White Supremacy, Feminism and Off Our Backs

It has been an eye-opening experience to watch the events unfold when one Black feminist blogger and writer speaks up about racism in the predominantly white radical feminist community. Jennifer writes passionately, eloquently and with great insight on her blog Celie’s Revenge about issues that affect ALL women. Her blog is inspiring and incredibly brave. She is one woman who truly represents the ideals of sisterhood and liberation.

And yet, when she dares to open her mouth to stand opposed to the racism inherent within the treatment she received at the hands of white feminists… all hell breaks loose. What has shocked me about this whole event is the fact that it has exposed that racism is not present within a small pocket of feminists in the Off Our Backs collective… It has spread like wildfire, with more and more white feminists lining up to tell Jennifer that she is a crazy, angry, racist against white people and, worst of all, a bitch!!! All this just because she insisted that she should be treated as human as a white woman.

This is totally unacceptable. No woman who thinks that this is an appropriate way to treat another woman should think that she has the right to call herself a feminist. What has struck me most about this is the fact that the white ‘feminists’ have responded to Jennifer’s truth-telling is exactly the same as the way that men react to women who tell them the truth. With defensiveness, anger, justification, intimidation, name-calling etc, etc. Really, really shocking.

All illusions that women are better at working through issues like racism better than men have been very definitely shattered for me as I watch white ‘feminists’ trying to tear strips off Jennifer. Trying to paint her as mad and delusional. A few clues women. Black women have the right to be angry about racism. Black women have the right to be angry at white women who demonstrate racism, either politically or personally. Black women need to be supported in their truth-telling. Even when that truth hurts us. Even when that truth is directed at us. We have no credibility as feminists if we don’t.

Please take the time to read Jennifer’s story and support the incredibly important work that she is doing for ALL women. There is no sisterhood, no feminism, no herstory without Black women, there is no point in a struggle which excludes the voices and the truths of women of colour. The white women from the Off Our Backs collective have some serious explaining to do.

Invasion Day

It is Invasion Day to me peoples. I don’t celebrate it. But finally an Australian of the year who is actually Australian. Onya Mick Dodson.

Octavia Butler Rules!!!

I randomly picked up a science fiction book because the main character was a Black woman and it had been published by the women’s press. The book was called Kindred, the author Octavia Butler, she has promptly become my favourite fantasy author. The woman is brilliant. Why the fuck have I never heard of her before??? Oh that’s right, she is Black and female, moreover, she is a feminist. Sigh.

I found another of her books for sale at The Women’s Library the other day called The Parable of the Sower. That will be next on my reading list I’m reckoning. So many brilliant women authors, so little time. I don’t know why ‘feminist’ women are so into whitemale fuckers like Joss Whedon when there are so many brilliant women of all colours whose work is far, far superior to whitemale wank. Oh well.

Movies about sisterhood and love between women

Go watch these clips from Radiance, my favourite movie (aligned in greatness with Serenades and Fire).

Fire by Deepa Mehta


Fucking Amal (Show Me Love)


Provoked

If I wasn’t a dyke already these movies would make me one. This post is for those straight, whiny, rad fems out there. You know who you are. 😉

Internalised race-hatred; Black girls and women in the US

Via What Tami Said.

Indigenous women speak out against the intervention

I can’t seem to make this video embed so here is the link. Please watch.

Racism makes me sick

NT women cast out as scary

A GROUP of young Aboriginal women plan to file a racial discrimination complaint after they were asked to leave an Alice Springs hostel at the weekend because they had “scared” Asian tourists.

The six youth leaders from the remote community of Yuendumu were told they were “unsuitable” guests by the manager of the Haven Backpackers Resort, Englishwoman Shelly Ball.

“The manager of the hotel came out and said that we weren’t suitable to stay there,” said Bethany Langdon, 19.

“The other tourists were all complaining because they were scared. I was upset because it felt like I wasn’t wanted by other people … I’m not wanted because of the colour of our skin.”

White flight leaves system segregated by race (or why white australia loves apartheid)

The findings are backed by research from the University of Western Sydney, which has identified evidence of racial conflict in schools in the wake of the Cronulla riots. It also suggests students of Anglo-European descent are avoiding some schools with students of mainly Asian background.

Not only have some public schools lost enrolments; they have become racially segregated. In pockets of rural and remote NSW, Aboriginal students fill public schools and white students attend Catholic and other private schools in the same town.

Around Sydney, the parents of some Anglo-European students are avoiding what they perceive as predominantly Lebanese, Muslim and Asian schools.

In New England, in towns such as Armidale, white middle-class students are flocking to Catholic and independent schools.

In their report, principals say this is so the students can “get away from their local school”.

“This is almost certainly white flight from towns in which the public school’s enrolment consists increasingly of indigenous students,” the report says. “The pattern is repeated in the Sydney region. Based on comments from principals, this most likely consists of flight to avoid Islamic students and communities.”

PROTEST

Protest March 13 – Stop the Racist Quarantines! End the Intervention!Support Aboriginal communities in the NT & demand an end to Howard’s racist Intervention legislation.

At the last federal election Aboriginal communities overwhelming voted Labor in a bid to end the racist, punitive and paternalistic intervention legislation, implemented by the Howard Government in a desperate attempt to hold onto Government.

Eileen Hoosan, resident of Mt Nancy town camp has argued, “These laws are like apartheid South Africa”, referring to the race based ‘welfare quarantine’ and dubbed these measures another ‘invasion’ that attacks fundamental human rights of Aboriginal people. “It’s reintroducing the ration system from forty years ago”.

Despite claims that the intervention was a response to rampant child sexual abuse no new services have received funding. Instead $88 million has been spent administering the welfare quarantining with 50% of all Centrelink payments to residents of ‘prescribed Aboriginal communities’ being withheld.

The race based intervention has required the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act and has overridden the Northern Territory Land Rights Act.

Many women from ‘prescribed communities’ speak of the intense shame they feel and the difficulty people have had queuing with hundreds of others for hours for ration cards with many then missing out. Aboriginal community members must spend the exact amount of quarantined money which can only be spent at a limited range of stores, Woolworths, Kmart or Coles, with any unspent store voucher money returning to the Government.

Community members also complain that the welfare quarantines have caused problems getting food and many people are moving away from their communities to population centres as a result.

While the Federal Labor Government has reinstated some aspects of the permit system it has just announced the extension of welfare quarantining into many more Aboriginal communities, including the urban areas Darwin, Palmerston and Adelaide River, now impacting on some 6,500 people.

Aboriginal communities are calling for an end to this racist military intervention and for the Labor Government to honour its recent commitment stated in the Labor Government’s historic apology and at the ALP National Platform adopted in 2007, to work with Aboriginal communities and to adequately fund services and infra-structure in these communities.

Protest against the NT Intervention! Stop Racist Welfare Quarantines!
Rally 12:30 Thursday 13 March @ Redfern Centrelink, 140 Redfern st

National Convergance: Stand up for Aboriginal Rights

A National convergance on Canberra has been called by the Aboriginal Rights Coalition. It is timed to coincide with the opening of parliment on the 12th of February.  

Sunday 10th Feb: assistance with setting up the site for camping and convergence events. Second National Aboriginal Alliance meeting in Old Parliament House.

Monday 11th Feb: community information forums, with indigneous people from the NT sharing their stories, and feedback from the second National Aboriginal Alliance meeting (being held on the 10th feb)

Tuesday 12th Feb: Main Rally: meet at Tent Embassy at 11:30am. Walk to new Parliament house and Rally 1pm

Wednesday 13th Feb: PM Kevin Rudd has announced he will give the Apology to the Stolen generation on this day.
There are also opportunities for people to meet with ministers (limited numbers)

Turn back Howard and Brough’s racist legacy!

• Reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act
• Demand immediate review of the NT intervention
• End welfare quarantines, compulsory land acquisition and ‘mission manager’ powers
• Implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Aboriginal control of Aboriginal affairs

TRANSPORT FROM MELBOURNE

TRANSPORT OPTIONS: Bus, Car Pool or Public Transport

1) BUS: the Alliance for Indigenous Self Determination are
organising TWO buses:

One leaving 10th feb and returning by 5pm on thursday 14th feb One leaving 11th feb and returning by 5pm on thursday14th feb.
The Cost of the Bus will be $45 PLUS SHARED PETROL COSTS BETWEEN 8 PEOPLE (up to $40) IF you require specific consideration re leaving and returning dates let us know when you book as we may be able to sort something out.

IF YOU WANT TO BOOK A PLACE ON THE BUS YOU MUST DO SO BY 2PM MONDAY 4TH FEB AT THE LATEST – UNLESS YOU’VE BOOKED AND PAID BY THIS TIME THEN YOUR SEAT IS NOT GUARANTEED!

Contacts:
Michaela 0429136935
Alyssa 0402680337
Anna 0439891832

PAY UPSTAIRS at Friends of the Earth, 312 Smith St, Fitzroy

2) CAR POOL:
Please contact Jacinda or Matt at ANTaR VIC who are coordinating car pooling – drivers and passangers wanted!

antar@antarvictoria.org.au
67 Brunswick St
Fitzroy VIC 3065
ph (03) 9419 3613
fax (03) 9417 2691

3) PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
The two options are by Vline train to albury and then greyhound bus to canberra, or bus from melbourne to canberra. The cost of these options is around $60 – 80 depending on concession or full fare.

ACCOMMODATION:
Accommodation is onsite Camping at the Tent Embassy on parliament lawns. You need to bring all you own camping gear – tents, sleeping bag and mat etc. Alternatively arrange your own accomodation in canberra.

TRANSPORT FROM SYDNEY
UPDATE: BUSES FROM SYDNEY ARE FULL

As of yesterday evening (30th January), the buses from Sydney are fully booked. You can still book a seat! Any new bookings will be placed on a waiting list, so keep booking with us!

If you have access to buses, or know anyone who has, please get in touch with Janene on 0416 490 481,Greg on 0432 050 240, or Shane on 0414 077 631.

For more information visit the Aboriginal Rights Coalition blog.

I booked onto a Sydney bus just in time but I can only get one day off work (if that) so I will only be going to the convergance on Tuesday. 😦

I would love to be able to stay for the four days. Monday looks like it will be worthwhile, getting to hear more voices from the Northern Territory.

Oh and if you can’t make it to the protest but would like to help the mob from the Northern Territory get there please consider donating some money.

Any donation you are able to make would be a great help. We have limited time as we hope to leave for Canberra in ten days’ time. CAAMA (Central Australia Aboriginal Media Association) is our sponsoring organisation and has kindly agreed to deposit funds in a special account.

Cheques should be made out to: CAAMA Productions – Support Fund and sent to:
PO Box 2608 Alice Springs NT 0871 as soon as possible.

Electronic donations can be made through the Commonwealth Bank Account of the Sydney based support group.

Account name: Aboriginal Rights Coalition
BSB: 062 231
Account Number: 10264494

Contact Paddy Gibson on 0415 800 586 to notify of deposit.

Let us hope that we can get the government to see some sense in regards to the Northern Territory Intervention.

Aboriginal Sovereignty Day/Invasion Day: women creatively resisting

That’s right. Today was the day to break out our starry union jack. Nevermind the blood stains, nevermind the blood.

 I thought I’d ‘celebrate Aboriginal Sovereignty Day by posting about some of the many, many incredible First Nations women who continue to resist white invasion and colonisation to this day.

Music:

Ebony Williams a brilliant indigenous rap artist. Unfortunately rap is always ten times better when being performed and Ebony’s myspace tracks do not do justice to her lyrics or her power as a performer. Still brilliant though.

Stiff Gins. These two women have incredible voices and songwriting skills. I love the harmonies and the guitar work.

Betty Little

The lyrics of a song by Betty Little:

I come from a line of strong Koori women
women like my mother, my aunts and my nan
they were my role models and they played them well for me
and I’m so proud to be part of my family
I have a little daughter she’s just turned 17
and one day on this very stage she will stand with me and sing
about her role models like her mother, her aunts and her nan
and she will grow up to be, a strong Koori woman

oh yes we come from a line of strong Koori women
women like my mother, my aunts and my nan
they were our role models and they played them well for me
and we’re so proud to be part of our families

Now back in the year of 1939, a big protest took place
because of the government cruelty that was done to my Koori race
this happened at cummerangje, the mission where I was born
this happened in cummerangje, this is where my mother’s from

Yes I come from a line of strong Koori women
women like my mother, my aunts and my nan
they were my role models and they played them well for me
and I’m so proud to be part of my family

Now for all you women, and all the women of the world

So to you out there my sisters
there are role models for you
Now if you were to look among your families
you will find strong women there too
Oh, but let’s live our lives
so others will follow on
‘Cause all this world over
there are women oh so strong
thank you

Link

Betty Little’s story: ‘My Journey – Building Bridges Along a Long Hard Road’

These women are a few of the many First Nations women that I am humbled by.