Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot

“My grandmother remains—despite her futile efforts to make me more ladylike—one of the most feminist women I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, and yet she would never have carried that label. Because so much of what feminists had to say of her time was laden with racist and classist assumptions about women like her, she focused on what she could control and was openly disdainful of a lot of feminist rhetoric. But she lived her feminism, and her priorities were in line with womanist views on individual and community health.”

Kendall’s choice to open her discussion of her grandmother’s values and response to the White feminism of the day shores up Kendall’s credibility. The respect she has for her grandmother shows that her values are deeply rooted in her geographic and racial community. The characterization of feminism as a movement that includes elements of White supremacy also shows that this problem is a longstanding one.

“Learning to defend myself, to be willing to take the risk of being a bad girl, was a process with a steep learning curve. But like with so many other things, I learned how to stand up even when other people were certain I should be content to sit down. Being good at being bad has been scary, fun, rewarding, and ultimately probably the only path that I was ever meant to walk.” 

This quote introduces Kendall’s consistent critique of the way that Black respectability politics has harmed her and Black women in general. It also serves as a preface to her early attack on tone policing, the means by which White feminists focus on how Black women critique feminism instead of on the content of that critique. By personally avowing to the reader that there is something rewarding about “being bad,” Kendall is signaling to the reader that her persona will be an uncompromising one that is likely to make the reader uncomfortable.

“We rarely talk about basic needs as feminist issues.” 

Kendall’s feminism is intersectional, meaning that she pays attention to Black women and other women of color in a holistic way that acknowledges how many aspects of their identity shape their experiences and challenges. Her focus on basic needs is a reflection of her intersectional lens.