We Need to Talk About White Feminism Part III—Solutions

During the last couple of months, we have talked about what the term white feminism means—in short, an exclusionary type of activism that only looks at the experiences of white, straight, able-bodied, cisgender, middle- and upper-class women. Part II of this series exposed some of the ways in which white feminism is disguised as actual feminism. At this point, you must be asking yourself what the solution against the shortcomings of white feminism is. 

As you’ve probably heard before, the very first step to solve a problem is to recognize there is one. White feminism is not an exception. But recognizing the problem does not only mean calling out other people’s white feminist practices or denouncing approaches like carceral or corporate feminism—it also means recognizing your own biases, and calling out the white feminist within you. 

You are not exempt from this work. We all need to do it, even if we are not racist and even if we are not white, rich or straight. And that is because of a sneaky thing called implicit bias. 

According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, implicit bias is when we “act on the basis of prejudice and stereotypes without intending to do so.” In other words, you don’t have to be racist to be unconsciously guided by racist impulses.  

Jennifer Eberhardt, a psychology professor at Stanford University and author of Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See Think and Do, said that unconscious prejudice “can affect everyone, even a black child,” referring to an instance when her son worried that a fellow black passenger would blow up a plane.

“We’re living in a society where we’re absorbing images and ideas all the time and it takes over who we are and how we see the world.” Eberhardt said. 

This process of socialization also affects how we develop our feminist thinking. If we are not cautious, the “default” and mainstream approaches of feminism—often in the form of white feminism—might influence our actions. 

If you are still convinced you are immune to this, I highly recommend taking the Implicit Association Test. As Mahzarin Banaji, a Harvard University psychologist and one of the creators of the test said: "Think of implicit bias as the thumbprint of the culture on our brain." 

So, what can we do to avoid our implicit biases?

We can start by self-reflecting and educating ourselves on issues that don’t affect us directly. Keeping an open mind when others talk about the issues that they face is also a must to remind ourselves that our individual experiences don’t represent the diversity of experiences of all women. We can only grow and learn as feminists when we make the effort to get to know women from different backgrounds. Ultimately, we must acknowledge and fight against our implicit biases by listening to, connecting with and learning from a diverse range of voices. 

After acknowledging our implicit biases and learning about gender issues that we have no direct contact with, we can embrace intersectional feminism.

If you never heard the term, don’t be intimidated, it sounds complicated but once you have a good grasp of what it means it will become second nature in how you see gender. 

Intersectionality is a term coined in 1989 by American law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw to highlight how racial and gender prejudice simultaneously impact the lives of black women.

Intersectional feminism is basically the opposite of white feminism. It is “a prism for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other” Crenshaw said. That is, intersectionality, as opposed to white feminism, understands how class, gender, race and other identities overlap with one another.

“We tend to talk about race inequality as separate from inequality based on gender, class, sexuality or immigrant status. What’s often missing is how some people are subject to all of these, and the experience is not just the sum of its parts,” Crenshaw said.

An intersectional approach, therefore, requires centering on the voices of those experiencing the greatest number of overlapping forms of oppression. Not to create a “contest of who is more oppressed,” or to conflate disadvantages with moral superiority, like some critics say. But to acknowledge how interconnected these issues are, and to understand how they impact the lives of those most oppressed in society. Again, the first step to solve a problem is to recognize there is one. 

According to the UN, using an intersectional lens also means “recognizing the historical contexts surrounding an issue. Long histories of violence and systematic discrimination have created deep inequities that disadvantage some from the outset.”

That is, the impact of intersecting inequalities extends across generations; they are systemic. That means one’s individual “willpower” is not enough to overcome them. Intersectionality helps us separate the individual from the collective—the anecdotal example from the systemic nature of social issues. 

In 2020, from the disproportionate impact of the pandemic in communities of color, to the global uprising against police violence, it has been made clear that we, as a society, are not close to achieving anything resembling equality or justice. Women’s issues are inserted in this context. 

It is challenging to think about a myriad of issues simultaneously. After all, isn’t patriarchy bad enough in and of itself? Also, most of us are already overwhelmed with an economic crisis, a pandemic and a high-stakes U.S. presidential election. There is, however, no better time to educate ourselves on intersectionality, and to revise our feminism. This crisis has exposed injustices in such obvious ways that it gives all of us, no matter our background, the chance to turn this moment as a catalyst for reflection. 

I hope that this series helped you recognize the power of your voice. Feminism is nothing but a group of people coming together to demand equality—you get to choose the direction that the movement takes. 

Looking For a Guy? Read This First

Romance. That person that will hold your hand at the park, make you laugh, and (hopefully) be good in bed. When looking for a guy (or a girl), what are the qualities you hope to find? What do you pay attention to? 

I heard once (or maybe a few times) that I was “too picky with boys” -- Wait! But shouldn’t I be? Don’t you realize this is the one person that will impact your future the most? What if he thinks a woman shouldn’t curse or travel by herself? What if he wants kids, or doesn’t want kids? What if he doesn’t like the fact that I am an independent ambitious woman? Shouldn’t these facts be considered? 

As I heard from this Ted Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “women are raised to aspire to marriage.” Not that marriage is a bad thing, nor that it shouldn’t be on your ‘dream list’. But our aspirations should go beyond that. I know mine did, and still do. We have different minds, as well as different goals in life. But in a society that rushes us to find “the one,” especially after a certain age, that urgency can take us to falling for the wrong person, and for the wrong reasons -- fear of being alone, age to have kids, and outside pressure, of course -- just to name a few. 

So when looking for “my person,” I remember many times I changed my own behavior, so the guy I liked would like me-- and keep me. I was rarely my true self in his company. And to be honest, I know many people who did/do the same. But how can this be sustainable? What happens later on? 

Another thing I noticed as time passed was that, I had big goals, I didn’t want to have children, and I wanted to live abroad. Of course we’re constantly changing, and some plans fall apart, we change our mind. But having some clarity about your future, verbalizing the things you want, and the things you don’t, in my opinion, is an important step before making any kind of commitment-- and by that I mean even before changing your Facebook status (if that’s still a thing). Here is a personal example I shared on my ebook “Living By Design - First Steps To Live Life Your Way:”

“When I met my now husband, I had just turned 28 and was more than sure I did not want kids. Just a month after we started dating, I brought up this conversation just out of curiosity -- and also to know if he wanted to have children. I couldn’t be with someone that wanted something I didn’t. If you are dating, thinking about sharing a future together, I believe it’s important to be straight up about your desires and theirs. Be honest with each other. If you’re going out with someone not only to have fun, if you’re getting to know that person, then get to know that person -- their view for the future, their values, their heart, and their mind. Seriously, if we invested in this kind of background check before committing to a wedding, I’m sure divorces rates would drop.”

Five years later, I still don’t want to have children. And I still have a lot of ambition, hunger for freedom, a passion for traveling by myself, and... I curse a lot. I’m not perfect, neither is he, and we have lots of differences. But the person he met back in 2014 was a girl who had decided to be herself, to not rush, and who was starting to believe and speak her truth. That girl knew she couldn’t be with someone who wouldn’t accept her for who she was-- a crazy Brazilian feminist-in-progress, who treasures her freedom more than anything. And at 27, I finally realized that. 

So I’ll end this piece with a little unsolicited advice… 

Pay attention to the person you’re dating. Speak your mind, share your goals. Be yourself (as much as possible, because I know that takes practice). See how he/she reacts, what he/she says. And don’t wait until you’re 6 months in! Do it in the beginning-- why not? You’re both adults, having adult conversation, with the same goal in mind: getting to know each other, and maybe be together for life, right? So let’s try not to waste anyone’s time. Because that thing that “people change?” Well, most of the time, they don’t. If I have married someone who wanted kids, I’d be divorced by now. If I had married a guy who doesn’t want his wife to travel on her own, I’d also be divorced by now (or sucking it up and feeling unhappy). 

Another thing I can tell you is know your values, invest in self-awareness. Getting to know someone else is fun, but knowing yourself is liberating-- and it’ll help you find a better match! My most important value is freedom. I know I’m happier being with someone that respects my freedom, that doesn’t try to cut my wings (poor thing, he’d be long gone if he did). Oh! And last but not least, love your own company, and yourself, more than anything!

The Fat Consciousness | Exposed

Welcome back to The Fat Consciousness Series! Previously on this show, we learned how interesting my childhood was, and how it helped me grow into an insecure human being. Assuming we’re on the same page, by now you've got how doubtful I grew up to be, kinda feeling good about my looks and personality, but never accepting I could be happy as a fat girl. 

When you grow up being fat and not confident enough, odds are you might slide into the “supporting role” character. There are always going to be the skinny friends who get more attention, are sassier and cooler. 

I was the funny, goofy, always there for you, keeping the tone down, never saying “no” type of friend. I’ve always been a pleaser, and I wonder if I would have been different had I been skinny instead of fat. I sucked at flirting. I was always anxious about social situations where there would be cute boys. Always thinking about how I can act in an attractive way while being “proper” for my agenda aka being fat. I was usually left with the awkward kid from the male group (if lucky.) 

Wait, go back a second… did I say proper? 

Yes. I thought I needed to always keep it cool because duh - I was fat. As if it would balance out. (As if I needed to balance anything out.)  

Now imagine my mind when I met fat boys or girls full of confidence, overflowing power. I would freeze and my mind immediately got the “blue error screen!” WHAT IS GOING ON? How did you learn that? I don’t know how to be like that. It was like another duality - this one I can better explain using something I’ve heard - you either bleed in the shark tank or you are the shark. I sure as hell wasn’t a shark in the love scene. 

I kept on telling myself I was happy despite my body and lack of romantic engagements. That it would get better when I lost weight. That lasted pretty much up until my college years arrived. That was when I had my sexual wake up call. I was living it up - party, drinks, boys. I was finally faced with a side of me I didn’t know. While I was learning how to take advantage of my own features (like having a nice pair of boobs), I had no idea of how to manage my self-esteem or process my sexual being.  

This was a very doubtful moment and yet a very empowering one. I was discovering new things, yet my insecurity was also growing stronger along with a fear of rejection because I wasn’t skinny. College years just brought to surface a weird thread from my social life -  the “supporting role” I mentioned before. It’s like I didn’t pick, I was picked - and by people I wouldn’t want to kiss, but I’d give in because I really wanted to be kissed. It was a very passive way of living. I finally had a moment of ownership when… I lost weight in 2009. I lost a lot of weight, like 35kgs (over 70 lbs). I was finally seeing myself as an almost skinny person. I got the body I wanted, the boy I wanted, a crazy amount of attention. I was finally the main character shark-ing around!

While the relationship was over within a year, the “skinny high” sure wasn’t! And I indulged in it until I started gaining weight again. Suddenly, the fat consciousness thoughts took over my mind, holding back my newly found expression. But then I lost weight and “skinny high” was back up. As you might imagine, one’s self-esteem fluctuates all the time. So even when I was at my lowest weight, I would still be vulnerable into thinking I wasn’t pretty enough or that I still looked too fat.

I hit my highest weight in 2018 and this journey legit blew my mind. I was living in New York, where people were less judgmental than in Sao Paulo. This made me feel more confident to wear what I wanted, but on the inside I was a goddamn chicken living in fear of rejection and barely putting myself in “risky situations” (and by that I mean regular dates.) Basically, in a place nobody gave 2 fu*ks about my body, I was the most harsh on myself instead of living the freedom I’ve always wanted!

See, I acknowledge losing weight impacts my self-esteem directly and I struggle accepting this. I wish it wouldn’t fluctuate as much. But I have my own beauty standard (which isn’t skinny, it’s Marylin Monroe like) and I do feel very uncomfortable when too far from it. It just doesn’t feel like myself and I can’t help it.

I am now down 45kgs (we will talk about this in my next article). Dating is hard thanks to COVID-19, but at least now I found myself again. Working on your self-esteem is a daily effort, sometimes you’re just not feeling it and that is okay. I feel pretty and sexy but also very conscious I’m not either skinny or extremely fat & that now I have loose skin too. The fear of rejection is still present, but now I don’t blame myself or my body for it - I’m at my very best and if my partner can’t deal with it, that is his loss and my blessing ‘cause that isn’t the energy I need.

My foundation didn’t teach me how to be tough. I’m learning as I go with help of therapy and some kicks in the head life gives me. A piece of advice? The freedom you get when you own your narrative, when you ditch the “supporting role,” is mind-blowing. And guess what? Your body doesn’t dictate your ownership. Your mind does. You got to stop comparing yourself to others. You can’t hold your happy ending for a future you that might not even be worth it. You can’t live on the sidewalk, in the shadows of who you are expected to be. All the time I spent thinking I needed to act properly, tone down so I wouldn’t get too much attention… This is wasted time and energy I should have invested in who I am and my true expression. 

Remember, don’t be the one bleeding in the shark tank. Be the goddamn shark!

My 22 Year History with Anxiety and Depression | Mental Health

When I was fourteen years old, I was put on my first antidepressant. My parents were going through a long, extremely drawn out divorce and it rocked my middle school world. I moved with my mom and my sister from a very large, upper middle-class suburban home into a two-bedroom apartment. I was in shock and confused and needed some help. I thought the help would be temporary.

But I never got off the medicine. I tried a few times, thinking maybe I didn’t need it anymore. That I could handle this on my own. That always led to a downward spiral of sadness and extreme anxiety. That’s how I learned this is a true illness and I can’t just “kick it” with good habits and yoga and green juice and meditation. 

When I was 29, I was pregnant with my first son. I was so excited to bring my sweet boy into the world and I knew that being a mom would be hard, but manageable. Reading that now just makes me laugh. Because for the second time, my world was literally rocked.

No medical professionals spoke with me before I gave birth about the higher possibility of postpartum depression because I had a history of depression and anxiety. They mentioned the “Baby Blues” but those would go away with time. 

Fast forward three weeks and I was laying in my dark bedroom with my baby boy crying all day and trying to get him to nurse. It was the loneliest moment of my entire life. I didn’t answer my phone. I didn’t respond to texts. I didn’t talk to my husband who was trying hard to help. I made sure my child’s basic needs were being met and that was all. 

I did attend a few social obligations with the baby. And I put on my biggest smile and flowest dress and talked to everyone about how beautiful motherhood was. How it was changing my life. Along with the large glass of wine I would be drinking. Then I would go home and cry in my bedroom again.  

I really knew how to put on a show. I ended up getting help a few weeks later, but if I hadn’t reached out, would anyone but my husband know I wasn’t okay?

I doubt it. I became a master of disguise far before postpartum depression. I woke up so many days and dreaded what was before me. But that didn’t matter. I had to do life. I had to go to school. I had to go to work. I had to be productive and succeed because when you have anxiety there is no other option. 

I would shower and get ready and my makeup and hair would always be done. I was always put together and brought a smile and a jovial laugh to any party. I loved to drink. Which didn’t mix well with my anti-anxiety medication. I found myself at the age of 24, living in Nashville, swinging a full-time job while drinking to my hearts content every single night. At the time, the mixture of Xanax and alcohol were the only things that made me feel okay about life. 

This was the first time I hit rock bottom. I was broke, hungover, miserable, and pulling off my 9-5 with top marks. I don’t know how I did it, but I’m guessing the pills I popped every now and then helped. 

The moral of this story is Women need to learn it’s okay to ask for help. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is the strongest but hardest thing you can do. I don’t know if I would be writing these words today if I hadn’t reached out for help so many times. And you aren’t the only person with anxiety or depression or a drinking problem. You aren’t the only Master of Disguise out there. 

You can and will get better. I promise. GET. THE. HELP. YOU. NEED. SO. BADLY.

The Right to Live Offline

I will dare to be carelessly honest with you here. The idea for this article came up one day when I was watching our founder Ingrid Silva's IG stories. By the time this article is being written, Ingrid is pregnant. She had revealed it on her social media in a beautiful campaign, she explained to her audience the reasons why she hadn't revealed her pregnancy earlier. I wish I had recorded my reaction in that very moment because you wouldn't believe it: right before she even says it, I'm thinking "she has the right to embrace and enjoy this experience by herself first and with her family.” Two seconds later, she says it. Weird huh? Actually it is not. As a disclaimer, this is not an article about influencers and their highly demanding audiences. This is an article about people. You and I, allegedly anonymous people trying to make it in this newbie showbiz we call social media, go through the same struggle. Our communities, family and friends, people we love and care about have been constantly and unknowingly demanding from us to live our lives online. What happens when a first-time-mother-to- be pursues the right to privately enjoy such experience with her beloved ones? She has to justify it. Some must argue that this is only happening because she is huge on the internet; however, this could not be further from being true and I will demonstrate here why. 

If the food beautifully presents itself on our plate, a picture before eating it must be taken. If we look effortlessly gracious for any reason, a selfie before going out is mandatory. Remember that trip to Paris with your best friend when you bought that fabulous hat and the wind blew it away and you had to run to get it back and you almost didn't? Wow, that was fun but, did you record that moment? No? Bummer, it would have been a fun memory to have registered in that expensive camera. What happened in the last couple of years that made us shape our lives behind the camera in order to look in a certain way in front of it? Are we living in a fulfilling way or are you just building audiences? 

Another interesting topic I'd like to bring is parental social media behavior. It is out of discussion that the internet has become a digital and convenient bridge between families who live away. Parents will update their children's lives online in order to fulfill the distance between states or, more often than ever, countries. However, when do we draw the line between what is acceptable on social media channels and what is not? The matter of the fact is we have been immersed in this culture for only two decades and already the consequences of this abrupt, and not subtle, change have printed new standards of social and cultural behavior in society. Studies will say that two decades is not a very long time for a technology or curve of behavior to change a society and yet, the internet has done so in such a short period of time, which brings to my attention another thought: we have not been taught any social media etiquette. Although we have seen it recently, the idea of managing the amount of hours or to simply curate what goes online or not has never been in the original plans of those who created these tools. Social media channels are designed for addiction, compulsive behavior and no sense of boundaries whatsoever. Back to my point, this is why it has become socially unacceptable to live an offline life. 

It is not only mandatory to be constantly online and to share our deepest experiences, we have also raised the bar to a new standard: the happier and trendier the moments in our lives are, the more instagrammable they become. It is not only expected to leave our private lives behind us but, the way we live must go through some changes before even thinking of living this life. For instance, when we think about an outfit, we automatically, yet subconsciously, take into consideration if the same outfit will look good on that picture we'll share later. How many times have we gotten to that restaurant or to that party and taken pictures right after getting there? After all, instagrammable pictures must be taken while hair and outfit are still impeccable, right? 

Bringing into conclusion, the social media world is fantastic. It opens doors every single day to so many people. It connects us to job opportunities, it brings us close to family when we're living abroad and don't always find the time to catch up on the phone. The list of benefits is vast and I won't deny it. Social media is good and it can conduct us towards a world of infinite possibilities. It is not about demonizing social media, it is about paying close attention to how we use it to our benefit and to make life better and not the other way around. If the internet is a democratic world in which we can be whoever we want, why is it so hard to allow others to decide whatever they want to live in or out of it?    

I’m Busy Inside of a Cat’s Belly | Chronicles Of The Young Immigrant Women

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When I was younger (five minutes ago) I thought life couldn’t go on without me. My naive egoic head is leading me towards madness ever since I came to Rio de Janeiro to stay a couple of months. Living in New York City is by far the weirdest challenge for a young adult who believes they’re the center of the universe: everyone there hopes for the same. Being young means trying to control everything around you, especially for this generation as there isn’t a lot of reference. You see, teenaging already sucks, but for us it sucked differently, because we suffered digitally in jeans-to-jeans outfits. Our future looks tree-less, water-less and intelligence-less but hey! at least society understood that low waist jeans were the biggest cultural mistake ever. Which kinda gives me hope. Taking back the control of this narrative, having roots in a country rather than the one I chose to live in, teaches me everyday that peace of mind is never an option. I pretty much think they will be no such thing as being fulfilled for an immigrant. I get really mad when life happens without me. By life I mean things I know. And by things I know I mean whatever I could care about. People die when I’m not present. Buildings are sold. Avenues disappear. Babies are born. Babies grow and they won’t recognize me. New memes are replacing me in my group of friends. My group of friends are not even the same. These friends have new friends and I don’t like them. How dare the people I love are living their lives without me? How come the city that I was born in doesn’t need my bus ticket? How come the city that I chose to live in is not missing my presence in the subway? Isn’t it terrible having to let go of knowing and participating always? Having to choose where you’re losing? Being an immigrant is not like an incomplete puzzle. It’s being the lost piece under the carpet and getting eaten by a cat who will run away in the middle of the night and come back three years later as if nothing happened. Now that I’m older I no longer think life shouldn’t go on without me. I’m sure it cannot. Dear world, you can only spin when I want to. Thank you very much.

We Need to Talk About White Feminism—Part II

Last month, we discussed why it’s important to talk about white feminism, and—more specifically—why it is harmful not to talk about it. (If you feel confused or defensive after reading this, make sure to check the part I of this series.) Today, let’s focus on what white feminism looks like, so you get savvy at spotting it. 

White feminism has a limited idea about what feminist issues are

Whenever women of color talk about the issues that are more prevalent in their communities (e.g., police brutality, Black maternal death rates, attacks and murder of trans women, racism, voting suppression) white feminists will say that these are race problems, not gender problems. These issues, they argue, are outside of the scope of the feminist movement. So, if you ever hear a feminist say something along the lines of “we’re not talking about (insert any issue that pertains to women of color, queer, low-income or immigrant women), we’re actually talking about gender.” or “talking about this issue is divisive” well, chances are you are dealing with some form of white feminism.

Corporate feminism

Corporate feminism means demanding that a few women achieve positions of power to “break the glass ceiling,” while ignoring the systemic unequal structures that further block low-income women or women of color from these leadership roles. This type of feminism is satisfied with a world where there are more women CEOs and political leaders, yet it is comfortable with other current inequities.

For example, corporate feminism focuses on closing the wage gap between men and women, while it ignores how Latina and Black women make significantly less than white women in the first place. As Mikki Kendall, the author of the book Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot, said: 

“It's great to want to be a CEO or to be president, but you should also probably make sure that your neighbors have enough food to eat and their homes are safe.”

Ignoring Stereotypes 

Toni Morrison made a very emblematic observation in this 1971 New York Times article. She noticed how Jim Crow signs for white women were designated “White Ladies,” while the signs for Black women read “Colored Women.” Morrison highlighted how the word ‘lady’ implied “a quality softness, helplessness and modesty” while ‘women’ implied that black women were: “unworthy of respect because they were tough, capable, independent and immodest.” Language matters, and this language really exemplifies how womanhood is seen differently according to race. 

White feminism fails to deal with this narrative or even buys into it to this day. This is particularly problematic because the stereotypical image of white women’s ‘purity’ is fundamental in the perpetuation of racist stereotypes that depict Black men as predators and dangerous. In this narrative, Black men are the ultimate threat to a supposed white lady’s victimhood, vulnerability and purity--and this discriminatory image has been used as a justification for racial profiling. 

An example of this happened this year on Memorial day in Central Park, when Amy Cooper tried to intimidate Christian Cooper, a bird watcher who requested her to leash her dog. She threatened to call the police saying that there was, in her own words, an African American man threatening her life. Basically, she was weaponizing the racial stereotype against Mr. Cooper. 

An intersectional feminist approach calls out this narrative and harmful behavior, while a white feminism approach ignores it and sees it as a race problem, one that is isolated from women’s issues.

White feminism fails to call-out white supremacy

It is vastly documented how women of color have historically called out racism in the mainstream feminist movement. And it is equally documented how a great number of white feminists were unwilling to call out white women when they supported exclusionary narratives in the movement and beyond (make sure to read the book This Bridge Called My Back or the The Combahee River Collective Statement to get a better taste of this). 

A white feminist approach ignores the historical relationship that white women have with white supremacy. For example, some leaders in white supremacist organizations were women (e.g., WKKK), many in the movement against school desegregation were women, confederate statues were often erected by women (most notably through the United Daughters of the Confederacy.) and even some feminist leaders supported eugenics. (Also, make sure to check our article about the 19th amendment to learn more about how white supremacy played out even in the suffrage movement.)

But this is not something we can only read in history books. More recently, in 2020, several female business founders step downstep down after being accused of supporting toxic workplaces for people of color they employed (oh, hi there corporate feminism). So, just because someone is a woman, it does not mean that they can’t perpetuate oppression. Again, white feminism ignores that.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. A few other examples of white feminism practices include: Carceral feminism (when feminists exclusively advocate for increased policing, prosecution, and imprisonment to create justice for women, as if the justice system worked equally for all of us and police violence wasn’t an issue), tone policing (when white feminists try to silence the voices of women of color by labeling them aggressive or angry), the white savior complex (when feminists think they are more rational and civilized than other women and should “free” other groups of women.), cultural appropriation, the whitewashing of the contributions of people of color in feminism among others.

It goes without saying that all of the practices described are anti-feminist. Let’s be vigilant to spot, avoid, and call out all of these exclusionary approaches.

And stay tuned. Next month, we will discuss intersectionality. See you soon to talk about solutions!

8 Black Female Writers You Should Add To Your Reading List Right Now

Words can change everything. They’re a powerful tool to educate and inspire, even more when we’re talking about Black female writers. For countless years, only Black male writers were considered successful or relevant to produce literature, although women have been moving us with their books for centuries. Regardless of all male achievements and the old sexist perceptions, more and more Black women are featuring as (excuse my language but they deserve it!) badass contemporary authors.

Fiction or nonfiction, romance or drama, you name it: I want you to add to your all-I-need-to-read-next list the following 8 Black writers who are making history not just in America, but conquering this patriarchal world with the impact of their stories. Truth to be told, I could have brought hundreds of names who are empowering readers planetwide, but this blog post would be endless(!!!). Check out my main list and I promise you that, before you finish reading, I will give you some more incredible Black writers to search about - and fall in love with.

1 - Coretta Scott King

It is an honor to start my list presenting a civil rights’ icon: even though Coretta was best known as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s wife, she left her legacy as a leader advocating for a big nonviolent social change and a self-proclaimed feminist. Her first book “My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr.” was published in 1969, but her work was recognized just long after her death, in 2006. “My life, my love, my legacy” came to life in 2017 by Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds, one of her best friends to whom Coretta confided never-before-told aspects of her life, as well as the importance of standing up for justice being an inspirational heroine in her own right. 

2 - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The voice of Black feminism, Chimamanda is one of the most important authors on race and identity. She has a list of books, poems and short stories that are spreading her thoughtful ideas for a nondiscriminatory, feminine and equal future for all of us through education and social inclusion. “We should all be feminists”, “Americanah”, “Half of yellow sun”, “Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions”, and “Purple hibiscus: a novel” are some of her ‘manifests’ about Black women’s empowerment.

3 - Carolina Maria de Jesus

‘Favelada’ is the Brazilian word for ‘woman from the ghetto (favela in Portuguese)’. With a background of poverty and only two years of schooling, Carolina Maria became a groundbreaking author when she published her own daily journal in 1960. “Child of the Dark: The Diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus” remains a vivid social document that became a best-seller in North America and Europe - described by The New York Times as “both an ugly and touchingly beautiful book”, also translated into 13 different languages.

4 - Toni Morrison

The first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1993, Toni is a profoundly insightful writer who walks us through political and social moments at the same time that enhances us being a novelist of the Black identity in the U.S., especially about Black women experiences. Add to your list: “Beloved”, “Sula”, “Song of Solomon” and “The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations”.

5 - Imbolo Mbue

“Behold the dreamers” is Imbolo Mbue’s debut novel that brings to the light details about the lives of Cameroonian immigrants living in NYC. The book has been receiving high praise since Oprah chose it for her book club, and after hailed by The Washington Post as “the one book Donald Trump should read now because it illuminates the immigrant experience in America with the tenderhearted wisdom so lacking in our political discourse”.

6 - Morgan Parker

Well-known as one of her generation’s best minds, Morgan Parker writes poems with intelligence, humor and her singular black-hearted vision. She brings a funny and contemporary exploration of Black womanhood in “Magical Negro” and “There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé”.

7 - Safiya Sinclair

“Cannibal” put Safiya in the spotlight. The Jamaican writer holds important awards for this poetry collection about the devastating and beautiful renegotiation of the English language, especially against the Black and Brown peoples they colonized. 

8 - Daina Berry & Kali Gross

Two award-winning historians came together to create a vibrant statement that reveals stories of African-American women building their own community to fight oppression, racism and sexism. “A Black Women's History of the United States” goes beyond single narratives to raise different voices from enslaved, religious, activists and queer women.

To keep diving into Black female authors’ words, you can also search for Maya Angelou, Angie Thomas, Octavia Butler, Nicola Yoon, Zadie Smith, Ijeoma Oluo, Morgan Jerkins, Brittney Cooper and Zora Neale Hurston.

Living By Choice: What It Really Means

Through the course of our lives, we make decisions. Everyday, all the time. But have you ever asked yourself if the decisions you're making are truly coming from a place of consciousness? Why did you pick this particular outfit you’re wearing today? Why is your favorite color green, not blue, and how did you end up in the career you have right now? Would you like to get married, and why do you want to have children? The question about the outfit is probably the easiest to answer...

If we thought about all our decisions the same way we think about our #ootd, we would have a completely different life. But we often don’t see our decisions as what they really are: choices. We don’t question ourselves, we go with the flow. It hurts to say that most of us are living a life in default mode, and not realizing it until way down the road.

I started questioning my goals in life in my early 20s, when I realized that I was following a sort of script: graduate, work, find a man, get married, have babies. That’s the “natural course of life” -- not for me. As an elder millennial who grew up in South America, dropping out of school to live abroad 10 years ago, I was TOTALLY off a script that had no room for improvising. 

Back then, I thought it was “a crazy adventure” I was diving into. But I came to realize I was actually embracing my role as the writer of my own story, and stepping towards the freedom of making my choices with intention. I was about to start living my life by choice, by design. And beginning to learn how to live up to my own expectations, not the expectations of others. 

The concept of living by choice is to take control: of your life, your mind, your body. It’s about making decisions that come from a place of “want and desire,” rather than from a place of “should” or “have to.” Think like this: you’re in a boat (your life), and you can either be the captain (take control), or let it sail on its own (with the wind deciding your destination). Although it can be fun to let go (and that’s a way of life, too), I’d rather be the captain of the boat (my life) and of course, leave some room for the unexpected (because sh*t and life happens). 

Now that you know the concept, let’s talk about what it takes to live by choice:

Living by choice requires self-awareness.

That’s where it all starts. There are lots of “shoulds” out there, and to live with intention, you gotta know what you want, and why -- not what you should or should not do or be. So your answers will come from you, your desires, your own expectations. It’ll come from a place of consciousness. Here are a few things you can ask yourself:

Do I really want ________?

Why do I or don’t I want ________?

What is it going to bring, add, or change in my present and future?

How does it affect/will affect my life?

Living by choice requires practice. 

The journey (yep! journey!) of living by choice begins when you decide to be intentional about your decisions. And because this isn’t something you learned growing up, or at school, it’ll take time to adapt. You learned all these rules and beliefs about yourself and the world, and what it means to be here. So the practice will be deconstructing the patterns you’re used to. You gotta remind yourself that you’re in control, and that it’s ok to be. And that reminds me of…

Living by choice requires self-love. 

Because if you don’t love yourself enough, you’ll give up. Living up to our own expectations is difficult -- especially as a woman. Not everyone is interested, in fact, most individuals would rather follow the recipe of life (that’s how I call living a life by default, because you’re following a recipe!), and they’ll try to convince you their way is right -- which is true, but it’s right for them, not for you. You have the right to live life on your own terms, and to make your decisions based on what you want for your future. So love yourself hard! You’ll need it. And stick to your choices, they’re your choices.  

Big or small, our choices are shaping our future. 

Remember that, big or small, we’re making choices on a daily basis. And those tiny ones are not to be taken for granted. The food we feed our body and the thoughts that fuel our mind; the amount of water or alcohol we take; how we spend our time, money and energy. These are also things you gotta be intentional about, and prioritize. It’s ok to cut some things (or people) from your life.

To go from “I have to” to “I want to” takes work, as you see. Even though I’ve been living by choice and practicing intentional living for a while, my decisions are still far from being 100% intentional. In fact, I'd say that I'm 30% there. It takes a lot of practice + self-awareness to live by choice, not by default. As I said, it’s a journey. It’s not easy to break the patterns of our society, of our own beliefs. It can be overwhelming. But fighting these battles will reward you with true freedom, in every single meaning of the word, that you haven’t experienced before. Trust me.

Surviving the Pandemic With Love and Humor: a Guidance to Kindness and Self-Acceptance

I am a writer living the dream in a premature mid-life crisis during the global Covid-19 pandemic. It seems like a lot and it is. How am I surviving? Not sure yet. But I'm still here. Years ago, I promised myself I would keep on writing as long as I could breathe. The world has changed since Covid-19 has taken place. New manners, new habits. The mindset of the new normal is upon us. We are grieving things that haven't been born yet. The dream wedding; that trip to South Asia; the incredible plans we couldn't wait to run; the answers for our uneasy questions; the wonders of a better tomorrow. We, humans, love to make plans, that is how we escape the present. Reality lies in the moment we are at and the current reality kind of sucks. It was there, in the middle of the longest creative block of my life, that I had an epiphany: I am the mother of my emotions. I can not control how they are going to unveil but I can take action towards a positive response to it.  

It was a regular pandemic day. Day number 176 to be exact. I woke up and nothing. I felt only the emptiness of ideas as if they have vanished overnight. I was going to write about the female body and its right to exist in the world, but the topic was too close to home and I couldn't do it. There were just too many open wounds to deal with at once. Stephen King once said that “It starts with this: put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn't in the middle of the room. Life isn't a support system for art. It's the other way around.” This quote has been my daily mantra until Day 176 of this pandemic. I used to write to survive but, what happens when the one thing you feel you are really good at no longer brings you joy? What happens when the meaningfulness of something you love suddenly fades away? What can we do to survive when the tools we have known for so long don't work anymore?

Writing has always been an expression of who I am. When I found myself incapable of writing, I was scared. Then, I realized that after six months within a global pandemic, it is a natural response to not feel ourselves. When I realized this is a temporary phase and it will pass eventually, the answer was simple: I had to wait it out. Easier said than done but, it is perfectly fine to embrace the oddness of the current times. Especially when what you do requires a lot of cognitive work. History has told us that many artists and writers have overly produced their work through a crisis, which is valid and quite inspiring; however, it is important to have in mind that many artists also made good use of procrastination through tough times. If you are feeling exhausted with everything that is going on and in need of a break, we are in this together. Here are some of the things I have been doing in order to remain sane. As far as possible, of course.

Read a book you have been aiming for. Not a classic because there's some pressure to read those, nor a best seller just because your friends told you so. Search in your memory or on your phone that one book we have been dying to read and start reading it. The more we enjoy a story, the deeper we dive into its narrative and, as a result, your brain gets a bit of a rest from everything that is going on out there.

Plan a Friday night ritual. We all know what Friday nights are about: pressure to dress up, go out with your friends or do something fancier. Gentle reminder: we are living through a pandemic that is far from an end so, be creative. Silence all the voices of the world and find out what you really want to watch. This must be a judgement free zone in order to work. As for me, I have binged The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, followed by a bottle of wine and Chinese food.

Make time to be with yourself. As for now, the quarantine has been put on hold and we are all craving for some social interaction - always social distancing obviously, with our beloved ones. Since we have been stuck in our homes for a long time, consider going out to places you have been wanting to go by yourself. A change of setting might just be what you need to recharge. I have been making regular visits to Central Park, people watching and eating snacks. Always in the company of that book we talked about earlier. My choice was Grande Sertão: Veredas - a six-hundred pages novel written by the greatest Brazilian writer Guimarães Rosa. Here's a helpful hint: as a bilingual writer, reading in Portuguese - my first language, has kept me closer to home in these troubled times. 

Extend the kindness you devote to others to yourself. The reason why I didn't start this paragraph with "Be kind to yourself." is because I have always thought I was being kind to myself during challenging times; however, I was not. A mind-blowing way to figure that out is to do this simple exercise: Pick a situation in your life you feel guilty about. Now, put a beloved friend of yours in your shoes. How would you respond to that? Would you be as rigid with them? Would you consider more deeply the circumstances they are at? While doing this exercise, I realized I was too hard on myself, hence, there is no way to win this battle. The kindness I extend to others, I shall extend to myself too. That is the key to self-care.

Laugh. No matter how difficult the situation is, we are resourceful. Somedays, all we have to do is survive. Get through the night that ends a very long day. This is a long day, but it will pass. Humor is not intended to disrespect nor dismiss the emotions of a difficult reality, but humor is there to help us to get through these moments. Our entire bodies are organic machines of adaptability. As for me, it took a couple of weeks to finish an article that would normally take me a day, but that is okay. I did it for me. I did it for us. Because, sometimes, the only way out is through. The way through though can be scary and obscure but, if we hold hands (virtually), we can make it to the other side.

Working Moms, A Pandemic, and Mental Health

A few months ago, I woke up with a feeling of dread and deep sadness in my chest. My alarm had gone off at its usual time, 4:30 am, so I could have some alone time before my husband and the kids woke up. Even my alone time felt sad, and it’s usually the part of my day that energizes me the most. I cried on the couch as I drank my coffee and did my morning scroll, planning the day and answering emails. I couldn’t kick the feeling of dread in my body.

I did my morning workout, but the endorphins just didn’t help. I listened to my favorite song in the shower, but it didn’t make me want to sing. I simply made it through the motions of the morning. I made my way to work, got my temp taken at the front desk and headed into my office. Later that morning, something happened that was a slight inconvenience to me and I felt white hot rage running through my veins. It was almost like my brain was on fire. I couldn’t see straight. And this was happening a lot. Almost daily. I was angry. 

Was it the global pandemic? The civil unrest? The dumpster fire of an election year? The innocent people being killed in the streets?

It was all of that. Every. Single. Thing.

But it was also something else that the world seemed to be missing out on. I was a full-time working mom. With a full-time working husband. And soon we would need to figure out how to school our six-year-old kindergartener virtually while we both worked our 8-5 jobs. And, yes, we are very grateful to still have jobs right now. But thinking about it made me sweat and my heart beat faster. I became overwhelmed and panicked. But this panic looked different. 

I sat at my desk in a catatonic state, with tunnel vision and a ringing in my ears. My chest felt like there was an elephant on it and I was trying not to sob.

“Crying at work is unprofessional.”

“You can’t leave right now, you have work to do.”

“I can’t believe you haven’t done any real work yet, you slacker.”

“You have to be at the office from 8-5. It’s too early to take a lunch break.”

I ended up bolting from my desk at 11 am, when I felt it was appropriate to leave, and had a panic attack on my living room floor. I have spent the last three months seeing a new primary care doctor, a therapist and a psychiatrist. My medicine has been changed three times. And it has been the most stressful three months of my life. I have blisters in my mouth and cysts in my armpits. 

I’m not asking for a break. I’m not asking for sympathy. I am trying to use my voice to tell our business leaders and our government and those in power that are making the decisions, that we are struggling. And that struggle has created a historic rise in mental health problems and a rise in suicides. We are stressed, tired, struggling, anxious, lost, and some are suicidal. If that doesn’t make you realize we need your help, I don’t know what will. 

So what do we need? 

We need flexibility. We need to be allowed to be late. We need to be allowed to leave early. We need to be able to work the hours we need from home so we can help our children with their school work. We should be allowed to take a day off to try and figure it all out. We need help financially. We need you to treat us like you would expect to be treated. I know we are working for you and your bottom line, but you have to think about us. We are your employees, your constituents, your friends, your neighbors, the people passing you on the street. And we are tired. We are struggling. We are barely making it day to day. And some of us aren’t making it at all.

The Fat Consciousness | Awakening

I can’t complain about my childhood. Being an only child has its perks, and even though it isn’t all flowers, I acknowledge my privilege. I was a very picky eater, I ate very little when I was a child. My parents then realized I responded well with sweets in general, and from that point on, my weight derailed. I sincerely don’t remember being bullied - I sometimes was called silly names like “whale”, which I never really cared about. 

In school I was always the fat friend. Paired with the fat boy ‘cause that seemed “proper” as we were “alike.” I remember seeing my school BFF weighing 25 kilograms while I was 42. Back then I couldn’t understand exactly what was going on. But according to my parents, the plan was clear: when I grow taller, the weight would balance out, I just shouldn’t gain anymore. Needless to say I gained more as I stretched out.

My trauma with my weight didn’t come from school. It came from home instead. When my parents were with my school friend’s parents, I would always hear “oh, she already lost a couple kilograms, she will soon be like Vanessa, skinny too!” Those words always carried a weird sense of relief. I wasn’t doing much to lose weight, but still I had it done? Wow! I was getting somewhere, I guess. 

Then the awkward moments came. Nope, this t-shirt is too tight - better loosen up because THEN nobody is going to know how my body looks like underneath. As if my face didn’t look round enough or my fingers weren’t chubby enough to giveaway the fact I was growing up as an obese child. I recall my parents calling me beautiful, praising me as the great daughter I was. I was an easy kid, shy, polite, dedicated to studies. I loved to dance, to play, sing along with the Spice Girls. But I can’t say I was ever encouraged to be confident as a fat kid. I had a good waist, potentially a great figure, but my skinny friend was happier because she had less weight on her knees. I had a beautiful, remarkable face, but skinny girls would find partners more easily, they were more prone to being successful in life because of their whole figure. The duality by which I was treated woke the fat consciousness in me and it has always haunted me, making me vulnerable and insecure. More than that, it made me doubtful. Which I honestly think it’s worse, because it made me struggle internally between embracing my body and hating it and second guessing my worthiness. 

Growing up, I was always learning about a new diet, in a never ending quest to unlock “skinny happiness.” I was always listening to my already skinny friends trying to lose 1 or 2 kilograms, and I was so far from their reality… It never seemed tangible for me to reach them. “It’s easy, just watch what you’re eating.” Well. At home, the offer for food was endless. Nobody was really being strict about creating great eating habits and if you recall, I am an only child. And yes, I was spoiled. I wanted it, I got it. And that was heavy (pun intended) on the sweets. So now we have the second duality my mind had to go through. I had to lose weight, but I was eating unhealthy food at home. Even worse, food was a reward at home, so the emotional appeal it had was impactful to how I dealt with it. 

At 11 years old, my parents decided it was a good moment to join Weight Watchers. I was very obese, like a Botero character. My mom, who also struggled with weight, joined WW with me. I somehow saw it more like a game (at times even like a competition with my mom!) rather than an actual lifetime change. I learned how to swim and first tasted the “skinny happiness”, which led to momentarily “skinny glory” moments like fitting clothes that were actually proper for my age. But it somehow never felt it was enough. The doubtful thoughts would come rushing as in “is this it?” or “does that kid like me or is he joking?” I wasn’t enough. There were always more kilograms to lose. There was no finish line. Then what was the point of pursuing happiness if I couldn’t see the end of the road? More than that, I thought I was happy being fat and eating what I liked. So why was I raised to feel so contradictory about my body and self?

Because society praises beauty standards, and people want to fit in. It is easier when you fit in rather than when you stand up. I now get why my parents would be concerned. But they could have raised me to be confident in my own skin, teaching what the standard was and pointing out our differences rather than giving me mixed signals. Leading me to lose weight because I should be healthy, made better food choices and have mobility like the other kids in school. So parents and caregivers, please beware and don’t replicate this duality I’ve experienced. Your judgment can impact how a naive mind perceives their sense of worthiness. Nothing wrong in not wanting your child to be fat, but implying they need to be skinny to achieve greatness or happiness is not only misleading, but potentially harmful. Being fat doesn’t mean anything other than having extra weight on your body. And your worth is way too valuable to be measured by your body size.

We Need to Talk About White Feminism—Part I

If you identify as feminist, you probably have come across the term “white feminism.” It’s all around social media, in women’s marches, protests and sometimes even in our (nowadays socially distanced, I hope) social life. But do you really know what white feminism means? Can you spot it when it’s in action? More importantly, can you see how it affects your own actions and views about issues of gender? To help you answer some of these questions, we are launching a 3-part series where we will break down this term. We believe that it is only by understanding the issues related to the exclusionary nature of white feminism that we can fully embrace a more inclusive and intersectional approach. This series is particularly important for white intersectional feminists, who should take the lead on fixing the problems we will be talking about--it is not the responsibility of women of color to do this work. 

Stay tuned and let’s dive in!

What Is White feminism?

Simply put, white feminism is a branch of feminism that exclusively looks at the experiences of white, straight, cisgender, able-bodied, middle- and upper-class women. In other words, it only cares about women who have most of the privileges that society can offer—besides, of course, being a woman. Because it exclusively focuses on this demographic, white feminism inaccurately universalizes womanhood, assuming that the white-normative aspirations particular to this group of women reflect all women’s aspirations. This is extremely harmful, because by making white, cis (insert the whole list here) the default, white feminism totally marginalizes everyone else’s concerns. But before we go into more detail, let’s first get some misconceptions out of the way:

Isn’t talking about white feminism divisive?

No, quite the opposite. The only way to actually unite all women is to acknowledge the vast diversity in our experiences and educate ourselves on how race, class, sexuality, nationality and other identities intersect with gender. But white feminism does not allow the space to do that. The main reason why some people feel that critiquing white feminism divides us is because they probably had a false sense of unity in the first place. 

If we don’t see how white feminism operates, chances are it is because we are currently operating within its lenses and are—inadvertently or not—overlooking a whole range of experiences within gender. The only way to solve this, is by acknowledging how white feminism influenced our perceptions on gender. We are already divided in many ways. Not talking about this division will not magically make us come together; it will just make privileged women more comfortable. 

Are all ‘feminists who are white’ white feminists?

Of course not. White feminism is an ideology, not a race. If you are white, there is no need to feel defensive when anyone calls out white feminism. They are not talking about the color of your skin; they are talking about a type of activism. Yes, most (but not all) white feminists are white. But that’s because it’s easier to assume—and be comfortable with—the idea that the experiences of white women are universal when you are one. But nobody is saying that there is some inherent quality to being “white” that makes white women bad feminists. Critiquing white feminism is never about silencing white women or rejecting white women’s experiences. It’s about supporting all voices in the movement.

Are all white feminists racist?

To answer this question, we need to understand the difference between impact and intent. Beverly Tatum brilliantly explained this difference in her book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?. According to her, the ongoing cycle of racism is “like a moving walkway at the airport.” People walking on the conveyor belt, in this analogy, represent actively racist individuals, deliberately promoting and identifying with the direction of white supremacy.

Many others, however, are not actively trying to move in the direction of racism (or white feminism) and are simply standing in the moving walkway. Just by being bystanders, however, they are still moving towards the same destination as those who are actively racists. That is, their intent is different from their impact, because they are still reinforcing a lot of racist beliefs even if they are not actively being racists. A lot of white feminists fall into this group. They don’t consciously understand that they are complicit in the oppression of others by leaving white feminism unquestioned and merely standing still. 

There is a third type of person, however. The type of person every feminist should aim to become. They are those who recognize the motion of the conveyor belt and choose to walk in the opposite direction. As Tatum explains, this type of person: “see the active racists ahead of them, and choose to turn around, unwilling to go in the same destination as the White supremacists. But unless they are walking actively in the opposite direction at a speed faster than the conveyor belt—unless they are actively anti-racist—they will find themselves carried along with the others.” Doing this requires more work, but it is the only way to create an actually inclusive feminism.

To become this type of feminist, the first step we all need to take is to educate ourselves on how white supremacy operates in the women’s movement. It’s only by recognizing the direction of the conveyor belt, that we can turn around. That’s why conversations about white feminism are so important, it helps bystanders to recognize the impact of their inaction, and how white feminism is often the “default.” Remember, the impact of feminism comes from our actions, not our intentions. See you “in a couple of weeks,” when we will go into more detail about what white feminism looks like today. 

New-New York City | Chronicles Of The Young Immigrant Women

Another day walking in the empty and new New York city. I know all corners of Gramercy and the face of every worker in my favorite-bad-deli, just as they know my type of Tuesday bagel. I never really asked their names and I wonder if knowing it would’ve made my chest feel any better when I passed by their closed doors– I don't think so. No apocalyptical movie could guess how sad Manhattan would look like without certain stores and faces. I wandered through the avenues in no rush and there was absolutely no one bumping me. No one to send to hell. In the platform, there was no tourists looking down&up&right&left -all at the same time- to send to hell. There was no me, not a single angry-me, realizing that the hell was being in this station during rush hour. Because the only me standing there was the one surprised that, the hell itself is an empty train smelling like Clorox during rush hour. I didn't know it was possible to feel sad about good sanitation. To me, the scariest part of my life almost-post Corona, is realizing how much I loved the messy, ugly, city of the not-yet-stars. Lonely hearts are now behind masks (as they should) and the fact that I can't tell who's happy and who's sad is taking away from me the magic of my rides home; where I could create many stories just by looking around. Stories that I would write later on during my Tuesday break at my favorite-bad-deli. Thinking that I might never experience again the exact city I chose to live in, is bittersweet. However, I've no doubts the city is improving and that New Yorkers can and will adapt wonderfully to the distance–– by finding new reasons to send people to hell. Corona is silent but its consequences are yelling at me every time I walk out there. I usually yell back. But there's no one to be mad at. This is a type of yell back: a mediocre chronicle that should've been typed in a keyboard full of crumbs of the most horrible bagel in Gramercy. Though I'm ending it in hopes that I'll find a way to read through the masks.

Black Women Entrepreneurship: Community Support Moves Us Forward Because It Brings Us Together

We’ve been talking about how black women, despite the structural racism and gender inequality, are thriving because of their talent, not their skin color. We brought to the light the fact that, even though 50% of women-owned businesses in the U.S. are controlled by minority women, they are still struggling to have access to capital, financial partnerships, mentoring and so on. Now, in this last post of our series, we want to talk about community.

Community is a powerful word for black people in general. When fighting against prejudice, claiming for our lives, promoting our businesses, support is all we need, given that it comes along with care, reliability, trust. Community support brings to black female entrepreneurs the strength they need to rise up. Access to social networks is as important as access to financial capital for underrepresented groups. But guess what? We don’t have to do it alone at all.

Just BE believes that connecting Black women to business programs, funding opportunities and clients can make them level up together. That’s why 8 Black entrepreneurs, who were burning themselves out with limited resources, came together in 2016 to be a network that supports their peers in sharing knowledge, honoring each other’s struggles, developing and running successful businesses. They decided to hold hands to not keep hustling in isolation.

Walking alone is also a no-go for The Runway Project, a national initiative created to provide early-stage funding and holistic business support to Black female founders. They invite women to bridge the racial wealth gap through the infrastructure barriers that try to hold us back. Going down the same path, Black Career Women’s Network offers professional growth opportunities for African American women in business with training, mentoring, coaching, resources to help them strive for career success, empowering them to work in their highest potential.

Minority women entrepreneurs community needs to meet the investor and mentoring communities to build constructive ways side by side. When a business owner has a strong support system (understand by support emotional, educational and financial help here), it is easier to survive, at least, the first five years of the business inside the predominantly male-oriented business ecosystem. 

Dealing with discrimination in all life aspects, Black women found in their innovative ideas, a way out of the marginalization, which led them to be the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the United States (between 2018 and 2019, they started over 1.600 new brands per day around the country, according to the State of Women-Owned Business Report). And when they find other women on the same page, they can address the challenges they face, at the same time that they are able to open new doors while seeing themselves building up community strength. Relationships take their business interactions to a next level because they need to feel safe. More than that, they need to feel they can do whatever they want because the inspiration is right there, in this valuable social capital of real life.

Some American cities in Alabama, North Carolina, Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania are already growing Black entrepreneurial hubs, motivated by Black Girl Venture - BGV, to create safe local spaces for Black women to unify and consolidate their ideas, sharing not just what they have achieved so far, but what they’re dreaming about too. It fosters an essential collaboration between businesses, universities and local government. BGV also started an incubator to take Black and Brown founders to wherever they want to be, accelerating 100.000 business journeys through social capital that unlocks financial capital to celebrate victories all together. Besides that, BGV has a bunch of amazing programs to help Black entrepreneurs to fly higher. You can check it out here and join their Facebook group that makes the community-building visible and stronger.

Building community is our power to come to a wide-ranging change. Finding a group where you feel part of is what fuels us to fight for inclusion. Scenarios are shifting, paradigms are being broken, diversity is speaking up more than ever. But we still have a long way ahead to get to where we want to go, even though we have that steady confidence to drive us forward. It’s time for us, Black women entrepreneurs, to not just feel that we belong. It’s time to, during and after the endeavor, to be the revolution. 

Click here to find more funding and resources as incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces and communities for Black female founders.

Feeling Like A Fraud? Let’s Talk About Imposter Syndrome

Have you ever felt like a fraud? Thoughts like you don't know why you got that job or you don't understand why people like your work? The truth is nobody is 100% confident all the time but, how can you tell the difference between the standard "butterflies in your stomach” from your brain screwing you over? It has a name: it is called the Imposter Syndrome. It's a phenomenon that occurs with high achieving individuals, mostly women. People who experience this syndrome tend to believe they are a fraud or that they are fooling others. They're convinced that they are faking their way to their accomplishments, and they believe people will find out about them eventually.

It is estimated that 70% of the population has it, myself included. In college, whenever I got compliments, or even when I get a promotion at work, I would ask "why". Why are these people saying I'm smart? Why do they want to give me a promotion? I would even run away from opportunities because I didn't believe I was worth it, I thought "they will find out I'm a fraud  sooner or later.” It turns out I was wrong, not them. My past is filled with opportunities life gave me and I dismissed them because I never felt I was good enough, because I never believed in myself.

The idea for this article came from a chat with a friend. She told me she was diagnosed with this syndrome after seeking help for her anxiety. She would faint or have stomach aches every time she had to go to a job interview, or any other time she needed approval from others. Discovering her condition and getting treatment was "life changing," she said. And that's how I learned about the syndrome, and how important it is for all of us to be aware of it.

The symptoms may vary, but the most common ones are negative self-talk and constant feelings of self-doubt. That's how it starts, the syndrome  strikes in you a cycle of self-sabotage, and it is serious enough to trigger psychosomatic signs in those who have it, like panic attacks for example.

If you struggle with Imposter Syndrome, you probably credit your achievements to "luck" constantly, rather than give the credit to yourself and your hard work. As the name of the syndrome itself, you feel like you are an imposter, you don't believe you are capable of those achievements, or you believe you don't deserve recognition.

Here are a few more signs to pay attention to:

1 - You have difficulty accepting compliments (not even "You're beautiful");

2 - You feel a compulsion to be the best;

3 - The fear of failure can paralyze you (red flag!);

4 - You're convinced you're not enough - and this speech goes on and on inside of your head.

Another friend of mine agreed to share a little about her own experience, and how she felt when she found out about the Imposter Syndrome:

“I didn't know I was suffering from Imposter Syndrome. Actually, I didn't even know it existed. I am very communicative, and I was always very convincing. Usually, everyone around me would get influenced by my ideas and suggestions. But instead of being proud of myself, I thought they were enchanted by my silly and fun way of speaking. I thought I was lucky.

"I'm lucky. That's why I got this job.
But I shouldn't be here..."
"I'm not as good as they think."

I’d have never thought that I have been sabotaging myself for so long. Being aware of the syndrome made me pay closer attention to my behavior in a way I’ve never had before. And that was when I realized that if I didn't prove to myself that I was capable, I’d keep on losing opportunities, not appreciating recognition, and worse than that, I’d be losing my self-confidence more and more over time.”

To overcome Imposter Syndrome is not easy, but it's possible and necessary in order to own your future and be successful. So here goes a few tips:

Identify it

If you are experiencing these feelings, it's ok. Apparently, most high achievers are. So start recognizing them, and remember that it is just a condition, not a life sentence.

Share

We are never alone (especially in this case). By sharing your experience, you might be surprised by the amount of support you can get from people who either are currently in the same situation as you are or who have been there before.

Reaffirmation

Let's replace these negative thoughts with empowering ones. Shall we? You are capable, you are smart, and you are good at what you do. It is crucial though to be kind to yourself and to understand that you are unique, and the world needs your skills!

Look for Help

Look for expert help - either support groups, a therapist, or a coach, but it is extremely important that you find help and don't allow this condition to take over your life! 

~ Accept your accomplishments, don't fear failure, and embrace opportunities.

Celebrating the Centennial of Women’s Right to Vote: Three Facts to Keep in Mind

100 years ago tomorrow, Tennessee became the 36th and final state needed to ratify the 19th amendment as law, hence guaranteeing women's constitutional right to vote. As much as it is tempting to just focus on celebrating the suffragettes’ accomplishments and bravery, we also need to talk about some of the ugly truths behind this centennial milestone. That’s because ignoring the history that we don’t like should not be an option. To understand and address our current issues, we need to first acknowledge the full history of previous generations, which includes their shortcomings. As we kick off this anniversary, I gathered 3 uncomfortable—yet crucial—facts for all of us women (especially white) to reflect on.  

1.     The 19th Amendment Did Not, in Practice, Grant Access to The Ballot Box to All Women

The idea that after 1920 all women could vote in the U.S. is a myth. In practice, the 19th amendment protected mostly white, middle- and upper-class women. Yes, the 19th amendment blocked all states from denying voting rights based on gender, which—in theory—should have been enough to guarantee all women’s right to vote. But because the 19th did not say anything about race, it didn’t guarantee much for women of color.  

Millions of women — especially black women in the Jim Crow South— could not vote because of poll taxes and “literacy tests” that were used to purposely disenfranchise them. In Virginia, for example, a college-educated black woman named Susie W. Fountain was stopped from voting because she “failed” a sham literacy test that consisted of a blank piece of paper. Fountain is only one of the countless cases of voter suppression against black women post-19th amendment.

It took about 45 more years for women of color—through the Voting Rights Act, which outlawed discriminatory voting practices—to finally enjoy their constitutional right to vote. It’s vital to remember that to this day voting suppression persists, most notably through voter ID requirements and the placing of polling booths in areas that are difficult to access for marginalized communities. 

          2. Racism and White Feminism Influenced the Suffrage Movement in Many Ways

White suffragists often excluded people of color from the movement. In many suffrage marches, black women were forced to the back of the line –when they were included at all. No black women attended the famously celebrated Seneca Falls convention. Moreover, after the passage of the 15th amendment, which gave black men the right to vote, some well-known white suffragettes began using racist rhetoric to push for women’s right to vote. Although some suffragists like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony opposed slavery before the civil war, their alliance with abolitionists deteriorated after black men got the vote before white women. Then, some white suffragettes began to argue that white women were more qualified to vote than Black men and at times even made alliances with opponents of Black suffrage. 

The mainstream suffrage movement, often deliberately, undermined or blatantly dismissed the voices of women of color. When the black suffragist Mary Church Terrell, for example, requested the movement to address women of color‘s concerns, some white feminists claimed that black women’s disenfranchisement was a race problem — not a gender problem. And to this day, a branch of feminism that centers on the experiences of privileged women and ignores intersecting issues of race persists. Stay tuned to our blog in the next few weeks to learn more about “white feminism,” and how it endures to this day. 

              3. History Books Focus on White Suffragists, But Women of Color Were Central in the Women’s Suffrage Movement

Most of us think of the names of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony when we think about the 19th, but there is a vast list of suffragettes of color that were fundamental to the movement, from whom we unfortunately hear less about. We need to celebrate these women, who—despite the extra barriers that they faced—vigorously fought for our right to vote.  

For example, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, who was a visionary intellectual in the fight for women’s rights and in a meeting of the American Equal Rights Association in 1866, she gave a groundbreaking speech on what we today call intersectionality. She was an acclaimed speaker and shared stages with activists such as Frederick Douglass and Lucretia Mo. Another widely respected women’s suffrage activist and abolitionist was Sarah Parker Remond, she was a member of the American Equal Rights Association, and voraciously toured the northeast to support and preach about women’s voting rights.

Other important figures were Ida B. Wells, co-founder of the NAACP, who used her journalism to highlight racist issues in the South. Adelina (Nina) Otero-Warren, a central figure that helped pass the 19th Amendment in New Mexico and helped spread the word about the suffrage movement in Spanish. Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin, who focused her activism on the rights of Native American women. Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, an academic who relentlessly advocated for women’s right to vote, but probably never voted because of her status as a Chinese immigrant. The list goes on and on. 

As We Celebrate the Centennial of the 19th, Let’s Challenge Any Type of Exclusionary Narrative

Let’s fully acknowledge this history when we celebrate this centennial. The work of women of color, who highlighted how racism, sexism, and all forms of discriminations are bound together was vital and continues to be vital today. Intersectional feminism—a feminism that acknowledges the interconnected nature of these issues—is the only type of women’s movement that can truly benefit us all. But to achieve it, we need to face the imperfect parts of our history and appreciate the work of the women who came before us.

A feminism that ignores the role that white supremacy has historically played is, by definition, a white supremacist feminism. History isn’t over—we are all collectively still writing it—and it is up to us to make sure that the women’s movement becomes a fight for all women and by all women. These suffragists of color refused to accept a limited white-centered gaze on gender issues—and so should all of us. Happy 19th Amendment anniversary!

Author’s note: I’m a white-passing Brazilian woman living in the U.S., and the issues raised in this article are intended to be focused on non-white voices. Please, seek out more information from women of color. Here are some books suggestions: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/313110.This_Bridge_Called_My_Back

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32809732-daughters-of-a-nation

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/353598.Black_Feminist_Thought

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32951.Sister_Outsider

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/635635.Women_Race_Class

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51378.Feminist_Theory 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36687229-hood-feminism

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6792458-the-new-jim-crow

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35099718-so-you-want-to-talk-about-race

Toxic Positivity: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is Off

Since the pandemic started, we have lost so much. People, jobs, dreams, opportunities, momentum. Life, as it is, has become hard enough for us to rethink it. Undeniably, every single one of us had lost something after Covid-19 hit us. And it hit us hard. No one was prepared for it and we probably never will. While we learn how to live and lose simultaneously, life keeps its course, leaving us nothing but an unsettling timeframe to work with. Is there anything left for us to do? Yes. We must take a deep breath and think positively, right? Wrong! Lately, we have been surrounded by what we call toxic positivity, which is the belief that, while struggling with something, we must speed through our emotions. And, even though this expression is quite new, there is evidence that we are lacking an old friend: balance.

Toxic positivity is a mental mechanism in which we ignore bad feelings and deny negative emotions in order to recover sooner from an unpleasant situation. The problem is, by speeding through the negative emotions, the healing process lacks this piece of the emotional equation. There is no shortcut to utterly heal, therefore, it is crucial to listen to our body and mind and learn our own healing process.

Since it is no longer acceptable to talk about achieving perfection, we moved the focus somewhere else. We are now obsessed with the perfect state of mind: to be unconditionally and irrevocably happy, happy, happy! We forget that happiness is a state of mind to be conquered, not granted. We only know happiness because sadness exists. Both can coexist and yet, we can choose to live a fulfilling and happy life. Not all the time, but as much as possible. The idea is happiness intrinsically connected to the idea of pursuing. One doesn't exist without the other. The pursuit of happiness is what keeps us going.

Aren't we all deniers? A denier is someone who refuses to admit the truth or existence of something. Sometimes for fear, other times for lack of tools to fight the truth or deal with it. Although denial is an important element that keeps us functioning in certain circumstances, it is imperative to find room for the negative emotions as well, they are an inseparable part to the path that leads to healing.

Sometimes, acknowledgement is plenty. One particular side of toxic positivity is that one is bombarded with positive quotes, when instead we might actually need the supportive ones. There is an interesting article on Huffpost about toxic positivity with several examples of things we automatically say to one another that we might think are harmless, but are in fact, harmful and overwhelming. Especially in the light of the fact that, due to Covid-19 global pandemic, it is more important than never to take care of our mental health.

It takes time to heal. Not everybody else's time, but our own. We live in a culture obsessed with fixing things. And given the fact that mental health became a huge conversation topic these days, we seem to be eager to fix it. There is, obviously, nothing wrong with the attempts to fix whatever is going wrong in order to live a happier and more fulfilling life, the problem is how fast we want to get it over with. Healing is a daily process and living a life running against time to get it done as quickly as possible is not helpful. It is, in fact, a source of anxiety. If we take a look at the last year numbers of cases on depression and suicide because of anxiety, we will have a better idea of how urgent it is to stop toxic positivity. 

Toxic positivity seems to be the new "life is perfect" movement in the internet era. Since we can no longer sell the idea of perfection, we swerved our behavior in a different direction for the sake of keeping denial on the menu, that is part of human nature. Everyone has the right to cope with difficult times in their own way; however, we must learn to give to each other the permission to feel whatever we want to feel. After a few months since the pandemic took over globally, the new normal is somewhere between the longing for life as it used to be and the desire to go back to that life. We must mourn our losses whatever they are. If it's a small or big loss, it is nobody's job to figure that out, but you. When we allow others the space to feel, we end up learning our own boundaries and start creating the space for us as well. The more we fight it, the longer it will take for us to adjust to this new life. Life has already been hard enough, let's just let it be for a while. And whenever we're ready, we go from there.

For The Boy I Used to Babysit, Reuben | Chronicles Of The Young Immigrant Women

I never thought about taking care of kids until I moved to New York and caught myself searching for a job that would help me pay for college, at eighteen years old. Most latina women and immigrants are working inside family houses, in different positions. Not always the experience with the parents is the best, for numerous reasons, but I’ve heard lovely stories about their relationship with the kids. As expected, every family in Manhattan is different, meaning you can get to experience literally a world of cultural shocks. You’ll see a lot of kids on the island, growing with aspects of their nanny’s background. I personally love it. Although every story is as peculiar as you can imagine, one thing they have in common: dealing with kids have brought love, light and the company lacking in their life abroad. Many we hear about negative and abusive stories–– which are definitely worth sharing as these workers deserve the voice and rights denied more often than expected, but today I’ll share my connection with this little boy who changed me forever. I hope to hear more narratives of this kind. This is a letter I wrote him the day I left, many years after watching his legs, mind and heart grow bigger and bigger (so did mine)…

“I say I love you every Monday, every Wednesday and every Thursday. And when I say I love you, I say it at least thirty times in all languages I know. I do this to make sure you will remember it on Tuesdays, Fridays, weekends and holidays. Not only this–– I wanna make sure you know that, when you say you love me the whole universe; that lives between your arms; inside your chest; and up your ticklish belly; I love you back all of it and maybe more. Actually, definitely much more. Sometimes I wonder if this isn’t too much for someone who doesn’t reach the bookshelf yet. Then you smile and I feel foolish for thinking there will ever be a love you can't understand.  If only you, Reuben, could reach and hug everyone’s legs in the world, the way you hug mine everyday when I open the door... what a giant piece of peanut butter and jelly sandwich the world wouldn’t be! Can you imagine a world where everybody sings Sesame Street as their national anthem? I bet Elmo wouldn’t build any wall. Besides (there it goes, a word you love) how great wouldn’t the world be, if our biggest fear was a big blue furry monster who eats cookies? I wish the world was made out of your little hands drawing a picture. Reuby, you are the best thing I’ve ever heard saying avocado and hating potatoes. With you and the million rocks you pick on the floor to wash and take care of, I’ve learned so much about choosing which ugly things we will turn into something beautiful. Ruby Buby, you always have so much to say about anything alive... and sometimes your little head, that I love to smell after the five thirty shower, sometimes this head, can’t even follow all of this you need to express. To see you trying is my favorite thing to watch. I want you to know you woke up the best part of me. The part that can still pretend we are nothing but butterflies, flying through the lobby as fast as we can, so we can catch the elevator first, to have a chance to press the button ourselves, because that is independency–– pressing the button ourselves even though it’s always going to the same place, is independency too. This reminds me of how good it is to, at least pretend we have some control over things. I like to think imaginations like yours will save future souls and trees. Rub-bub, when you look at me through your goggles before swimming lessons, and you wish me a good time watching you swim, then adds “be safe!” I know it’s because you want me to wish and tell you the same. This is my every-thursday-reminder that, if we wanna hear something we must say it first. Bubs, I love you one of the best loves I’ve ever felt. The one that’s proud of your scissoring skills, even when along with peeled crayons and million pieces of paper all over the floor. My dear boy, I don’t even think you should be around the many insane things I’ll write throughout my life. However, whenever I try to describe a pure feeling, I need to make sure a part of my love for you is going to be present. I speak my heart out now, because you are a huge part of it. Reuben, I love you and I wish I could write this thirty times. Even though I  think this phrase hasn’t been very original lately, I do need to have this written. It’s to make sure that when the time comes for you to reach the bookshelf, you can read this one yourself. Then you’ll know how much you still are important to me. And to everyone that ever gets the luck of being around you. If you are reading this now: hello, Reuben! Or I should say: Oi, Reuben! I love you every single day.”

‘Tampon Tax’: What It Is and Why You Should Care

What does Viagra, Chapstick, donuts and dandruff shampoo all have in common? They are all exempt from sales tax in most U.S. states because they are considered basic necessities. What’s missing from that list? Menstrual products. Periods are a part of the lives of roughly half of the population on the planet, they pretty much make the reproduction of human life possible – and yet, 33 states still tax menstrual products as luxury items. 

This sales tax—usually called the ‘tampon tax’—definitely deserves our attention. Put simply, tampon tax means the revenue earned from the value added tax charged on menstrual products. But does this mean that there is a specific tax on tampons? No, it doesn’t. 

Sales taxes are charged on all “tangible personal property,” and menstrual products are included in this group. But the thing is, states also have the authority to make sales tax exemptions for products deemed “basic necessities,” usually groceries, certain types of foods, drugs (yes, you can include Viagra here), and even clothes in a few states. So, when a state sales tax is imposed on menstrual products, it essentially means that these products are being categorized as ‘luxury items.’

I know…Apologies for stating the obvious, but tampons, pads, cups and other menstrual products are definitely not luxury items. These products are vital on a monthly basis for

all menstruating people. The tampon tax is an extra financial burden that women, non-binary and transgender people must bear on top of the cost of already expensive and biologically necessary items. As all menstruating people well know, these items are absolutely needed for us to go to school, to work, to socialize—to basically be able to participate in public life.

But Is it Really a Big Deal? 

To a person with a steady income or with accumulated wealth, spending a few extra dollars on tampons or pads every year might not sound like a huge deal. But for women with a lower socioeconomic status, tampon prices can be a big part of their income. In fact, forty percent of non-elderly U.S. adults had difficulty meeting a basic need like food, housing or health care in 2018, according to a research conducted by the Urban Institute. For the menstruating people in this group, the tampon tax has a real impact. With nearly 14 percent of girls and women living below the poverty line in the U.S., the price for essential menstrual products is no small issue. 

But to fully understand the relevance of the tampon tax on menstruating people’s lives, we need to first understand what period poverty means. According to the Vision and Voice of Women in Medicine (AMWA), "period poverty refers to the inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and education, including but not limited to sanitary products, washing facilities, and waste management." Period poverty risks social isolation and is a health issue. It increases the chance of infection due to the use of unhygienic alternatives, for example toilet paper, newspaper or even socks instead of proper menstrual products.  

You might be surprised to know that in the U.S., the richest country on earth, period

poverty is a thing. In fact, 1 in 4 Women struggled to purchase period products in 2017 due to lack of income, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. 1 in 5 teens have struggled at some point to afford period products and 84% of American teens have either missed or know someone who has missed school due to period poverty, according to a research commissioned by Thinx & PERIOD. 

On top of the income burden, people with uteruses can’t even get period products through government assistance programs like SNAP or Medicaid. Also, pads and tampons are one of the most-requested items in shelters and food banks, as reported by Bloomberg. So, yes, state sales taxes on these products are definitely a big deal. 

So, Why Can’t We Get Rid of the ‘Tampon Tax?’ 

Because of the way that the tax system works in the U.S, there can’t be a national legislation for

sales taxes; hence change needs to occur at the state level. And because each year states generate millions in revenue from the tampon tax, abolishing it is obviously not easy.

The loss of revenue is the most commonly used argument in favor of the tampon tax. Some even argue that creating exemptions for individual items is unreasonable. For example, Katherine E. Loughead, a policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington said: “Every time another exemption is passed, it means the tax rate that applies to everything else will have to increase in order to generate that same amount of revenue,”.

But it might be worth remembering that the current administration managed to pass a $1.5 trillion tax package that cuts individual rates and slashes the top corporate tax rate. So, seemingly the loss of revenue is not necessarily an unmanageable problem. Also, focusing on revenue loss actually misses the central point in the conversation around the tampon tax, which is that menstrual products are, undeniably, basic necessities. As long as there are exemptions in sales taxes, the discussion should be focused on which products are in fact essential—not on what the tax revenue impact of eliminating these taxes is. 

But There Is Progress Being Made

The tampon tax has been abolished in several states, as well as in other countries. Canada's tax on feminine hygiene products, for example, was lifted in 2015, after thousands signed an online petition on the matter. In Britain, the tax will be abolished once Brexit is complete, and until then, taxes from menstrual products are being put into a special fund for women’s health.  Germany, India, Malaysia and Australia have also ended the tax. Also, between 2016 and 2018, Nevada, New York, Florida, Connecticut and Illinois eliminated the tax, while many other states also introduced bills to do so. 

There is evidence that the public opinion is shifting towards ending the tax. The market research company OnePoll surveyed 2,000 women in the U.S. in 2019 and found that 67 percent of respondents thought a tax on period products was sexist. Advocacy around menstrual equity—i.e., the adequate access to menstrual hygiene products and education about reproductive health—has gained traction in recent years. Some advocates are even seeking to mobilize legal action based on the idea that the tampon tax is unconstitutional. The campaign Tax Free. Period., for example, was founded in June 2019 and aims to end the tampon tax with the argument that, because it only applies to people who menstruate, it constitutes a form of sex-based discrimination, which basically means that it is unlawful.

Conversations around period poverty expand beyond the tampon tax, though. They also include making menstrual products available in public restrooms, prisons, shelters, schools, as well as the implementation of educational programs and campaigns to end the stigma around periods. Menstrual hygiene is essential for people’s health and for their ability to participate in public life—it should be available for all. The fact that menstrual products are still subject to sales taxes as luxury items in 33 states is a testament that there is still a long way to go until we achieve menstrual equity. But change will come as more people continue to use their voices to convey the idea that menstrual products are a right, not a luxury. 

Take action:

https://www.period.org/get-involved

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/tax-free-period-lola-campaign-tax-day/

https://www.taxfreeperiod.com/protest

https://hashtaghappyperiod.org

https://www.girlshelpinggirlsperiod.org/how-you-can-help

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/tampon-tax-us-states