Quick Hit: Jessica on Elitist Feminism

Check out Jess’s awesome piece over at her blog about elitism and feminism and takes on critic to young feminists, Nina Power.

Power also takes issue with me being too “upbeat”, and suggesting that feminism can make women’s lives better. (We like our social justice movements dour, not joyful!) By ignoring how important and transformational it can be for women to see the world through a feminist lens and recognize everyday personal inequities, Power disregards how this kind of individual realization often leads to collective action and activism.
Are theory and political history important? Of course. But there’s more than one feminist project and accessibility, substance and radical thought aren’t mutually exclusive (something Power would know had she read my books or or any of the amazing blogging at Feministing). A huge part of my work has been creating entry points for young women to become involved in the movement; I’ve made deliberate, strategic choices about the language and tone I’ve used in my writing and the topics I’ve covered. And guess what? That shit works.
…Everybody – whether or not they take Women’s Studies, have read Judith Butler or heard of Foucault – deserves to have feminism in their lives.

Go read the rest. Total must-read.