Kirkus called Hood Feminism “a much-need addition to the feminist discourse.’’ Her book’s first essay is titled 'Solidarity is Still for White Women' and takes a direct hit, beginning: “As debates over last names, body hair, and the best way to be a CEO have taken center stage in the discourse surrounding modern feminism, it’s not difficult to see why women should be questioning the legitimacy of a women’s movement that serves only the narrow interests of middle- and upper-class white women.’’ In my first piece for the NYT I talk about race & eating disorders in an essay adapted from my book Hood Feminism

“Nobody ever got their rights by asking nicely, ‘Hey, can you please stop oppressing me?’ Yeah, that doesn’t work.’’ She says nice is overrated and, most important, nice is ineffective. Her gift for writing makes it a compelling read, but not a comfortable one, even for those who claim to be allies. That leaves out countless women – especially women of color, those who must survive before they can thrive.Ĭharacteristic for Kendall, Hood Feminism is blunt in tone. Food security, gun violence, housing, racism, and education are seldom part of the feminist conversation.

The feminist movement too often is focused “not on survival but on increasing privilege,’’ Kendall writes. on February 27, part of Harris’ series of events celebrating and honoring Black History Month. The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy will host Kendall for a discussion of Hood Feminism and her extraordinary journey. Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot, to be published this month by Viking Books, is a collection of essays weaving history, social science, and the harsh world around us into stories of Kendall’s own life. What is Mikki Kendall trying to do? “Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable – that’s what I’m doing,’’ the writer and activist says of her new book. Consider this a wake-up call: Your movement is ignoring sisters sidelined by hunger or violence or because they don’t look a certain way. If you’re a woman who has been lifted by the feminist movement, Mikki Kendall is writing for you, too. She paints the struggles of life in the margins. If you’re a woman who feels left behind by mainstream feminism, Mikki Kendall is writing for you. Author, activist, and cultural critic Mikki Kendall is releasing her newest book, 'Hood Feminism,' on Feb.

Hood feminism mikki