When I think back to my own experience as an academic many of my most uncomfortable moments have been as a result of asking this question: who appears? And: who does not appear? There was one conference on Australian feminism for example, when only white women were invited as speakers. Hey: I was used to this, you come to expect this, and I didn’t say anything. Whiteness is wearing. But then many of those speakers began talking about native title. They did so without referring to any Indigenous scholars; indeed they were talking about native title almost entirely in relation to the European philosophical tradition (Derrida, Delueze etc.) There was no discussion of the politics of that framing; no discussion of whiteness; or of what it means to speak from the position of occupying stolen land. When I pointed this out, it caused quite an upset. It became very uncomfortable. And then a special issue of a journal was published (again with all or only white non-Indigenous feminists) and the introduction stressed how Australian feminism was “good” with questions of cultural difference. Up against it, you come up against it. The wall keeps its place so it is you that becomes sore.
Making Feminist Points | feministkilljoys
Sara Ahmed, who I am on record as referring to one of my biggest inspirations and who I consider to be a role model (she won’t be happy with my using of such a word to refer to her but trust me, she IS a role model) of feminist thought, ethics and praxis HAS HER OWN BLOG. And if the world was a fair place, she would get ALL THE ATTENTION AND ALL THE ACCOLADES AND ALL THE READERS. Because she deserves all that and more.
Check her out, read her, and again, if the world was fair, she would be the feminist we all aspire to be, at the very least in terms of integrity and depth.
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