Author Mikki Kendall Discusses Intersectional Feminism During February 23rd Assembly

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In her book Hood Feminism, the subject of February 23rd’s assembly, Mikki Kendall calls for a feminist movement that is intersectional, inclusive, and devoted to amplifying marginalized female voices.

On February 23rd, author and activist Mikki Kendall spoke to the Upper School about her recent book, Hood Feminism, and the complex themes of intersectional feminism and women’s survival that it navigates. To discuss Kendall’s talk further, I sat down with senior Ishikaa Kothari, a member of Riverdale’s assembly committee who initially reached out to Kendall to have her speak to the Upper School. Kothari mentioned that Kendall’s stark honesty when speaking to Upper School students was a key aspect of her tone in her book, Hood Feminism, and that her passion throughout the talk invited the entire Riverdale community to engage in difficult conversations on intersectionality. 

Kendall sparked Kothari’s interest this past summer when Kothari read Hood Feminism and was drawn to the inclusivity and intersectionality that Kendall wrote about. Published in February 2020, Hood Feminism is a searing critique of modern feminism, arguing that many of today’s self-proclaimed “girl-bosses” focus on increasing the privilege of White women while overlooking the struggles of women of color. In the book, Kendall also claims that most global issues, from food insecurity to lack of access to quality education, must also be examined as feminist issues, since women, particularly marginalized women, often bear the brunt of the struggle. In Hood Feminism, Kendall writes, “Instead of a framework that focuses on helping women get basic needs met, all too often the focus is not on survival but on increasing privilege. For a movement that is meant to represent all women, it often centers on those who already have most of their needs met.” 

  Kothari explained that “as an American-Indian woman, Kendall made me feel welcome and included in the feminist movement.” Because women of color are forced to navigate the perils of both systemic sexism and racism, Kothari emphasized that one must address these issues simultaneously to achieve true feminism and cater to the needs of all women. Echoing Kendall, Kothari said that when “talking about feminism, it's easy to forget the struggles of immigrants and the perils of colonialism that shape a woman’s trauma.” 

Among the many topics Ms. Kendall covered in the 55-minute assembly, the theme of intersectionality felt most important to many members of the student body. Junior Rebecca Greenhouse left the assembly with a better idea of how to improve her own feminism, saying that “Ms. Kendall just made really clear how important it is to tackle all different aspects of feminism and social justice to really be able to call yourself a feminist.” Greenhouse went on to say that one cannot call themselves a feminist if they exclusively uplift White women; rather, as  Kendall discussed, true feminists amplify the voices and highlight the unique struggles of women of all races and backgrounds.

Junior Estelle Anderson expressed that “so much of the feminism that I’ve been exposed to growing up has featured mainly White faces, and is often in the form of catchy slogans like “girlboss” or trendy laptop stickers. For me, Kendall’s talk was refreshing, powerful, and real, showing that feminism is only productive when it is truly intersectional.”

After witnessing the effects of Kendall’s powerful speech on the student body, Kothari is excited to move forward into the celebration of Women’s History Month in the Riverdale community. She explained that “many male students believe that there is no need for them to be a part of the conversation.” Because many feminist issues are humanitarian issues that affect men as well as women, everyone needs to be a part of discussions around feminism. Kothari hopes that Kendall’s assembly incites conservations amongst members of the Riverdale community about the many struggles that women of all backgrounds continue to face.