Hood Feminism
Mikki Kendall
Viking Books
Published March 3, 2020

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About Hood Feminism

Today’s feminist movement has a glaring blind spot, and paradoxically, it is women. Mainstream feminists rarely talk about meeting basic needs as a feminist issue, argues Mikki Kendall, but food insecurity, access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues.

All too often, however, the focus is not on basic survival for the many, but on increasing privilege for the few. That feminists refuse to prioritize these issues has only exacerbated the age-old problem of both internecine discord and women who rebuff at carrying the title. Moreover, prominent white feminists broadly suffer from their own myopia with regard to how things like race, class, sexual orientation, and ability intersect with gender.

How can we stand in solidarity as a movement, Kendall asks, when there is the distinct likelihood that some women are oppressing others?

My Review

This is such an essential read for anyone interested in better understanding modern feminism or being involved in or allied with the feminist movement.

I agree wholeheartedly with the position that Kendall takes in her book that a feminism that only helps a certain kind of woman isn’t true feminism. Her book examines feminist principles and how the movement overlooks or ignores the needs of marginalized women, especially women of color.

Her writing is clear, personal, and filled with great examples. I can tell that this is a book I’m going to revisit periodically.

This book doesn’t read like a research paper cataloging a movement or historical time period. It reads more like a personal essay, filled with examples from Kendall’s life experience and personal knowledge.

The author issues a warning in the opening pages, letting readers know her book isn’t meant to make everyone comfortable. It’s meant to shine a light on uncomfortable truths so that we, as a movement supporting women’s equality and equity, can press forward more effectively advancing the rights of all women.

I highly recommend reading this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to church.

Violent Content
References to domestic violence.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed this book from the public library. All opinions are my own.