Jessica Williams, Salma Hayek and Shirley MacLaine are just some of the women in Hollywood who attended a filmmakers lunch recently, and things went left after Jessica attempted to explain the obstacles black women face inside and outside the industry.
It didn’t take long for the typical response of white feminism, which is to silence black women and tell us to “stop being victims,” to rear its ugly head.
And of course the condescension was in full effect too with Salma Hayek calling Jessica “baby.”
The Los Angeles Times writes:
Then Jessica Williams, the former “Daily Show” correspondent who was at Sundance as the star of Jim Strouse’s “The Incredible Jessica James,” spoke up.
“I have a question for you,” Williams, 27, said to MacLaine. “My question is: What if you are a person of color, or a transgendered person who — just from how you look — you already are in a conflict?”
“Right, but change your point of view,” MacLaine offered. “Change your point of view of being victimized. I’m saying: Find the democracy inside.”
“I’m sorry,” Hayek said, jumping in. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Williams answered.
“Who are you when you’re not black and you’re not a woman? Who are you and what have you got to give?”
Williams took a deep breath. “A lot. But some days, I’m just black, and I’m just a woman,” she said. “Like, it’s not my choice. I know who I am. I know I’m Jessica, and I’m the hottest b*tch on the planet I know.”
“No, no, no,” Hayek said. “Take the time to investigate. That’s the trap! …There is so much more.”
“Right,” agreed MacClaine. “The more is inside.”
Williams, whose speech at the women’s march at Sundance was praised as one of the most powerful and effective last week, looked down and said she was struggling to articulate herself. Peirce tried to help her, saying that when she goes out in public looking masculine, she causes discomfort in a way Williams might as a black woman.
But that wasn’t quite right. So after a few moments of reflection, Williams returned to Hayek.
“I think what you’re saying is valid, but I also think that what you’re saying doesn’t apply to all women. I think that’s impossible.”
“What part of it is impossible?” Hayek responded. “You’re giving attention to how the other one feels.”
“Because I have to,” Williams said.
”If you have to do that, then do that,” Hayek said. “Then that’s your journey. But I want to inspire other people to know it’s a choice.”
This was when “Mudbound” filmmaker Dee Rees — who had moments earlier introduced herself as a black, queer director — jumped in. At this lunch, she said, she didn’t feel like she was posing a threat to anyone. But in line at the bank? Things were different. “I don’t see myself a victim,” she said. “[Jessica] doesn’t see herself as a victim. But it’s how you’re read.”
“I also feel like the word ‘victim’ — I feel like it has bothered me,” Williams replied. “When I talk about feminism, sometimes I feel like being a black woman is cast aside. I always feel like I’m warring with my womanhood and wanting the world to be better, and with my blackness — which is the opposite of whiteness.”
Cora, who had been in the kitchen cooking lamb stew and halibut, wandered over to share that she grew up gay in Mississippi, where she was sexually abused from age 6. No matter an individual’s experience, she said, she just wished all women would have one another’s backs.
It was a somewhat of an abrupt turn, and “Transparent” creator Soloway returned to Williams to ask her to continue speaking.
“With intersectional feminism, it’s our responsibility as white women to recognize that when there are people of color or people who are queer — we need to prioritize your voices and let you speak the loudest and learn from your experience, because we haven’t been listening. So please, Jessica, finish your thoughts.”
Williams, visibly uncomfortable, said she also wanted to encourage all of the women in the room to pay special attention to women of color and LGBT women. “I think we need to not speak over black women,” she said, “not assign them labels.”
“What does this mean, ‘speak over?’” Hayek asked.
“To project your ideas on me,” Williams said. “I think there is a fear that if we present an idea that, ‘Hey, maybe [black women] have it a little bit harder in this country’ — because we do; black women and trans women do — if we’re having it a little bit harder, it doesn’t invalidate your experience. I really am begging you to not take it personally.”
Williams continued, referencing Planned Parenthood to support her argument. While many women may rely on the clinic, she said, four out of five women who use their services are women of color.
“So when you say women of color,” Hayek began. Then she noticed that Williams was not making eye contact with her. “Jessica, do you mind if I look at your eyes?”
Williams barely looked up. Still, the back-and-forth continued, with Hayek questioning whether or not she was considered a woman of color in Williams’ estimation. Nearly everyone in the room responded that Hayek was.
“Wouldn’t it solve it if women just all had each other’s backs in general?” Cora asked suddenly.
“Sure,” Peirce said. “The thing is this, yes, all women can work together, but we have to acknowledge that black women have a different experience. She’s here struggling and we keep shutting her down.”
“I don’t think anybody here shut her down,” Cora said, fighting back.
“Can I interrupt, because I feel misunderstood,” Hayek agreed. “It’s not shutting you up. I feel misunderstood on one point: We should be also curious about our brain. By being the best that you can be. That’s what I was trying to say to you. Let’s not just spend all the time in the anger, but in the investigation.”
“Baby, I’m Mexican and Arab,” she went on, addressing Williams. “I’m from another generation, baby, when this was not even a possibility. My generation, they said, ‘Go back to Mexico. You’ll never be anything other than a maid in this country.’ By the heads of studios! There was no movement. Latino women were not even anywhere near where you guys are. I was the first one. I’m 50 years old. So I understand.”
“You don’t understand,” Williams said, shaking her head quietly.
They’ll never get it.
exactly. My response would of been I cannot diconnect frim being black or a woman as that is massive factor in my identity. I think and feel as a black woman because thats all ive ever been. Even your soul and its development is dependent on your physical experiences and how you respond to them which means the struggles i experience as a result of my physicality is reflected and and impacts my inner being , my soul. Is life not self discovery? so shy should I discount the skin i was given in discovering who i am how about why was i given this skin in the first place ? It wasnt an accident. Let Salma focus on her identity and the issues she faces and stop trying to reduce the voice of others whos path shes never walked or would have no way of understanding because guess what? she is not them.
Apologise for grammer errors but im sure u get it lol xxx
I totally get u sis!
Salma really tried it the most though. Did she come from a rich family over here and become a success because of her connections? Then to top it off, she married a billionaire. She has no idea what it means to struggle at all. And don’t get me started on Shirley. Her views on race are telling no matter how much she tries to cloak it with liberal speak.
I’m so disturbed by that whole convo, yet I wish I could’ve watched the video. Im really surprised by Salma, but yet not. Because now shes married to Henri I’m sure she’s no longer in place to even entertain any thoughts from black women. She’s a white Latino at this point.
I wish more black women realized that white feminism does not acknowledge the role of black women in the struggle for women’s rights. The women’s marches are not for us. They want our numbers…not our voces! There’s always this condescending tone with black woman to just shut up and follow blindly but not to be “divisive” by speaking about the black experience.
This is that all lives matter bs all over again.
100%. Its two different struggles black women are fighting for equality on two levels. Non black women are not or were not considered to be subhuman so to have to fight to be accepted as a human being as well as a female is something they have no concept of. When those feminist achieve their goals as women they will still feel comfortable having an advantage as a non black because their agenda is fufilled. Therefore stay in you lane and dont discredit our entirely different and more extensive struggle
Salma and Shirley are ignorant but I’m sure they think there’s nothing wrong with what they sad.
F-ck both of these racist c-nts. I’m telling y’all these so called liberals are no better than the republicans. They hop their privileged a-ses on Twitter and call out Trump when they ain’t sh-t either.
And this is why I’m not a feminist.
Trash. Both of them.
The best thing about situations like this is undercover bigots are exposed. Hollywood isn’t as liberal as it seems.
This is typical for non black feminists. And Salma is a white hispanic. They can be more racist than regular white people. Just saying.
Let me go drag these bishes on Twitter.
The surprise would have been non black women actually listening to black women and not being so condescending when we talk about the issues we have to deal with. For some reason that’s hard for them to do. And that chef should be dragged too since she saw nothing wrong with what Salma did.
Womanism > Feminism
I will never understand why people discuss race issues, or woman issues. No one is ever going to agree, it’s like they make these discussions to give people something to rant about
This was not ok.