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"There's the potential stigma attached to the idea of needing mental health treatment or cultural expectations that someone in pain seek help from religion rather than psychology or psychiatry. For those who grow up in the church, prayer is more likely to be recommended than Prozac. And while there's nothing wrong with finding prayer comforting, it can't fix brain chemistry. "

White liberal feminism has always left a horrible taste in my mouth. This book explains why. Just as no one is free until everyone is free, no woman is empowered until all women are empowered. It is essential reading at this moment in time.

Please share any resources, people or groups you follow, or book recommendations.

https://www.instagram.com/liberaljane?igsh=MWV2cXlkNmhlbDFtbQ==

https://www.feministbookclub.com/

https://www.aclu.org/

How to be an antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Information on intersectionality

Remember to check your privilege!

I recognize that as a white woman I have immense privilege most of the time.

https://just1voice.com/advocacy/wheel-of-privilege/

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/6/explainer-intersectional-feminism...

https://www.womankind.org.uk/intersectionality-101-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-impo...

#RiseUpReads

I thought this was so informative & even with the subject matters being quite heavy, the sections were easily digestible. I highlighted the crap out of the book so much so that my highlighter was dying by the end.

"The process of becoming an ally requires a lot of emotional investment, & far too often the heavy lifting of that emotional labor is done by the marginalized, not by the privileged."

#RiseUpReads @Catsandbooks

This book is one of the best feminist books I have ever read. Kendall exposes how marginalised women are excluded from feminist causes and how we must bring these women into the fold in order to claim feminism as an equality concept.
If you consider yourself a feminist, you MUST read this book. It will show you how you can do better.

"Too often comments that promote toxic masculinity are masked in language that valorizes dangerous mentalities. Far too often those in relationships with men are told that they need to be submissive, to learn how to hold a man down no matter what, to be understanding and patient despite red flags ranging from cheating to outright abuse."

"We know that food deserts exist, areas where groceries are scarce and what is available may be unfit for human consumption. But food insecurity is more complicated than simply the ability to access food. There's the question of what food costs versus what people can afford. If you live near a grocery store but can't afford to shop there, then it doesn't matter your not in a food desert. Your still hungry. And hunger doesn't have an age limit"

A perfect time for a reread of this.

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

20/20
Join if you would like!

#20Covers

"We rarely talk about basic needs as a feminist issue. Food insecurity and access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues. "

Starting this today.

Kept an open notepad while listening to this. Really appreciated this as a re-read — I think it‘s the type of thing that benefits for re-reading. Looking forward to the #RiseUpReads discussion. @Catsandbooks

I found the writing to be very dry, which combined with the fact that Kendall wasn‘t telling me anything I didn‘t already know and understand as a Black American woman, I unfortunately had to DNF this one.

#RiseUpReads

This is actually a re-read for me but I read a few years ago and recall it being chock full of great info. I‘m about a quarter in. Current stand out:

“The bullets that didn‘t hit me still change me”

repost for @Catsandbooks:

#RiseUpReads January 2025
Hood Feminism: Notes from the women that a movement forgot - Mikki Kendall

Read at your own pace. There will be a discussion posted on Litsy at the end of the month.

Please tag me in your posts & use #riseupreads
If you're not currently tagged & would like to be, let me know.

Content warnings in comments on original post:
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2821414

#RiseUpReads January 2025
Hood Feminism: Notes from the women that a movement forgot - Mikki Kendall

Read at your own pace. There will be a discussion posted on Litsy at the end of the month. 

Please tag me in your posts & use #riseupreads 
If you're not currently tagged & would like to be, let me know.

CW in comments

#RiseUpReads January 2025
Winning book: Hood Feminism: Notes from the women that a movement forgot - Mikki Kendall

Read at your own pace. There will be a discussion posted on Litsy at the end of the month. 

Please tag me in your posts & use #riseupreads 
If you're not currently tagged & would like to be, let me know.

Rise up Reads- reading marginalized voices ?✊?

Oh my! This was amazing. I followed along with my physical copy as I listened to the audio edition. I think there was something on almost every page that I marked or tagged. So much information, so many points that need reiterating. Well written, concise, precise, thought provoking.
5⭐️ must read for anyone calling themselves a feminist.

As a child, I wore a T-shirt with the slogan, “The best man for a job is a woman.” I call myself a feminist even. However, feminism has not appealed to me the way other inclusive or poverty-related issues were. I even resisted this book. But it is 🔥 & reconciles my thinking. A lot of readers say take it slow, think about it. Sure if you want. Or swallow it whole like Bacchanalian-style. That‘s what I did.

This was definitely not a light read. I had to take each chapter day-by-day. I can't even begin to formulate my thoughts and feelings on all of the information but all I can say is this is a must read.

There will be parts that will make you feel very uncomfortable but I think it's still important to understand that not all feminism is created equally.

4⭐️
#LMPBC #round17 #groupA

@pogue @TheBookHippie @Readergrrl
This book is going out soon.

Letting my team know that I got the book and I can't wait to dive into it!

#LMPBC #round17 #groupA

@pogue @TheBookHippie @Readergrrl @suvata

This was amazing. I will say that for me the best way to read it was a chapter or two and then think on them. @TheBookHippie @Readergrrl The book is on the way and should be there Saturday #LMPBC

This was amazing. I will say that for me the best way to read it was a chapter or two and then think on them. @TheBookHippie @Readergrrl The book is on the way and should be there Saturday #LMPBC

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Excellently skewers the ways mainstream, white-centered feminism focuses on those whose needs are already mostly met and how the mistreatment of marginalized women ultimately fails ALL women. Kendall illuminates the ways hunger, gun violence, education, and housing are all feminist issues. Definitely recommend! 🎧

#BlackHistoryMonth Recommendations
Day 9 Nonfiction

What does feminism mean to you? Does it include talks about gun violence? Hunger? Race? Politics? Education? How can you be an ally to not only the women you know but the broader community. Good Feminism takes on all of this in an easy to digest way. The writing of course is excellent, Mikki Kendall is fantastic and this is a fundamental must read.

This is a challenging but important read, which makes no apologies for how uncomfortable it may make some readers. It highlights how middle class white feminists have often (at best) failed to consider issues of race, homophobia, transphobia, class and poverty, and how the feminist movement needs to do better and challenge its own biases if it really wants to fight for the rights of all women.

#ReadHarder challenges 4, 5 and 6: an audiobook performed by a person of color of a book written by an author of color; a nonfiction book about intersectional feminism; a book about activism.

A great NF book that focuses on why women of color aren‘t included in the white feminist movement & how all women can work together. Most of the info I knew, but it made me think about how I can put more effort into certain communities in my area. I used to be more involved when I worked at an underprivileged school, but now I mostly have white clients. Reminds me of bell hooks‘ Ain‘t I a Woman. #doublespin for September

So many good points made in this book. To me they were quite obvious but unfortunately they are not obvious to many people (women included). Kendall talks about how feminism focusing on equal representation in only high profile positions is bound to fail because it neglects addressing the basic needs of poor and marginalized women. This is a short read/listen. I finished it in a day.

"The hood doesn't lack answers; it lacks resources..."
A great place to start considering modern, intersectional feminism. Very clear, accessible writing, gets to the point, galvanizing and always ends chapters with a way forward for the Black community and mainstream white feminism, also considers disabled, Latinx, Indigenous women. Please, please read. ESPECIALLY my fellow white feminists.

⏫⏫⏫👏🏻⬆️⬆️⬆️👏🏻

This should be required reading for every person on this planet! Great book. Honest and eye-opening.

Here‘s my #bookspinbingo list for March. Should be a good month of reading no matter what the bingo board looks like!

Rating: 5🌟
Book: 10 of 2022

February #DoubleSpin pick and I loved, LOVED, loved this book. Straightforward and honest, a must read/listen for all!

I can‘t shake the feeling like the author is yelling at its readership. May be deserved, but that style is isn‘t for me at this point in my life unfortunately. Only got through 2 chapters and felt the writing was dry, spitting facts without much of anything to draw me in (eg unique stories about real people, wit or humor). To educate readers, this book will most likely satisfy that requirement.

A very well written and informative book which everyone should read

This books almost feels like a collection of essays; each of the 18 chapters talks about a topic (hunger, housing, education, etc) and how it relates to feminism. It‘s a broad primer on intersectional feminism. There were parts of the book that felt a bit too tied to the moment, but most of it was able to use examples while not getting caught in a specific political moment, and was very good. (Review continued in comments…)

I learned so much from Kendall's essays in this book! I knew some of it, but she gave me new perspectives on other parts of intersectionality that I hadn't thought of before.

I've been audiobooking the tagged book while I get as many things done for tomorrow that I can. So far I've made oat balls, turkey pinwheels, and arranged the veggie tray. I still have to make green tea and fudge.

Well worth reading: a series of essays looking at racism from a black feminist perspective, particularly challenging and encouraging White feminist to integrate anti-racism and other forms of anti-oppression into their work. The direct and honest essays, which include Kendall‘s personal experiences, focus on issues such as education, beauty and body judgment, pregnancy and parenting, poverty, health access, and sexual expression.
#SheSaid

Anger can be cathartic, motivating, and above all else an expression of the innate humanity of any community. Demands that the oppressed be calm and polite and that forgiveness come before all else are fundamentally dehumanizing... anger gets the petitions out, it motivates marches, it gets people to the ballot. Anger is sometimes the only fuel left at the end of a horrible day, week, year, or generation. #SheSaid

I didn‘t read the blurb for this before I started reading, and I probably should. This book was not what I thought it would be.

Every essay start with Kendall talking about the subject on her own life before she broadens the argument. She covers subject such as gun violence, poverty, stereotypes and abortion. Some of these arguments felt very American to me and maybe that‘s why I preferred her essays on stereotypes because they are more easily

This book gave me so much to think about, I try to always be an ally but this book shows that I can do more. I need to not just be an ally but an accomplice.This gave me an opportunity to interrogate myself and look at situations in new ways. I definitely would like to read more from this author.