Before I start, I want to make something clear: I am not saying that Feminism 101 is the solution to all women’s problems, because it’s not. Rather, talking about the super basic tenets of feminism and social justice can be a way to win supporters who might otherwise be hostile to our cause. Sadly, even Feminism 101 is too […]
This week’s Persephone Pioneer is multimedia artist and activist Lynn Casper. Lynn is a multimedia artist, strategist, and activist. Her two active projects consist of feminist playing cards and a music podcast show, Homoground. I’m fascinated by her work on so many different levels, but above all, I am inspired by her willingness to share parts of […]
I am all too familiar with the sense of competition that can arise among Asian women. One of my favorite Filipina studies/feminist theorists, Dr. Allyson Goce Tintiangco-Cubales, describes this competition between Asian women (Filipinas specifically within her writing) as the “Mall of Downness,” a belief that Asian women have an inherent sense of competition against […]
Years ago, I volunteered for an animal rescue. I adopted my dog from them, they asked for help, and I just fell into it. It was rewarding to help the animals, and I was new to that world. After a while, though, it wasn’t fun.
I am happy to say that I have finally gotten enough free time to be able to go through my iTunes and cut out all the old music I don’t listen to anymore. When I got to the Ns and started deleting Nelly songs, I was intrigued to remember that I had his old song […]
Some of you who have traveled in progressive circles might have heard certain concepts tossed around in conversation, things that progressive, intersectional leftists tend to say. “Tone policing” is one of these concepts.
How can we go around the world and saying that we’re the bastions and the light of freedom throughout the world, when we marginalize people within our own country and our own society? –from Baldemar Velasquez in an interview with Bill Moyers about the ongoing David vs. Goliath struggles to ensure fairness for American farm […]
It’s strange the way a thousand little things keep bringing your mind back to the same place.
Alternate titles for this piece are: “Playing Nice in the Social Justice Sandbox,” “Social Justice Ain’t a Singular Concept, Folks,” “Mom! She’s Touching Me! Social Justice Blogging’s Elementary Playground,” and “Stop Being Such a Jackass.”
During my senior year in college, one of my best friends – ReBekha (yes, that’s spelled right!) – convinced me to take a class with her, which didn’t require too much persuasion because it was a course on Tibetan Buddhism – the religion and the cultures that practice it – and most of the class was […]
Usagi Tsukino, aka Serena, aka Sailor Moon, aka The Moon Princess, has enough aliases to be a rap superstar. Girlfriend also has a huge posse filled with gallant gals who will totally throw down if you look at her sideways. Don’t get it twisted, though. Sailor Moon is a social justice superstar of love and […]
I am an immigrant to the South. I wasn’t particularly excited to move here from the bountiful northeastern seaboard, but there was money involved at the time, so here I am.
You have a cause you’re really passionate about, you have some spare cash, and you have a few organisations in mind. But before you donate, ask yourself the following questions…
Andrea Gibson is a poet-provocateur extraordinaire, a speaker of truths that aren’t always gentle or easy to swallow. The spoken word artist touches on everything across the spectrum from gender and race, to privilege and class, to war and love. She was the the first winner of the Women’s World Poetry Slam and has appeared on C-SPAN, Free […]
“My truth may not be your truth, but I intend to speak it nonetheless.” This phrase might best describe Renee Martin, the phenomenal founder of Womanist Musings, as well as a self-described pacifist, anti-racist, WOC, mother, humanist – the list goes on. Renee’s writing has been featured in The Guardian and Ms. Magazine, and she […]