I watched the interview of Hillary Clinton earlier this week and was not surprised at all at her response to a question about her husband’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. Per Hillary’s view, her husband Bill was most powerful man in the world at the time of this affair, but did not abuse his power. Her boo thing Bill is exceptional…literally!

I’m Support Sex-Positivity…Just Not With My Man

I understand Hillary Clinton loving and remaining with her husband after he admitted his affair with Monica Lewinsky, but I don’t understand how a “so-called-feminist” believes the then 22-year old intern was not impressed, enamored, intimated or swayed by the power her husband wielded as the leader of the free world. Hillary had tough choices I suppose.

The former secretary of state also disagrees with those who say he should have stepped down.

“In retrospect, do you think Bill should’ve resigned in the wake of the Monica Lewinsky scandal?” correspondent Tony Dokoupil asked.

“Absolutely not,” Clinton said.

“It wasn’t an abuse of power?”

“No. No.”

What a double entendre.

Hillary was mean, steadfast, and cold. Old school standing by her man, no matter what! This is not only a trip for me, it was an unveiling of sorts about the way White women and the whole feminist movement works. Its hypocrisy at best. It’s cannibalism at its worst.

Hillary’s response to the question about her man’s infidelity and the power dynamics of Bill Clinton’s relationship with Monica Lewinsky (and let’s be clear, it was some sort of intimate relationship) is no different than the White feminist with daughters knowing, seeing, and hearing all the bad shit about “grab’em by the pussy” Donald Trump, and voting for him anyway. It was atrocious.

It’s total insanity, and too much to unpack in one sitting!

Feminism: Lots of Cannibalism and Hypocrites

I don’t understand how Hillary Clinton refuses to acknowledge that Lewinsky was scapegoated by her and her husband for the good of their political and financial aspirations in 2018 and still sleep at night. That’s hypocrisy.

One seasoned White feminist (Clinton) who worked her way to the top, wouldn’t allow another young white feminist (Lewinsky) with political aspirations to do the same to follow in her footsteps. That’s cannibalism to me.

The interview explained why Clinton will always be a loser in my opinion. Hillary is a fairweather feminist.

Where Are the Feminist Groups?

The other alarming thing about Hillary’s comments this week in the era of #MeToo was how quiet feminist groups, anti-bullying groups, anti-sexual harassment groups, and liberal social justice movements did not come to the aid and support Lewinsky and did not put Hillary Clinton in her place and out of the movement.

It should’ve been #timesup for Hillary Clinton. Instead, Hillary yet again goes unchecked by upper middle class and wealthy White women for her reckless words and actions (yes, I’m still salty about her super predator comment and she and Bill’s support of law-enforcement and pro-over policing of youthful offenders). Even White women here on Medium didn’t raise hell.

Your silence is deafening!

White feminist groups like EMILY’s List, the National Organization for Women (NOW), Time’s Up, Planned Parenthood, Ultraviolet and Feminist Majority have been silent on Hillary’s comments, which was a confirmation for me it’s time for all God’s colored girls to pack their bags and move on to safer pastures.

Black women can’t always be the one calling out they hypocrisy of White feminists. It’s not a good look, it demonstrates ladies you still have cataracts on your eyes when it comes to seeing the inequality within the feminism movement. You ladies should have a “see something, say something” attitude…kind of like stranger danger.

But too many feminist don’t.

If White feminist leaders will ignore, deny and eat their own, can you imagine what they do (and have done) to Women of Color? Not only has it taken them forever to barely give the hint embracing Monica Lewinsky, they don’t even call Hillary Clinton out on her bullshit about the power dynamics behind former President of the United States (POTUS) Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.

Monica Lewinsky was a beautiful woman in the early beginnings of her professional career, slapped down and banished by the informal head of the feminist movement in the White House (Hillary). Lewinsky has been in the feminist ghetto, a place like Misfit Island I suppose.

Women of Color know what that’s like.

Women of Color and Feminism: We’ve Been Used and Abused By the Clinton’s

The Clinton’s loves to gloat about her record on equal rights for women, but it’s always been at the expense of other women, especially women of color.

Like when Hillary, in racist code (yes even “good” Whites use code switch when it suits them), referred to Black and Brown youthful offenders in gangs in inner cities super-predators that needed to be locked up. She never gave a second thought about Black and Brown women and mothers who would lose their kids foolin up with overzealous cops of all shades. Those women were disposable.

But when Hillary wanted to run for President (for the purposes of getting more political power, because that’s what feminism is all about, right?), she came back to pull those same Black and Brown women out of the dumpster to ask them for their votes. She’s later apologized for her comments (and her husband’s failed policies), but only because she was pushed on the issue.

The damage of the labels and policies she and her husband put into place during his time in office was already done and forgotten about. Bill and Hillary Clinton made it harder for Black women, and our Black sons. And where is Hillary when Black and Brown women (especially Muslim and Arab sisters) are being killed, sexually harassed, and violated. She’s silent. Living her best life!

Just like a large majority of White women in the feminist movement.

Hillary Clinton has stepped on anyone she needed to for accrue her power. The people she steps on don’t even realize what she’s doing though, because too many Black and Brown women have short memories when it comes to politics and policies. It’s like being in an emotionally abusive relationship.

Was Blind, But Now I See

Hillary Clinton is the poster child of what’s wrong with feminism today. Feminism has levels to its shit, just like most of America’s institutions and structures we rely on for governance.

Feminism always has been and always will be selective in its activism because: (1) the White women running these organizations have a line to the power of rich wealthy White men most of Women of Color will never have access to, and (2) these women can’t possibly identify with what they’ve never experienced, which is structural racism and systemic oppression. Not having someone near you always with these experiences and pulses on local, national issues is akin for trouble.

It’s very hard for many White feminist to get this point. If it’s one of you, then it’s all of you because the movement sends mixed messages. Too many White feminist don’t consistently check the bad White feminist offenders in their ranks. Too many White feminist are unfashionably silent when they are marching to the beat of their own drums, and too many feminist simply talk too much. Too many of you won’t listen to Women of Color!

White people, you’re in charge of most social movements in America where women and children are concerned, including women, children, and families of color. The lack of diversity in the nonprofit sector is old stuff. White women, some of you are just as bad as White men are when it comes to sharing power and diversity. So come down from your high-horses. White women are acting just like White GOP men on the Senate Judiciary committee in Congress.

You are apart of the problem.

Women of Color can’t tell the difference between our allies and plain old White power-hungry feminism these days. So, when in doubt or in danger, we stop dead in our tracks. Feminism has become a danger to the well-being and progress of Women and children of color, no offense.

The blinders are off, and I can no longer ignore the obvious. Feminism isn’t really for everybody. Feminism doesn’t protect all women. It doesn’t even encompass all White women. Feminism doesn’t fight against the oppression, discrimination, and injustice of all people equally. It’s like our criminal justice systems. The scales are tipped.

Feminism is kind of like the a not so caring, tolerant step-mother. She tolerates you, but she really doesn’t like you. She does more for her own kids than she does for the outside or step-kids.

Why Is Feminism Always So, So White at the Very Top

The Movement Can’t Ask For Diversity When It’s Not

Feminism isn’t as diverse as they would have us believe.

Ever wonder why Women of Color have such a hard time with regular feminism or grappling with our intersectionality and feminism? It’s because White women are running all of the major national feminist organizations (see my links below). A White female’s victimization and what she fights against is totally different from An Indian-American, African American, Israeli-American, Arab-American, Puerto Rican, or Haitian-American woman’a fight. Therefore, the messaging and the direction conflict and appears disingenuous at best to Women of Color.

The other sad thing I found when looking at these organizations are the optics of the movement and its leadership don’t really have many Black women working at the top. All shades of women are allowed to move up the ranks, except Black women. We are down for the cause the longest, and the last to rise up from the ashes, it at all in some movements.

Everybody gets a promotion except sisters. Just look at how lily White feminism is from the top down:

Feminist Movements Led By White Women

Now Officers: https://now.org/about/officers/

Emily’s List: https://www.emilyslist.org/bios/c/senior-leadership

UltraViolet: https://weareultraviolet.org/about-us/#team-content

Feminist Majority: http://www.feminist.org/welcome/board/Eleanor-Smeal.htm see the President here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Smeal

The Only Non-White Led Feminist Movement

Planned Parenthood: https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/about-us/ppaf-board-chair and https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/about-us/ppaf-president

Who Knows About This One??

Times Up (No leadership info found, it’s a Hollywood thing): https://www.timesupnow.com/

Feminism Comes With Lots of Tokenism

Colored faces, especially Blacks ones, are sprinkled on the websites, but rarely does it translate to board invites. Nothing new.

As usual (from the outside looking in), White people get to lead the nonprofit movements, and the people of color get the privilege of following and being “the help.” We are tokenized with offerings of underling board positions or strategically placed in photo ops on websites and at events to give the appearance Women of Color are saturated with representation.

We know tokenism when we see it, and we are not fooled. #timesup

Women of Color see who’s holding onto the power, and how the power is shared. White people aren’t passing the torches too fast to people of color, if at all. People of Color clearly understand from years of being oppressed whoever holds the power is also responsible for messaging and direction. This is why feminism rarely evolves into something more inclusive or more diverse. It’s stays Heidi Halo White for the most part! You’re not sharing the power.

I’m seeing more and more Women of Color like me become disillusioned with feminism and moving onto other movements that will not only give them a real seat at the table, but also relinquish power to us. We Women of Color know how to lead too feminist, we just aren’t given the opportunity. And even when we are given the opportunity, many Women of Color have experienced not being respected or fully supported by our White sisters in the struggle. At least that’s been my experience.

The Wake Up Call

Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren are 2018 wake up calls for Women of Color as far as feminism is concerned, a bellwether of sorts. Following feminism is going to be no different than America having been led by White men for 221 years (I excluded the 8 years Obama was in office, but he is half White, so…).

Too many wealthy, educated White women are power hungry and unwilling to relinquish their power in the same manner rich White, privileged me are. White men and White women are truly fighting with each other for power. They’re power tripping.

Feminism is Too Steeped In White Feminine Power at the Top to Change

Feminism is too set in its ways to change, too blind to see, but not too big to fail. I think feminism is at a tipping point. There is a fracture in the movement, and it appears the fracture is beyond repair. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I must deal in realities. There’s too much wrong with feminism.

It’s not our (Women of Color) movement to fix. It never was, and it never will be. It didn’t begin with us in mind, nor will it end that way.

The truth sets us free, but it still hurts like hell. I can no longer pretend.

Feminism ain’t for all women, and we all are just going to have to be okay with that.

Marley K., 2018

Your thoughts?