525560548
Community ReviewsSee all
"A frank account of who is still missing from mainstream feminism. She shows us the many intersections of identity and also the beauty of power and anger. "
Sandy Lopez
"So worth the read and written perfectly!! Really lends insight into important topics!"
A B 🧋
"This was a great collection of essays on intersectional feminism, and hits on exactly what the feminist movement is missing. I loved how she brought up various issues (domestic violence, poverty and hunger, affordable housing, quality education, etc) that many people do not consider feminist issues, when a lot of those issues disproportionately affect women. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially those interested in feminist or social structures."
Olivia Huie
"If you liked white tears brown scars this one is very similar but is still a great read I loved how eye-opening and educational this was this one also had me sad and angry at times, but it's absolutely an essential read especially if they you think you are a feminist can't wait to reread and annotate The writing is impactful"
Gizelle Villalta
"this book CHALLENGES you. If you think you’re a feminist, you have to read this and reevaluate what you stand for. "
Alanna
"By the time revolutionary ideas get enough of a hearing to find a literary agent, publisher and get reviewed, they may no longer seem so revolutionary. Such is the case with <I>Hood Feminism</I> . I can't say I disagreed with any of Kendall's points, but her ideas were probably more impactful when she was blogging and writing magazine articles several years ago than in this rather staid book. The basic idea is pretty simple: racism complicates and multiplies the effects of sexism, and white feminists who ignore class, race and poverty issues are complicit, (looking at you, soccer mom Trump voters). Along the way Kendall eviscerates many racist truisms about Black people: that we hate and tear down smart people in our community, that we are ignorant or don't care about nutrition, that we are promiscuous and invite sexual assault. Her arguments would be easier to follow if she footnoted her references (they are simply listed at the end with no page references) and at least one of them ("being overweight doesn't increase mortality") grossly misrepresents her source and is just plain wrong.<br/><br/>Good follow-up for white women whose book clubs have already tutted their way through <I>White Fragility</I>."
Lesley Williams
"This book very clearly explained the intersectionality of all problems. The book explored the reason these problems disproportionately affect black women and the benefit to society and women if considered feminist issues. "
J M
Jordan MacDonald
"Not necessarily a story, but feminism is necessary for recognizing strong female leads!"
Jennifer Kandray
"This is a primer more than anything else. It introduces areas where white feminism has failed women of color. This is more an introduction to the topic, but it does the job!"
Hannah
"Fantastic read, strong and thought provoking! Though I don’t strongly agree with all points made this work provided me with a wealth of information and insight to take a more informed approach to fairness on one of the most important issues we all face and one that deserves to be understood."
C H
Courtney H
