Hood Feminism- Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
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Web ID: 11774704Inspiring
This is a book that everyone should read, especially women. Mikki Kendall presents a clear picture of the challenges within feminism. Her writing style is straightforward and unapologetic. She addresses various issues women face, from food security to access to equal healthcare. Kendall emphasizes that being an ally is about speaking supportively and demonstrating that support through actions. Although the book is heavy and thought-provoking, it is crucial to engage with its content, especially given the pressing issues we currently face, with few solutions on the horizon. Written in 2020, the book resonates with the themes discussed during the recent election, evoking a sense of déjà vu about the political landscape. This book would also make an excellent addition to a women's studies course.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Book Everyone Should Read
An engrossing, essential read that belongs in everyone's core library. There were many moments that I had to set the book down and digest what I had just read since the information is so crucial. A fresh and interesting perspective.
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Mandatory
“When I was a kid I thought there must be some way I could perform being good, perform being ladylike to the point of being safe from sexism, racism, and other violence.” (Mikki Kendall) Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgotby Mikki Kendall explores the side that mainstream white feminism constantly silences. As a woman from a third-world country living that has attended prestigious universities with a predominantly white student body, this book made me feel seen. However, more than seen, I felt heard. As someone used to the othering inflicted on me, I still had a visceral reaction while reading what I had no words to explain. Sometimes we feel like traitors for not prioritizing gender over race and class struggles. Sometimes we get consumed by guilt for not relating to our white sisters and their struggles. Sometimes, it is impossible to smile when they break the glass ceiling and we are the ones left to clean. That is what it feels like to be a woman like me, a woman like Kendall, and this book compiles those feelings and validates them. The term ‘Hood feminism’ is what I know as Postcolonial or Transnational Feminism. It doesn’t matter if you as a reader have no idea what it means or if you know it by any other name, but what it encloses will be apparent to you 10 pages in. Independently if you are white or not, female, male, or non-binary, I think this is such a good read for educating ourselves in many areas. If we pay attention to the title, the most salient words are ‘notes’, ‘women’, ‘forgot’. ‘Notes’ marks the structure of this book. Kendall breaks her arguments apart and every chapter covers a topic that is relevant to women and their adjacent struggles that are often not included when we talk about feminist struggles. That question, ‘what is a feminist struggle?’ is the recurrent question of each chapter. Now, my critique comes because due to the structure of ‘notes’ there is no final resolution but the conclusions of each chapter. ‘Notes’ is different from an essay, memoir, new journalism, reportage, thesis, and any other type of writing form you could think about. Think about your personal notes. They are scattered with a monotonous and practiced routine, and they are not always connected or polished as you will use them later for a rounder work. The conclusions at every chapter of Hood Feminism are well-wrapped and Kendall masters the construction of chapters, so they are not exactly 'notes', yet they are not very polished or innovative as a developed argument. Each chapter is enjoyable, counts with research and personal experiences to back up claims, and in general, they feel pretty compelling when taking the core question about what is feminism issue. Nevertheless, after a few chapters, this formula becomes repetitive and somewhat tiresome as we are just restating the same concept with the only variable being the topic of the chapter. Yes, we have the issue, arguments to include it as a feminist issue, and the convincing ending of the chapter, but it leads nowhere beyond the exposition of several problems. Maybe I find it repetitive because I’ve had already considered almost all the topics Kendall covers as feminist issues. After all, I am from Mexico and I am not ignorant of what transnational feminism should care about. From that perspective, I need to give Kendall a break for being somewhat formulaic because yes, I felt heard, yet I wanted to get something unknown for me and my experience. I will be recommending Hood Feminism to everyone I encounter, especially those with a different life experience than me. Hood Feminism is targeted at those that benefit from patriarchal relations, white supremacy, and class privileges, as they are those that stir ‘the movement’ into forgetting those of us who completely understand every part of this book before even reading it.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
An enlightening book that tells it like it is
Uncomfortable at times (as I was expecting and like it should be), HOOD FEMINISM isn't afraid to tell it like it is. To call out mainstream feminism for what it is: White Feminism and a vessel for White Supremacy. Each chapter breaks down a specific bias and immense oversight by white feminism, instead presenting needs and dangers of communities from the viewpoint of the most vulnerable and impacted. It constantly dives into why things are they way they are, and what sorts of measures and thought processes could improve the system, both from without as well as within. It wasn't the most comfortable read for me sometimes, because I know that I have some serious shortcomings in my striving to be a better ally and accomplice. And there was a specific chapter at the end that really struck a nerve (one about letting personal relationships slide due to comfort) that I knew coming in is my #1 failure, but this book provided a lot of great food for thought. I'll definitely be returning to it again and again, and recommending it frequently. I appreciate Mikki Kendall taking the time to write about her experiences and shine the light on issues that, frankly, aren't her job to constantly explain. But I'm grateful that she has.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Necessary and Insightful Critique on Feminism
Hood Feminism is a critique of the feminist movement and the canyon-sized divides between white women and BIPOC women. In her collection of essays she includes touches on respectability politics, poverty, race, and hyper-sexualization, just to name a few. One essay that stuck out to me personally was, “How To Write About Black Women.” I felt that it gave voice to unfortunately common experiences Black women endure in society. I came for… a current critique on modern feminism I stayed for…. The experience of another Black woman validating the experiences I have had and seen others endure. “Too often white feminism lies to itself. It lies about intent and impact; it invests more in protecting whiteness than in protecting women. It’s not a harmless lie either; it does direct harm to marginalized communities. Being harmful is a source of power that some white feminists have embraced in lieu of actually doing any real work.”- From the “Allies, Anger and Accomplices” essay. Hot Cocoa Moments: The chapter titled “Education” got me all types of riled up! I was writing down ideas for a professional development reflection session after reading that. You got rules! But is your space truly safe for all students? “When you can be forced out of class for having the wrong colors on your shoes (a la the rules in several charter schools around the country), the adults around you teach you that they value obedience over education. And if they don’t value you or your future, then why should you?”
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