[lilyblue]

I wanted to resurrect the Busties of Color thread. Allies welcome.

Reading in another thread about what is feminist/not feminist got me thinking about how people perceive women of color. For me, being black, I have constantly spent most of my life being told that I am not black enough. Even my grandmother has said that to me.

I remember sitting in my hairdresser's chair and asking if we could turn the news off. I simply found it depressing. She then said that "my grandmother was right, you do think you are a white girl". I was crushed. It still hurts to think about because I just want to be myself. I am just me, yet it's not good enough.

Sometimes I wonder if I should call myself feminist or womanist. Am I betraying other WOCs if I call myself feminist? Do I really think I'm white?

It's been the bane of my existence for years. I've been depressed over it and I would love to discuss stuff like this.

Also, in what ways does the feminist movement still exclude women of color?

[lilyblue]

lex, thanks for that link. it's something i recognized while reading martha stewart weddings. there were only two ads with black women and one actually had one in a wedding dress...too bad they featured her from the back.

greenbean, i think this goes back to your original question. i am starting to think that if we let the magazines know that if they were to feature more people of color (and not just the ones that look closest to white), we would be willing to buy their magazines. then again, do i really want to contribute to more consumerism in general?

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how do y'all cope with the racial stereotypes placed on women of color with regards to sexuality? for me, i tend to keep my true sexual self hidden because I don't want to appear to be a stereotypical black woman. you know, always willing and wild sexually. except that's partly who i am. i have a strong drive and yet i feel like i have to hide it because the culture at large can't handle black women who own their own bodies. it also can't handle the idea of a black woman who is also tender hearted and shy who also likes sex. it's like i have to be the damned virgin or the whore.

now this can apply for all women, yet the mass media seems to put out the image of women of color as especially wanton in their desires instead of making it absolutely natural. i've been thinking of this especially since reading a paper by Celine Shimizu regarding Asian women in porn (it's fascinating really, if you want to read it, i can send it to you.). i'm not totally comfortable with porn/men's media, and even to a lesser level, women's media for this reason.

not seeing anyone like me reflected make me feel odd. like, am i really black because i don't act this way? or am i more white-identified because i do?