Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Aug 01, 2020 Heidi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: politics-history-philosophy, women, nonfiction, current-events, economics, essays, antiracist

This definitively feminist, antiracist collection of essays explains intersectionality and true solidarity the best of anything I've read on the topic so far. Hood Feminism is written with each chapter discussing a topic that Kendall feels is neglected in current approaches to feminism. Some bring new arguments to the current feminist discussion, as in the chapter "Reproductive Justice, Eugenics, and Maternal Mortality". Others are clear feminist causes too often overlooked by white women, such This definitively feminist, antiracist collection of essays explains intersectionality and true solidarity the best of anything I've read on the topic so far. Hood Feminism is written with each chapter discussing a topic that Kendall feels is neglected in current approaches to feminism. Some bring new arguments to the current feminist discussion, as in the chapter "Reproductive Justice, Eugenics, and Maternal Mortality". Others are clear feminist causes too often overlooked by white women, such as "Missing and Murdered" and "Fear and Feminism". Some are issues that Kendall brings to feminism - things that matter to women and are neglected in the discussion entirely, such as "Gun Violence" and "Hunger". They're all good and there isn't one I'd recommend people skip. Some chapters are heavy, as you'd expect with the chapter descriptions above, but they are each digestible on their own. This is a perfect book to read a chapter at a time, give yourself breathing room to digest and think before jumping into the next.

This is a book of solidarity - it explains why we must act in coalitions, why intersectional issues are feminist issues and above all how "We frame politics and voting as a zero-sum game that must be won by one side, when it is in fact always about harm reduction." Raising the living standards of the poorest while also stepping out of the discussion of how other communities should live is a big goal, and it benefits women more than any other group. Kendall discusses how supporting the needs of other communities needs to be different from telling other communities how to live - she highlights in discussions of patriarchy in communities of color and the necessity of that being an internal discussion. I can't summarize it well, but it's something I'm struggling to internalize as fully as possible. The chapter that discusses cultural appropriation brought up aspects I'd never thought of before, and I've been discussing it for years. As a white woman, and a feminist, this book felt like it was talking directly to me and I'm doing my best to listen.

Highly recommend.

Read through the SF Public Library and Kobo e-reader.
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