WomenWorldwideStrikeintheNameofIntersectional

Feminism
Tuesday,March07,2017
ByBarbaraRansby(/author/itemlist/user/51686),Truthout(http://truthout.org)|OpEd

(Image:LaurenWalker/Truthout(http://www.flickr.com/photos/truthout))

Today,onInternationalWomen'sDay,in30countriesaroundtheworld,women,femmes,gendernonconformingpeopleandmale
supporters,willmarch,rally,takeadayofftheirpaidjobsandholdvigils.
WhenmillionsofwomenandmenfloodedthestreetsonJanuary21(http://www.truthout.org/news/item/39182womensmarch
outshinestheinauguration)toprotesttheopenlymisogynistandbackwardviewsofthecountry's45thpresident,therewasan
importantundercurrentofdissentandcontestationwithinthemobilizationsthemselves.Numerousnewsstories,Facebookposts
andTwitterfeedsrevealedtheconcernsandcriticismsmanyBlackwomen,womenofcolorandtranswomenhadofthepoliticsof
theJanuary21marchearlyon:itsinitiatorsinadvertentlycooptedthenameofanearlywomen'smarchorganizedbyBlackwomen
theoriginalconvenerswerestrikinglyhomogeneousandthemessagedidnotreflecttheconcernsofawidevarietyofwomen,
includingimmigrant,lowincome,Black,queerandtrans,disabled,ArabandMuslimwomen.Throughaprocessofpubliccriticism,
privatenegotiationsandtheinterventionofseveralmovementelders,thetone,tenorandleadershipofthewomen'smarchin
Washington,DC,andmanyofitssistermarches,shiftedinamoreprogressivedirection.Threewomenofcolorbecameco
conveners,andlegendaryBlackfeministprisonabolitionistAngelaDaviswasafeaturedspeaker.
FormostwhoattendedtheJanuary21events,theoutpouringofcreative,irreverentandcolorfulantiTrumpoppositionwas
exhilarating.Thelingeringquestionhasbeen,whatcomesnext?
Thisisthecontextfortoday'smassdayofaction.Thisdayofactionrepresentsaconfluenceoftwoorganizingefforts.TheJanuary21
women'smarchorganizershavecalledfora"DayWithoutaWoman(https://www.womensmarch.com/march8thfaq)"to
underscorewomen'sindispensabilitytotheeconomy,andanewer,moreleftleaningnationalplanninggrouphascalledfora
Women'sStrike(http://www.womenstrike.org/)insolidaritywithwomenglobally.
ThetwoactionsaredualmobilizationsrespondingtoastrategicjointcallbytheNationalJ21CoordinatingCommitteeandthe
womenofcolorinitiatednationalplanningcommitteefortheInternationalWomen'sStrikeUSA
(https://www.womenstrikeus.org/),whichincludesBayAreajournalistandactivistMargaretPrescod,Palestinianactivistand
formerpoliticalprisonerRasmeaOdeh,BlackfeministwriterandCombaheeRiverCollectiveStatementcoauthorBarbaraSmithand
socialistscholarTithiBhattacharya.
Whilesupportiveofabroadbasedmassmobilization,theWomen'sStrikeCommitteeseekstosharpenthepoliticalmessagingof
today'sInternationalWomen'sDaystrikeinseveralways.Theirnationalplatform(https://www.womenstrikeus.org/our
platform/)isopenlyantiracistandantiimperialist.Theyhavenotshiedawayfromtheuseofmilitantlanguageoranexplicit
critiqueofcapitalism.TherewillnotlikelybeDemocraticPartypoliticiansfeaturedattheeventsorganizedbythestrikecommittee.
Eventheuseofthelanguage"strike"sendsapowerfulmessage.Womenarebeingcalleduponto"strikeablow"forgenderjusticeto
focusonworkingwomen,notelitewomenandto,astheoriginalcallinsists
(https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/06/womenstriketrumpresistancepower),reject"leaninfeminism"
(referringtothebooktitlebycorporatefeministSherylSandberg).Thestrikeisacalltoembraceamoreradicalandinclusive
feminismforthe99percent,echoingtheantielitistmessageoftheOccupyWallStreetmovementoftheearly2000s.
Organizedlaborstrikes,whichmayindeedoccurinothercountries,arenotlikelyintheUStoday.However,today,wewillsee
massiverallies,marches,vigilsandotheractions.Moreover,schoolsystemsinAlexandria,Virginia,andChapelHillCarrboro,North
Carolina,aswellastheMapleStreetSchoolinBrooklyn(apreschool),havedecidedtocancelclassestodaybecausesomanyoftheir
femaleteachersrequestedadayoffonMarch8.Thisindicatesthatcreativeworkrelatedactionsmayindeedoccur.Althoughthe
numberofparticipantsmaybesmalleronMarch8thanonJanuary21,thepoliticalmessagewillbesharper.
Today'sactionswillsendamessagethatwomen,includingworkingwomen,womenofcolor,andLGBTQIAwomenandfemmes,will
notgoback.Buttherearetwopartstothatmessage.Oneisdirectedexternallytothosewhostandinoppositiontogenderequityand
reproductivejusticeandforanendtoviolenceagainstwomen.Theothermessage"wewillnotgoback"isaninternalonegeared
towardthecontestedspacesoftheresurgentfeministmovement."Wewillnotgoback"alsorefersto1963whenBettyFriedan,
authoroftheFeminineMystique,articulatedaviewofwhitemiddleclasswomen'sliberationandpretendedshespokeforallofus.
Thatiswhatwealsocannotgobackto.
Despitemedianarrativesthatdescribewomen'smobilizationsaroundthepresidentialelectionininsularterms,thetruthisthatthe
currentmobilizationsrestuponalonganddiversehistoryoffeministorganizingthathasgrownsteadilysincethe1970s.Groupslike
INCITE!WomenofColorAgainstViolencehavebeenimportantfeministvoicesagainststateviolenceandmassincarcerationfor
nearlytwodecades,shapingthemeaningofintersectionalfeminismintheirdailyorganizingpractice.Mostrecently,thefeminist
leadersoftheMovementforBlackLivesCharleneCarruthersofBYP100,ThenjiweMcHarrisofBlackbird,andBlackLivesMatter
GlobalNetworkfoundersAliciaGarza,OpalTometiandPatrisseCullorsalongwithyoungqueerorganizersinthemovement
againstdeportationslikeTaniaUnzueta,haveprojectednewformsoffeministleadershipthatmainstreamobserversseemreluctant
torecognizeoraccept.The#SAYHERNAMEcampaignlaunchedbyKimberlCrenshaw'sAfricanAmericanPolicyForumisyet
anotherexampleofpreTrumpintersectionalfeministorganizing.TheJanuary21andMarch8mobilizationsareapartofongoing
strugglesagainstheteropatriarchyaswellasstrugglestodefinethemeaningoffeminismitself.
So,today,indozensofcitiesandovertwodozencountries,womenwilltakeactiontoprotestneoliberalism,repressionandvarious
manifestationsofpatriarchyandmisogynyembeddedinculturalpracticesandstatepolicies.
ThecommitteesorganizingtheNationalUSAWomen'sStrikeandtheDayWithoutaWomanhaveendorsedoneanother'splanned
actions.Neithercampaignisperfect,butbothrepresentagrowingmomentumoffeministledactivismthatisrefusingtogobacktoa
monolithicdefinitionofthecategoryof"woman,"andrefusingtodefineliberationasonedimensionalorsimple.Groupsaroundthe
countrythathavebeenworkingagainstraciststateviolencewillcallformoreactionsonApril4,theanniversaryofMartinLuther
KingJr.'sassassination,andMayDay.Thismobilizationisjustbeginning.
Copyright,Truthout.Maynotbereprintedwithoutpermission(mailto:editor@truthout.org).

BARBARARANSBY(/AUTHOR/ITEMLIST/USER/51686)

BarbaraRansbyisanhistorian,writerandlongtimeactivist.SheisaProfessorofAfricanAmericanStudies,GenderandWomen'sStudies,and
HistoryattheUniversityofIllinoisatChicago(UIC)whereshedirectsboththecampuswideSocialJusticeInitiativeandtheGenderand
WomensStudiesProgram.ShepreviouslyservedasInterimViceProvostforPlanningandPrograms(20112012)atUIC.Prof.Ransbyis
authorofthehighlyacclaimedbiography,EllaBakerandtheBlackFreedomMovement:ARadicalDemocraticVision.Thebookreceivedeight
nationalawardsandrecognitionsincluding:LillianSmithBookAward,SouthernRegionalCouncilJoanKellyMemorialPrize,American
HistoricalAssociationLetitiaWoodsBrownMemorialPrize,AssociationofBlackWomenHistoriansLibertyLegacyFoundationAward(co
winner),OrganizationofAmericanHistoriansJamesA.RawleyPrize,OrganizationofAmericanHistoriansHonorableMention,2004Berkshire
ConferenceFirstBookPrize,BerkshireConferenceofWomenHistoriansHonorBook,BlackCaucusoftheAmericanLibraryAssociation
OutstandingBookAward,GustavusMyersCenterfortheStudyofBigotryandHumanRightsinNorthAmerica.
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