“‘White feminism’ forgets all about intersectional feminism”.
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Disney Channel’s 13-year-old Girl Meets World star Rowan Blanchard has posted a three-part essay illustrating the importance of intersectional feminism on Instagram, which her fellow child star, and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson wasted no time in sharing on Twitter. The “Girl Meets World” star was responding to a question raised by a fan about feminism. One fan in her comment section on Instagram wrote, “When someone actually gets what you’ve been struggling with your whole life”.
‘The way a black woman experiences sexism and inequality is different from the way a white woman experiences sexism and inequality, ‘ the actress continued. She cited the wage gap that puts black, Hispanic, and Native American women at an even greater monetary disadvantage than white women. But she’s making another name for herself as not just as actress, but a women’s advocate. Kimberlé Crenshaw said it perfectly in 1989 when she said “The view that women experience oppression in varying configurations and in varying degrees of intensity. Examples of this include race, gender, class, ability and ethnicity”.
‘It is SO important to protect trans women and trans youth as they are incredibly at risk when it comes to sexual assault and hate crimes’.
She went on to praise Hunger Games star Amandla Stenberg, who wrote an essay about cultural appropriation which criticised white stars who adopt certain elements of black culture but fail to speak about important race issues. The actress also addresses police brutality, which she reminds her audience that the harrowing issue applies to black women as well. “The fact that when Amandla Stenberg wrote this lovely and truthful piece she was automatically labeled the “angry black girl” says enough”, Blanchard wrote. “Gay is simply not an insult”, she asserted.
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The actress felt that discussing issues about feminism from a “one sided view” is not what it should be about. She signs off with a call for further conversation on the topic, saying, “We need to be talking about this more”.
