My Legacy of Feminism

My understanding to the term feminist is the uniting of a voice of women to navigate and contribute to this world with equal access directly and recognized ability as men have. Feminism applies to me as a minority, student, mother, and entrepreneur. As a woman being the survivor of chronic abuse as a girl during all phases of my adolescent years I had shied away from any opportunities and rights to self- empower myself thinking I was exempt. By the time I was a mother, I had raised a daughter always putting emphasis on buying her boys and girls toys so that it would empower her to remain open to all parts of herself without putting limits on her gender. As a student, I see career options not as vast as they are for women in all fields such as wage and benefits.Resources, opportunities, and acknowledgment have been limiting as well as degrading in my life’s span thus far. Which links to feminism in my strive to continue to move forward despite the barriers and injustice I have experienced. The mere fact that I press on it instills relevance in my work and purpose in my legacy to my daughter. A legacy not to become the best version of herself regardless if it is not praised or acknowledged for it will benefit the next generation merely by surviving. My goal for this class is to mold my focus as an advocate of women’s rights to be most useful in my skills as an n artist empowering my voice its unique way. Feminism has been most helpful in the area of awareness and knowledge of its history. Before this class,  I guess you could say I was still acting through my victims keeping ignorant from knowing I am not alone in my plight and will probably never be alone. Feminism can view as another way to speak out against injustices based on a person's sexual preference, gender, lifestyle and roles in this world.

What I took from the reading McIntosh’s,“White Privilege” is that the majority of people believe women who are feminist are only about proving to be equal to men which is about so much more but is a part of it. Equality as a form of empowerment to receive equal pay and respect as human beings is not enough because men are considered so far up the food chain. And so the feminism we hear about is committed to gender equality opposed to male bashing themes.  Which was my original definition and views of feminism proving how educating one’s self on contemporary issues can be empowering itself?

Y\Pharr’s,“Heterosexism” creates the climate for homophobia using lesbian, a baiting theory to control women into feminism. Interesting as a former lesbian, former in the sense that my spiritual practices allow me disciple that separates the desire for practicing lesbianism in the first place. By not participating it has become a useful guide of self-empowerment towards self-love. I am sure feminism and one's sexual preference tied to the further exploration of self-empowerment but to be a woman equates that there’s so much more to discover about women through feminism.

So presently as a mother, student, and artist I am hopeful that my efforts are no longer trying to keep up with men but to move forward by embracing my present realities using my platforms, roles, handicaps, strengths and all my feminine and masculine qualities to add to the history and victories of feminism.