Feminism, Plagiarism and Women of Colour - Whose Voice is More Valued - or Marketable?
by lainad

Update: I have added a link to Brownfemipower's final post. This looks like a temporary page so I have no idea how long the link will be active. 

I've written before about blogger exhaustion - which for me, and what seems to be pretty common among some of my fellow bloggers - is when we start to question the legitimacy or social relevance of what we are preparing to write about before we start composing when previously, it was a spontaneous, effortless pastime.

But recently, there have been a couple of popular bloggers who have decided to take a hiatus due to more insidious reasons. They have poured significant hours, personal and emotional time and energy into crafting their entries, entries that over the years that have been admired by many. Their writings are not only thought provoking and well-written, but throughly researched. Not only writing to expel the first thought that came to their heads, they wrote because what they had to say was needed. Desperately, in some cases. But because of large amounts of negative comments and the initial quest to try to provide information that provided an educational resource, they needed to take a break. The online world, supposedly an level playing field where everyone has the right to share their views - whether good or bad - started to display the same segregationary tactics, overt racism and ignorance as the real world.

Hiding behind the computer in your darkened bedroom no longer seemsto be a buffer. As the blogosphere has provided a forum where relatively unknown writers have the opportunity to gain attention because of their blogs, the selection of book deals and media attention is still based on race and class, rather than the actual content of the journal entries and page hits.

I was saddened to read last week that one of the first WOC bloggers that I started to read on a daily basis, had shut down her blog. Brownfemipower  was known as one of, if not the most, prolific feminist activists on the Web. She not only talked about issues that affected the North American population, but also wrote eloquently on women's issues, immigration,civil rights and national and international political issues. I, like many others, hope that she will decide to blog again.

So what happened? Well, according to numerous reports, it was something that unfortunately, is a pretty timely subject, most notably because of the furor over the writer of the popular satirical site Stuff White People Like ( which I like and plus, writer Christian Lander is a Canuck!) who was just granted a $350,000 book deal that will be in part, a collection of his posts and some original writings. The argument is that black satirical bloggers- and there are many, BTW - are ignored. BUT I do believe that in this case, Lander's popularity and marketability landed him his book deal, but because of the subject matter, it is essentially the same 'ol thing - cultural appropriation, which in this case, is when a white writer will make money off writing about issues that center around the dynamics between whites and people of color when POC's who do the same thing are not economically viable enough to warrant the same attention.

In Brownfemipower's(BFP) situation, it was centered around an article that was written by another popular feminist blogger, Amanda Marcotte where apparently she heavily 'borrowed' from BFP's work and did not acknowledge and / or credit her in her article. (Please note that every link embedded in Marcotte's article leads directly to a post in which BFP had originally covered the subject). While BFP did not directly say that this was the reason why she shut down her site, it is generally assumed that this was the catalyst. Here is a portion from the above linked post:

That’s the same as what’s happened in this situation. No one backpedaled on the accusation of appropriation. My post, which I was careful to compose, does not link point for point where Amanda “stole” things word-for-word from BFP. Rather, it makes BFP’s work — who is just one of the bloggers who have been tying feminism with immigration before the article Amanda quoted hit the “zeitgeist” — visible. And it questions why Amanda took upon her shoulders the claim of authenticity on critical issues on immigration and feminism, immigration and dehumanizing language, and immigration and sexual abuse without giving some indication of the longstanding body of work from multiple people of color who have identified more heinous crimes, who have pointed out more causal links, and whose work undoubtedly could lead to honest and critical engagement with the situation and possible broader activism in coalition with people who don’t want to touch the situation.

This recent issue has sparked a huge discussion that while unfortunately for both Marcotte and BFP, has raised some very important issues that need to be discussed.

The first is the 'place' of women of color in the feminist movement.

The second is the role (or lack thereof) that ( primarily white)feminist book publishers have in networking, publishing and marketing women of color writers. Apparently Seal Press received numerous complaints for their handling of the promotion of their titles at the recent Women Action & Media conference in Cambridge, MA. (Edit: More specifically, there was also some conterversy over reviews of Feministing's Jessica Valenti's book, 2007's Full Frontal Feminism, which was critiqued by dismissing the experiences of women of colour, women with disabilities and Christian women. For more info, please refer to The Silence of Our Friends)

The third is the ease in which people can make a shitload of money off of the back off of appropriating the works and, well general culture of a disenfranchised group.From Mind the Gap:

The Personal Is Political doesn’t actually mean Lipstick Is Important, and particularly to forget what the pro-woman line actually is - , but that’s how I feel at the moment - just one of the voices being used, whether we like it or not, to boost the careers and entitlement of a few white, middle-class, ambitions, unscrupulous women. For me to feel this way is one thing, but for someone like Brownfemipower, who has been talking about issues surrounding women and immigration, for years now, to get plagiarized, is completely outrageous.

I hope that both BFP eventually comes back to blogging, re-energized and just as feisty, intelligent and fearless as she ever was.

Submitted by lainad (view blog) on Thu, 04/17/2008 - 19:16

Comments

 

I hope BFP returns, too

I don't know what else to say except that this sucks.  Thanks for the thoughtful post, as usual. 

Suzanne Reisman, Contributing Editor - Feminism & Gender
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS)& Other Rants

Submitted by Suzanne Reisman on Thu, 04/17/2008 - 21:23
 

I have to admit my confusion.

I've read a lot on this debacle, and I have to admit that my reaction is confusion and a feeling like I can't really grasp the whole thing.

To me, the original article by Amanda reads like a news story. I don't read it and think, "Look at these ideas she came up with." I read it, and it seems like a news report. If it should have included references to, for example, BFP, perhaps that's a failing of Alternet's style? I see that all the links in the piece are not to blogs, but to news stories.

I feel like I am missing a basic chunk of understanding, and it's frustrating. Within the current style of Alternet, could Amanda have referred to BFP? Would she even have been thinking in that way about "sources"?

BlogHer, for example, is a very different space, and I can see how if you were writing a similar piece on BlogHer it would be so organic to have linked to BFP and other bloggers.

I partially understand the issues of being rendered invisible and silenced. I try to imagine writing about a particular topic outside of the mainstream press for years, speaking at a conference about it and then seeing someone with a more public voice express those ideas in a news story and then I understand a little more. I guess I do understand the larger problem. Like when a company has two founders, but only the male partner is listed and referred to and the female partner is rendered invisible.

But is the solution, then, for Alternet to link to blogs where ideas originate, or include links to other voices on every piece, like BlogHer does? Or is the solution, then, for Alternet to seek out more diverse reporters (not that I've gone to look at the current state of that)? To seek someone that's already written on a given topic when possible?

It's certainly just bad all around for all this to have gone down this way - Seems wholly unconstructive from every direction, and I can only hope something positive comes of it somehow.

Another thought I've been having: I also wonder about readability, because I - sadly - never read BFP (ironically, it's listed in the back of Amanda's book, and I am planning to add all those blogs to my reader, so I would have started reading it this month), but I've been to some heavy blogs where it's just not as digestible. I've tried to start reading some WOC blogs and found them too heavy for me - not necessarily in topic, but in style, or maybe tone. Man, I would *love* to find a WOC-focused feminist blog that's similar to style and readability to Pandagon, Feministe, and Feministing. Is there one? Is there a WOC-focused feminist blog with some fun, in-your-face factor mixed with the serious stuff?

And, of course, the heavier blogs are so important and have a place, but they are deeper than I usually swim, if that makes sense. I only started reading feminism and feminist thought in like 2005. "Full Frontal Feminism" was my first introduction to what the heck all the "waves" are, and I only found all this feminism in the blogosphere because I said something clunky on my blog and a feminist blogger linked to me and was like, Look how she has no idea about feminism. Most people don't read this stuff at all, you know? I am glad, however, that I have found all this feminism writing and am expanding my knowledge and understanding.

Geez, this is like a blog post, and I hope you'll forgive me for breaking Elisa's rule, but I guess I've been thinking about this a lot and I feel (hope) that BlogHer is a safe space for my clunky thoughts on this matter.

Forgive me if I've spoken poorly at any point here. I am honestly trying to make sense of it and understand.

Liz Rizzo

I blog at Everyday Goddess.

Submitted by Liz Rizzo on Fri, 04/18/2008 - 19:20
 

Thanks Liz and Suzanne!

Liz, your thoughts are greatly appreciated. I do not know if you are planning to attend the conference this year ( or whether I am, for that matter) but some of the points that you raised should be discussed further, as I beleive that they are relevant issues that might explain the reluctance for some women to participate on blogs run by WOC.

I can only speak for myself as an outsider to the online feminist realm (I do not consider myself a feminist in regards to adhering to the philosophies of the American 'Feminist Movement' as I beleive that hisorically it has ignored the voices and specific issues pertaining to women of color, plus I do not blog about femisism outside of mentioning it -very rarely- on this site) so I will have to tread lightly here.

 But from reading several blog posts on this issue, I believe that the problem stems from a systemic problem that popular white feminists within the public sphere have routinely profited by reguritating issues that originally came from WOC feminists. And these same feminists always seem to act surprised and confused when one of their supposed ilk complains, which is even more fustrating even though they give the impression that you are part of the 'group' they really have no interest in acknowledging and respecting you. That even though you both have vaginas, your experiences are drastically different and it would be nice if that was not only acknowledged by some feminists (not all white feminists) but also if publishing companies recognized it was well. I think that some WOC feminist bloggers are tired of the 'why can't you just be more like us' insinuations. 

Not reading BFP - even though I know that she was getting some serious link-love - is a great example of some blogs not registering with surfers because they do not consider what will be on the site and it's potential as an informational resource. But people were reading her -quite a number of people, which is why this situation blew up. (Liz, I am not saying 'shame on you!' BTW).

This latest case just so happened to center on Amanda, whom even though I met her once at SXSW I do not really know at all and thought long and hard before bringing her name up on Blogher. I also think that these cirumstances also highlight the dismissal of the importance that WOC's bring to the feminist table - that while they are being told that they are welcomed and relevant, but when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, that isn't the case.

I was interested in your thoughts about some WOC blogs being to heavy, and I am a bit confused by that. So it is not because of what is being discussed? I think that yes, some WOC blogs that I read on a daily basis can be heavy but it is more because of the seriousness of the content and the passion of the writer who blogs to discuss relevant issues that affect the community AND as an educational resource for those who are willing to learn and perhaps consider other perspectives outside of their own.

In this case, I would really like to hear / read other people's opinions about this, because I really think that the blogosphere needs both - they do need Femisiste and Pandagon but they also need more centered blogs like Angry Black Woman, Rachel's Tavern, Mind the Gap ( that is linked in the above post) and countless others that while they do inject some humour, are not going to sugarcoat things to make them more pallatable to those who don't really want to know the experiences and relevant issues that affect not just women of colour but people from various ethno-cultural backgrounds.

Thanks again!

Submitted by lainad on Sun, 04/20/2008 - 12:52
 

Thinking about my feminist reading

"But from reading several blog posts on this issue, I believe that the
problem stems from a systemic issue that white feminists whose voices
are more valued in the public sphere have routinely profited by
reguritating issues that originally came from WOC feminists. And these
same feminists always seem to act surprised and confused when one of
their supposed ilk complains, which is even more fustrating even though
they give the impression that you are part of the 'group' they really
have no interest in acknowledging and respecting you."

That makes sense.  I guess from the outside - from someone who hasn't read feminist stuff for that long and who is only starting to branch out to more feminist blogs, the whole thing just seems so insular and negative and non-constructive, unfortunately. From outside, it's felt like reading about a trainwreck you can't fully grasp enough to form a solid opinion, and you're left just feeling bad.

I mean, here I was, on the verge of adding BFP to my reader, because of Amanda, and now she's gone. Maybe I should have found her sooner, but I had just found her! And now she's gone.

As for WOC blogs often being heavier, I guess it is the subject matter and lack of humor. And I do read a couple. I'm just now starting a new feminist folder in my bloglines and I'm just going to fill it up and read what I can. It's so hard to read so many!  I will be sure to add the ones you've mentioned, thank you. I guess I've answered my own question about what I'm personally doing in response to this whole blow-up.

And although I am not a feminist blogger except in the sense that I'm a feminist and I blog - I would be interested in learning more about this at BlogHer - In fact, I think it's a great venue since Blogher is all about the link love and highlighting many diverse voices. 

Thanks,

Liz Rizzo

I blog at Everyday Goddess.

Submitted by Liz Rizzo on Sun, 04/20/2008 - 11:57
 

Update

I am also going to add this to the above post:

Thanks to Latoya at Racialicious, I just came across this temporary blog from Brownfemipower which I encourage all readers to check out.

Submitted by lainad on Sun, 04/20/2008 - 12:46
 

Chinese Canuck is a recently

Chinese Canuck is a recently launched ethnicity blog and looks at it with a different perspective.  She rants, sure, but sometimes, there's more than one way of looking at things. 

 

my blogs:

Prospere Magazine: In Work... In Life... She Prospers A new monthly business and lifestyle blogzine for women
Writing Blog 

Submitted by writergal8 on Mon, 04/21/2008 - 14:28
 

I was late to this

I was late to this particular party, and admit to having given up on reading all the background posts, comments, etc. But the whole thing seems to be a hot mess.

My most general comment is that as much as we talk about the blogosphere and other social networking technologies "democratizing" spaces of discourse, that may be vastly overstated.

Eventually, the same power imbalances will be reinscribed. People who already have "names" in traditional media will likely have more power than those who are developing their identities solely through alternative media. Male will trump female, white will trump of-color. Blogs with lots of readership will have more power than those without. Within blog readerships, those who comment often, and loudly, and who link well/often/etc will have more of a voice than new commenters/ones with smaller, less linked-to/-from blogs, etc.

And etc etc etc...

To overcome this, I think, takes an on-going, intentional effort. And it has to be a priority for the blogger/citizen journalist. I don't know if many make this a priority, or even if many folks have the energy to make this a priority. I do know that we will see more and more of these kinds of intra-blogospheric warfare.

Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Submitted by Yvette Perry on Tue, 04/22/2008 - 09:02
 

Thanks Yvette

Call me idealistic or even naive, but when I started blogging in 2003, I did it because I thought that blogs did provide a democratization of voice. In the real world it seemed that no one really wanted to hear my opinion, there were issues that my friends and family were not really interested in talking about.  I thought that not only would I find like-minded people (which, to an extent I have - minus my penchant for Heavy Metal culture), but that my voice would have the same merit as everyone else.

Obviously, that isn't exactly how it turned out.

It still galls me, though as to why it isn't. Not me, per se, but people who do put a lot of time and effort into their blogs and entries, get lots of link-love and do the same for others (sigh). 

I do think that the blogosphere and online communites can improve, therefore making the outside world improve, but it will be up to us as to whether we really want it to.

But the blogosphere is a great example of how prevalant racism, sexism and classism really is in society, as the same prejudices creep up even though there is no physical interaction. Also, how much our experiences because of the three 'isms' affect our perspectives, how we interact with each other and what (or how) we choose to learn about each other. Anyone who admits that they might have biased viewpoints about women or people from a different culture / ethnic group could, if they wanted to, check out some blogs and websites and educate themselves. But do they?

Submitted by lainad on Tue, 04/22/2008 - 12:12
 

You know what, though?

You pull your own blog down; you pull your own voice. The more I think about this whole thing, that's the bit I find most... confusing.

I get that on some level BFP pulling her blog was saying something about silencing, but at the end of the day, she pulled her blog. So she's not here to read. And when/if she comes back - Well, I'd rather read people who stay in the fray no matter what. 

And at the end of the day - for me, personally, from the far outside of all this as someone just now expanding my feminist reading - I had just read about BFP in the back of "It's a Jungle Out There." Literally, when I started reading about this whole thing my first thought was, didn't I just read about BFP in Amanda's book?

Certainly, there are many valid, important issues here. But you pull your blog, what have I got to do besides read someone else?

Liz Rizzo

I blog at Everyday Goddess.

Submitted by Liz Rizzo on Tue, 04/22/2008 - 12:28
 

Labels and Tables

Laina, I do not in any way want to squash anyone's idealism--especially yours :). I do think, though, that what you say here is key "...but it will be up to us as to whether we really want it to." I think that is what I am getting less and less optimistic about.

This same drama gets repeated over and over. A while back it was "Jena 6" and complaints that progressive mainstream (and mostly White) bloggers were not involved in blogging about it and/or when they were, they were not giving sufficient credit to Black bloggers who had been involved from the beginning.

I think it is clear that just because you describe yourself using the same label (or a hyphenated version of that label) as diners at a club doesn *not* mean that you are at the same table, too. That is not fair, and it is important to call the diners out on their exclusionary behavior. But for me, I see a point of diminishing returns in continuing to get indignant about this kind of thing and wish there was something else that could be done to help really get to a more democratic and inclusive environment.

But--I am not sure that all parties really want this to happen.

Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Submitted by Yvette Perry on Tue, 04/22/2008 - 14:45
 

Oh Hell Yeah!

First, Liz I agree with you about the pulling of the blog. If it were me, I am not sure I would - maybe because of my narcissistic tendencies! There, I admit it........Perhaps BFP did it, not really aware of how many people appreciated her voice, best-selling author or not. But I can certainly understand her thinking, 'f^#k it.'

Yvette, I agree that one must keepon striving...however it is so tiring, wondering if you are even making a dent with others in what you are trying to convey. For me, I know that if I were to stop doing what I am doing, I would really regret it, whether it added benefit or not. And I agree with you, I am not sure whether both parties would want an atmosphere without strife and conflict, as people seem to use conflict as a reason to be active and perhaps exert some sort of power over someone else.

Submitted by lainad on Tue, 04/22/2008 - 17:14