"I'm going to go to their offices, because whenever I hand out the CV nobody replies or they say ‘no’. So if I meet them face to face, I can blag my way in."

Toyin Owoseje | Proving Persistence Is The Key, Wrench and Bulldozer For Unlocking Opportunity’s Door

Feature Post Of The Week

In Her Words |

Principle 2:
The Beloved Community
is the framework for the future.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr |
Six Principles of Nonviolence

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Food-For-Thought

social integration | soh-shuh l in-ti-grey-shuhn |
n.
"the blending and unifying of social groups, most commonly seen in the desegregation of races throughout history"

Yaaya asks:

To what extent do you feel social integration
for European black women has been achieved in the nation you live in?

?

Join The Conversation

Yaaya Asks About | Social integration for black women in Europe and for European black women globally

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Race and Gender: Categories That Exclude?

“ If we cannot engage with all sections of society but only with black women, black people, and women, there is simply no point to Yaaya’s existence.”

Our decision to create Yaaya was motivated by our concern about the experience of social invisibility amongst black girls and women in Europe, which is rooted in the intersectionality of racism and sexism. Yaaya aims to provide a platform to celebrate the successes and ambitions of black girls and women across a spectrum of different industries, and to also celebrate their journeys and experiences of being female and black in their respective European nations.

Indeed, platforms and debates concerned with black women’s experiences in the workplace, media and educational institutions are numerous. The internet has undoubtedly been the most revolutionary medium for creating conversations about black womanhood, which has produced intense debates online and offline. For example, during the summer of 2013, Twitter was by far the most effective social media platform used as a “campaign” tool by black feminists to voice their discontent with the failure of Feminism, as seen through hashtags such as #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen.

The #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen hashtag clearly highlighted how, for black feminists (and their sympathisers), Feminism is a movement that is white and middle class at its core, which has failed to adequately acknowledge the role racism plays in the experience of patriarchy in black women’s lives. So popular was this debate, it was subsequently taken offline, as it gained the attention of national media in America and the UK. For example, in the UK, BBC Woman's Hour discussed it during their hourly radio programme, and Channel 4 News invited guests such as Bonnie Greer to speak on the subject.

Other hashtags like #SmartBlackofWomenTwitter was again created by black feminists in response to a list of the 25 of the smartest women on Twitter produced by Fast Company, which failed to include any woman of colour. This hashtag forced people to discuss and acknowledge the social invisibility experienced by black women in mainstream media and society at large, and cleverly encouraged black women to come up with their own lists of smart black women. It wasn't long before Fast Company realised their oversight and published a list called 18 smart women of colour.

For us at Yaaya, such debates are crucial in Europe in particular, because unlike in North America, Europe cannot boast a list of high profile black women past and present that are recognized and celebrated for their achievements. This was reinforced by a poll we conducted in April 2013, where we asked “who are your top 5 celebrated black women in Europe?” Our respondents could easily name five black women in America and Africa, but struggled to name their equivalents in Europe. This reinforced for us the little progress Europe has made, particularly in those countries with significant black populations, in regards to the representation of ethnic minorities in high profile positions.

Yaaya's existence therefore seems credible and valid right? If you answered yes, then we are incredibly pleased that you recognise the importance of our presence. However, this is not the case for everyone. Since launching in May 2013 we have had to answer the very valid question: “Why is this platform only for black girls and women?”

After explaining our interest in the intersectionality of racism and sexism in black women’s lives, and the absence of celebrated black women in Europe, we soon realized that such questions were fueled by reactions towards categories. Terms such as “black” and “women” are highly political, as well separatist, as they label groups of people based on uncontrollable characteristics. It is therefore completely understandable for people to feel excluded from platforms such as Yaaya, and in turn our content, if they feel they do not identify with one or all of the social groups we write about.

We therefore now realize that a large part of our work will be to also challenge the natural tendency as humans to identify with categories and labels that we have been programmed to subscribe to. This is because in order to challenge racism and sexism, it requires the inclusion of all concerned citizens. If we cannot engage with all sections of society but only black women, black people, and women, there is simply no point to Yaaya’s existence. To create an awareness and ultimately realise tangible changes, inclusive discussion is paramount especially with decision-makers and key stake-holders.

Our seminal post reflects the importance we place on inclusive conversations as we want “talk to motivate action,” and action to motivate more talk.” We invite all those concerned with our mission statement “to sit around the table,” and contribute their views whether they support ours or differ.

Yaaya in short isn’t just a platform for black women, black people or just women, it is for everyone who is concerned with:

  1. The intersectionality of race and gender.
  2. Racism in Europe.
  3. The diverse experiences of black people in Europe.
  4. Discovering inspiring stories of successful and ambitious black girls and women.

So, how about it? We want to hear from you. Share your stories, experiences and perspectives with us.

Email us at: yaaya.info@gmail.com

Join the conversation!

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