On the heels of this week’s CDC report noting a rise in suicidal thoughts and extreme sadness among American girls, it feels fitting to highlight a writer whose work speaks to the country’s insufficiency in making these girls feel safe.
The very title of Mikki Kendall’s bestselling essay compilation is enough to send right-wingers up a wall. “Hood Feminism” is a Republican nightmare — which is to say, it’s vital reading for anyone looking to understand the plight of Black American girls and how they navigate around it.
Kendall doesn’t merely believe in feminism — she believes that her experience as a Black girl who has endured poverty makes her one of its true evangelists. When it comes to true support for women and girls, Kendall knows what it is. And what it’s not.
When it comes to true support for women and girls, Kendall knows what it is. And what it’s not.
That’s why I’m highlighting Mikki Kendall in today’s edition of “Black History, Uncensored,” our series dedicated to Black authors targeted by right-wing book bans. Kendall’s “Hood Feminism” is on such lists, and those familiar with the fragile, patriarchal id driving the conservative movement will recognize why Republicans fear her the moment they see the book’s table of contents.
So, naturally, we’re going to dive right in.
Specifically, I want to highlight Kendall’s essay “Of #FastTailedGirls And Freedom,” which denounces the culture of victim-blaming that so frequently descends upon girls — particularly, Black girls — subjected to sexual violence.
For women of all ages, sexual violence is a real possibly, if not a painful memory. Republican efforts to ban books that address this suggest a level of acceptance with women and girls experiencing this violence, but no tolerance for discussing it.
Kendall doesn’t abide.
In “#FastTailedGirls,” she writes:
As an adult I can look back and see that my mother was probably afraid for me, because I…
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