Feminist Blogger Hero Against the injustice of 'Getting Over It!'

While reading other blogs in the blog-sphere, I came across something very interesting last year.

Now this blog post is from the feminist perspective, and that probably surprises some of my readers seeing as how I don't usually agree with most feminist positions. However, I read many things all over the web and in print, things that I agree with, many things I do not agree with and things some things that make no sense as I am reading. 

For this is how you find out the truth of ANY subject; you read all differing angles & perspectives, then put the pieces together and find the truth (which usually lies somewhere in the middle of the different perspectives).

This particular post is about a retreat that one of the feminist organizations was planning to have in a suburb of New Orleans in June 2014.

Before I continue, take a moment to stare at the picture below of Ani DiFranco and see if you can determine what is wrong with her concept...

 My best friend once told me that in business location is everything. Location is what upholds you and location is also the beginning of your downfall. It appears that location is also downfall of this idea. I consider myself to be young, however my grandmother's mother was born a slave not too far from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

Although Whitecastle is only 40 minutes from Baton Rouge I must admit I have never set foot inside the state of Louisiana at all. Be that as it may there is still only one definition for the word plantation anywhere inside the continental United States. (There are different definitions but only one relevant definition in the mind of an African-American).

Somehow this woman felt that the scars of slavery and racial segregation and degradation could be brought to a healing during a feminist retreat. Not during a black consciousness retreat; but a feminist consciousness retreat. 

Ms. Di Franco, has a point about what places we deem racist because the truth is that there are many places in the United States that still have not torn down the memories of chattel slavery or the slave trade whether it is the Confederate flag flying high in North Carolina or the slave quarters in the back of many buildings in Louisiana. However if you consider Miss DiFranco's name and her appearance it may be safe to assume that she is not in a position to provoke that discussion or reflection. Although if I was an assuming person I would assume she is a Italian, I say that to say, that because of her name her ancestors probably did not own slaves themselves in the United States however her complexion alone and her thought process in addition disqualifies her from initiating such a conversation. Why?

Mainly because if you never lived the experience you may not realize the discomfort that will absolutely be felt by certain participants. The discomfort will be also exacerbated if African Americans are in the minority at the retreat. Our community still suffers from the survivng remnants of the horrors of plantation life. We still hate our own and each others skin-tone etc. If you don't understand that, then it doesn't matter if you are Black or White, you are not in a position to say that 'NOW' is a good time for us to "get over it." 

LET IT BE KNOWN: A note to anyone who may disagree with my logic, consider for moment that these people are trying to vacation and luxuriate at one of the many sites of horror, family dismemberment, where the destruction of a culture, language, and history were upheld for at least 100 years AFTER Louisiana and its allies lost the Civil War. 

The retreat is titled 'Righteous Retreat in Big Easy,' was billed as a feminist songwriting retreat. DiFranco quite naturally got a lot of flak from black feminists. Mainly on Facebook. 

The most interesting thing about this story is the exchange that took place on Facebook, not to mention the fact that it was all captured in the screenshots before it was able to be deleted. 

This post alone proves the point of why the person who movies this retreat is not the appropriate person to lead a healing retreat about racism. Slavery is over however her second sentence is incorrect because those days are not gone those days I definitely still here. Various modern-day slavery In penal institutions of which blacks are disproportionately the majority. Also, 2nd class discrimination in every industry imaginable etc. etc.. The perfect way to me not away plantation serve a brand-new purpose is to tear down Nottoway Plantation and everything that has something to do with the 1800's on that land and build a brand-new multicultural racially diverse building built by racially diverse engineers and carpenters. 

If the history of a place does not turn you away and then neither will anything else. Because if the present was to push you away, then the fact that it presently has the same name and has not been rearranged but has been preserved, means (at least to me) that they (The current owners of Nottoway Plantation) too honor the past understanding & the past mission & the pass purpose of that land and the buildings on that land. 

However that is not even what makes this story laughable. After an African-American women attempts to respond to the initial Facebook post made by Mandi Harrington, The unthinkable happens: read it for yourself and I will explain at the bottom...

The fact that Mandy is busted is only the tip of the iceberg because upon her deception we see the many facets of a racist nature from someone who would probably claim to not be racist. 

1. The name that she chose. 

2. The way that she put her words together, as if in some crazy abnormal mutation of Ebonics. I personally never met anyone (male or female black or otherwise) to speak in the way that 'LaQueeta' spoke in those comments except for instances where someone was oversimplifying black/hip-hop stereotypes usually in a racist way. 

It is the opinion of the offer that the reason why the feminist movement has not been able to attain as much progress as even the civil rights movement is because of the disconnection to the civil rights movement. I understand and acknowledge that women were marginalized during civil rights, be that as it may, since The feminist movement cannot continue without African-American women the feminist movement cannot repeat The injustices of its predecessor; It cannot make it self autonomous from larger racial issues in this country. 

The author of the blog (cited in the screenshot) ForHarriet, illustrates and sums up the point beautifully saying that if men "attempted to reclaim the word 'bitch' or 'cunt' these women would understand perfectly the error of misappropriation; however white supremacy continues to skewered the realities of slavery."

The event has thankfully been canceled. To read Ms. DiFranco's late response & explanation click here.

Read the Original post here.

So, TAOH salutes you team Forharriot.com for holding it down! 

You are a Trill Black Hero!!!

-Knowledge Is The Key-