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Misogynoir: One of the barriers which silences Black women in the public sphere

Image: Indy100.com

Farida Augustine

to read that the Labour MP and former Shadow Women’s of their own party. Upon her appointment to the shadow The abuse and hate hurled at Black and dark-skinned women and Equalities Minister Dawn Butler was forced to close her cabinet, senior staf jokingly dismissed Dawn Butler’s who dare to take a seat at the table and speak truth to power constituency ofce. This was after threats against her and serious allegations of racism as “untrue”. Similarly, the is tragically nothing new in politics. However, in the age of her staf “drastically escalated”. Following her defence of leaked document revealed how a senior staf member used social media, twitter trolls and memes, this abuse plays out Black Lives Matter protests and after speaking about the “a classic racist trope” to insult Diane Abbott; the frst Black brutally in our digital spaces and manifests itself in the “real impact of COVID-19 on ethnic minorities. Not only was woman to be elected to parliament and longest-serving world”. This form of misogyny has become so acute, that this an attack on Dawn Butler, but an attack on democracy black MP. Despite her popularity within her constituency, in 2008 the term misogynoir was coined by the academic itself. In an open letter to her constituency, Butler frankly retaining her seat for over 30 years, a 2017 report revealed Moya Bailey to give Black women the vocabulary to talk stated that the windows of her ofce had been smashed that Abbot receives more online abuse than any other MP. about their experiences. As researcher Lisa Amanda Palmer through by bricks and that she continues to “receive on an Perhaps, what these blatant attacks on a Black highlights, the term describes the gendered and sexualised form of racism faced by Black women in popular culture and the current political landscape. However, misogynoir rears its head in all aspects of Black women’s lives, having devastatingly tangible and violent consequences. One extreme example of this was an incident that took place at end of August. A right-wing French magazine published a cartoon depicting Black member of parliament and outspoken afro-feminist activist Danièle Obono as a slave in chains. This image was accompanied by an equally racist fctional narrative where she fnds herself put up for auction in the 18th century. After seeing the images, I was left dumbfounded, asking myself how a magazine, which the French president once described as “very good” almost daily basis, threats of violence and death threats”. Though, she went on to add defantly that “I will never be threatened into silence and will continue to speak out and speak up for all of my constituents in Brent Central”. The labour antisemitism report leaked in April also painted a dark and depressing image of the endemic nature of antiBlack racism and misogynoir within the Labour party and Perhaps, what these blatant attacks on a black woman painfuly show is just how commonplace the dehumanisation of black women has become. “ “ woman painfully show is just how commonplace the dehumanisation of Black women has become. These attacks usually rely upon racist and sexist tropes that portray Black women as angry, undesirable, animalistic and ultimately undeserving of their humanity or your empathy. Despite attempts to silence these phenomenal women, they still continue to fght and stand up for what they believe in. They refuse to be invisible and refuse to be silent. In the words of Dianne Abbott, “the abuse and the attacks have never made me falter”. Yet the heavy burden of misogynoir should not be left upon the shoulders of Black women to carry alone. We must struggle, collectively to rid it from our body politic. While I don’t have all the answers, what I do know is that we have to go beyond ‘diversity and inclusion’ could publish an image of a Black member of parliament, politics more generally. For years, I saw Labour as leading or unconscious bias training to achieve this. This can be a human being, as a slave? Worst still, Obono is frequently the fght against racism within mainstream politics, but no summed up by author Lucy Ko’s tweet: “The revolution met with an avalanche of abuse from her fellow politicians longer feel that way today. Racism and misogyny are not will not be diversity and inclusion trainings”. The presence and members of the public alike for simply doing her job. just confned to the ultra-right or the depths of twitter troll of Black women and other marginalised communities in

This is by no means a problem unique to the French. land but are present on all sides of the political spectrum. parliament is vital to keeping our democracy alive and we Misogynoir is rampant and deep-rooted within the UK The dossier confrmed that, unearthing the vile treatment must remove the barriers that stop them from getting there. political landscape too. This summer alone, I was distressed and bullying that Black women were subject to by members

Death of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman sparks conversation about ableism

Image: NBC

Ruby Fatimilehin

The unexpected and tragic death of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman took the world by surprise. The actor was just 43 when he passed away from colon cancer on August 28th. As King T’Challa, Boseman was an inspiration to Black children across the globe who were able to see themselves refected on screen. The public was shocked at the revelation that Boseman had been battling cancer whilst acting for his ground-breaking role.

The sudden loss of Boseman generated conversations about the flm industry’s ableism and mistreatment of disabled people. We will never truly know why Boseman decided to conceal his diagnosis but, in doing so, he was able to avoid much of the ableism which depicts disabled people as pitiable, tragic but brave, and not capable of participating in everyday life.

In America, cancer is classed as a disability by the federal government, yet many have fought the description of Boseman as disabled. The Black Disability Collective tweeted, “So many of y’all hate disabled people so much that you’re deeply uncomfortable with Chadwick Boseman being referred to as disabled and his experiences being discussed through a disability lens. Cancer is a disability. Unpack your discomfort with this.”

Boseman may have also chosen to conceal his diagnosis to safeguard his job prospects and preserve his acting career. Tatiana A. Lee, a Black actor who has spina bifda said, “I honestly believe if Chadwick Boseman was open about having cancer, they wouldn’t have allowed him to do Black Panther.” Lee said that as a Black person who uses a wheelchair, “people would tell me that [being an actor] was something I could never be because no one Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found wants to see a Black girl with a disability on a movie that half of the 222 White medical students surveyed screen.” Lee works as the Hollywood inclusion associate endorsed at least one false belief about the physiological for RespectAbility and said that when working with actors, diferences between White and Black people including that “a lot of them confde in me that they have a nonvisible Black people have less sensitive nerve endings than White disability, but they are told not to talk about it and that if people. The students insisted that Black people felt less you can pass, you should go with it.” pain which made the providers less likely to recommend

These experiences refect the broader picture for disabled appropriate treatment. When Black people do express Black men are often... denied expressions of pain and weakness due to a combination of racism and toxic masculinity.“ “ actors in Hollywood. According to a 2012 Census Bureau report nearly 20% of the U.S. population have a disability. Yet, the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism found that in 900 flms released in theatres between 2007 and 2016, a total of 2.7% of characters with speaking parts had a disability. This underrepresentation is also seen in actors. In 21 prominent series, two actors out of the 17 playing characters with disabilities had a real-life disability. When examining the intersections of race and disability, the picture becomes even more complex. Black men are often portrayed as hypermasculine and are denied expressions of pain and weakness due to a combination of racism and toxic masculinity. This trope originated during their pain, they are portrayed as being hysterical and as overreacting. Many reports of Boseman’s death praise the actor for continuing to work despite his diagnosis. These problematic portrayals raise Boseman to a martyr-like status and treat him as ‘inspiration porn.’ slavery when Black people would receive value based on This negatively impacts Black disabled people who are the amount of physical labour they could provide. Three expected to sufer through their pain and continuing months before Boseman’s death, he uploaded a video to working even when it becomes debilitating to do so. Instagram in which he looked much thinner than usual. It is a tragedy that Black disabled kids missed out Some people voiced their concern, but many criticised his on seeing themselves refected in superhero form due appearance, making fun of his weight loss and questioning to Boseman’s concealment of his disability but when his strength and masculinity. we live in a society that treats Black disabled people so

The belief that Black people are genetically stronger abhorrently, who can blame Boseman for his decision? has severe implications. A 2016 survey published in The

Caucasity

Regina Osei-Bonsu aged white woman. Karens have a sense of housemate to allow his boyfriend, who had tested entitlement and authority due to their whiteness positive for COVID-19, to stay in our house. When Just before the Black Lives Matter protests that which can result in them calling the authorities I informed the landlord and the police, which he erupted in the wake of losing countless Black then positioning themselves as the victim. Karens’ wouldn’t have hesitated to do if the roles were lives to police brutality, I came across the term deep-rooted and often subconscious disdain for reversed, my white housemate couldn’t believe the ‘caucasity’, and it has not left my mind since. The Black people and ethnic minorities is a key example actions I had taken. Frankly, I couldn’t believe his term is subjective and varies in meaning within of caucasity. Karens often believe that their needs audacity to think that I should put myself at risk the Black community but in short, caucasity are more important than those of minorities and for his gratifcation. Now, this is caucasity. These is the audacity of white people. For example, overstep in majority Black and ethnic spaces. Why? tactical and strategic microaggressions no longer caucasity describes white people’s willingness and Because a systemically racist society tells them work on me but unfortunately, it is routine for borderline eagerness to take bold risks that only they can. Black people to have to put themselves second or they would feel safe doing. This is mostly because, For Black History month, it is important to be apologetic when they have done nothing wrong. whether they choose to accept it or not, the society expose the issue of caucasity. Understanding it will When trying to rid yourself of caucasity, think white people operate in is systemically racist help the ofenders who want to, or claim to want about the systems in society that allow you an and therefore benefts and protects their actions, to, help with the Black Lives Matter movement elevated amount of audacity. What can you do to needs, and interests. and racial inequality. Caucasity is a form of dismantle it? First, accept your privilege and that

Examples of caucasity include but are not microaggression used to oppress. It aims to belittle you beneft from societal structures and systems. limited to: microaggressions of any form; cultural appropriation; racist jokes and the denial of privilege. Why does this matter? Since the start of the Black Lives Matter protests, many white people have claimed that they will use their white privilege to fght inequality within society. Nonetheless, they continue to engage in moments of caucasity. For example, a white person may become aware of the injustice around them but until these injustices directly impact them or they stand to gain something from acting, they will continue their usual tendencies and behaviors. Another ironic example of caucasity is when a white person may recognise another white person non-white people and keep them feeling inferior in a broken society that operates to keep ethnic minorities socially, economically, and politically disadvantaged. White people have used their caucasity to gaslight me. For example, I have been pressured to apologise in situations where my actions and feelings were valid but did not beneft the other Second, stop and listen when a person of colour tells you to get of your high horse. Third, place yourself in other people’s shoes. Would you take this nonsense if the roles were reversed? The most important thing is to stop believing that your views are above others who disagree with you, especially people who don’t ft within the white, heteronormative, able-bodied, patriarchal structures within our society. Don’t feel you have a right to speak on issues, experiences and lives you know nothing about, especially from people who know frsthand and disagree with you. Realise that you’re not always right. Next time you feel your caucasity ready to explode, stop, take a step back and assess the Caucasity describes white people’s willigness and borderline eagerness to take bold risks that only they would feel safe.“ “ to be a Karen but not realise that they are also a person so they used their caucasity to ignore them. situation because your caucasity reeks. Karen. Karen is a stereotypical name for a rude, Another example is when my white housemate obnoxious, insuferable, and often racist, middle- attempted to pressure myself and my other

How signifcant is the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court?

Kerry Pearson

The death of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is signifcant in more ways than one. Ginsburg, who was a pioneering champion for women’s rights, famously known for saying that there would be enough women on the nine-seat Supreme Court “when there are nine”, was extremely popular with many Americans. However, her liberal, feminist nature will seemingly be juxtaposed by the appointment of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Although Trump said on September 21 st that he was considering fve candidates, he really only met one– Miss Barrett, who he called a woman of “unparalleled achievement, towering in intellect”. Miss Barrett has some big shoes to fll; she said herself that Ginsburg not only broke glass ceilings, but that she “smashed them”. The appointment of Ginsburg will shift the bench considerably to the right, giving conservatives six of the nine seats.

What will prove controversial and difcult for Miss Barrett is her devout Catholicism. Barrett has ties to People of Praise, a dubious organisation, labelled a ‘far-right cult’ by some, which teaches, for example, that husbands have authority over their wives. This is, understandably, a cause for concern for several democratic senators, who worry that her religion will not mix well with the law. Reassuringly though, prior to Barrett’s appointment, she said that Catholics and other religious lawyers must not align the legal system with the Church’s ‘moral system’, but went on to say that in their private lives they must conform to the Church’s teachings.

Abortion rights have been a central issue in American politics, for both democrats and republicans, for decades. The court has already seen a chipping away of abortion rights in recent years, with late-term abortion being banned and several clinics closed. Miss Barret’s stance is that abortion, in her own words, is “always immoral”; but in 2017, she repeatedly said that as a circuit-court judge she would uphold all Supreme Court precedent, including Roe v. Wade 1973, which makes abortion a constitutional right. But appointment to the Supreme Court will give her more power, and the Supreme Court may soon have a majority to erase Roe from the constitution and push abortion rights back to individual states.

Barrett’s commitment to ‘pro-life’, however, stops at abortion. Barrett is in favour of the Second Amendment, which gives American citizens the right to keep and bear arms. Barrett’s appointment may put the progress (background checks and red fag states) that has been made at risk. In 2019, Barrett wrote that Americans had a “natural right of selfdefence” and opposed the rule that allowed states to ban convicted felons from owning guns, a law that would undoubtedly make America a safer place. Over 145,000 Americans have been killed by guns during Trump’s time in ofce, and Barrett’s opposition of gun safety laws will mean that even more Americans could die – making one wonder, how ‘pro-life’ is she? In terms of immigration, Barrett’s views align with Donald Trump’s.

Miss Barrett was in favour of the president’s hardline policy in Illinois that denied the legal permanent residency to certain immigrants who were deemed likely to require government assistance in the future.

The Supreme Court is becoming increasingly conservative and it is certainly no coincidence. Trump’s move to appoint Barrett before the election on November 3rd is strategic; this will signifcantly alter the ideological makeup of the court. Judge Barrett is the stark opposite to the feminist icon that was Ginsburg, showing just another example of why the election in three weeks’ time will be one of the most important yet.

Nicola Adams: Advancing queer visibility, one dance step at a time

Elena Sotelo gold medal. Since it aired in 2004, the popular BBC One

On the 24th of October, Leeds’ own Nicola show has had a complicated relationship

Adams will, once again, make LGBTQ+ with queerness and the inclusion of samehistory by becoming the frst Strictly Come sex dance couples in its airtime. It seems

Dancing celebrity contestant to compete bizarre that a show as campy, theatrical and with a same-sex dance partner. There is unspeakable bravery in challenging the status quo, and that is just what Nicola Adams has been doing during her career as a professional athlete. Back in 2012, Adams became the frst woman to ever win a boxing Olympic title, which she successfully defended in the Rio 2016 Olympics. Nicola Adams has become one of over-the-top as Strictly has trouble accepting LGBTQ+ folks on the dancefoor; especially as two of its judges identify themselves as part of the LGBTQ+ community. However, the problem with making queerness visible on the show goes well beyond the infuence of the judges and falls exclusively to the BBC directive, who rejected gay contestant Dr Ranj Singh’s request to be paired with a male dancer in 2019. The only time a same-sex dancing couple has been featured on the show, 200 complaints were received by the BBC. When professional dancers Graziano Di Prima and Johannes Radebe took to the It seems bizarre that a show as campy, theatrical and over-the-top as Strictly has trouble accepting LGBT folks on the dancefoor.“ “ the most recognisable LGBTQ+ icons in the main stage for their routine, the show had

United Kingdom, after becoming the frst an average audience of 7.9 million viewers. openly gay athlete to win an Olympic boxing In comparison to Strictly Come Dancing’s audience, the 200 viewers who found the performance “ofensive” enough to ring the BBC are an insignifcant minority. However, it speaks volumes about how a sector of British society perceives the normalisation of otherness in the mainstream media as harmful. For some people, deviating the “norm” and tradition is something shameful that should be kept behind closed doors, away from the public eye.

There is still a lot to change in our society to make it fair, safe and egalitarian. Although some might see representation in the mainstream media as meaningless, it really does matter. It can guide and help people, as well as promote acceptance and diversity. Steps forward in inclusivity such as the one being taken by Nicola Adams should be championed as a brave, proud and unapologetic celebration of the individual freedom to publicly be whoever you want to be; as well as an important milestone for the POC LGBTQ+ community.

Image: Richard Gillin