Hood Feminism

Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot

By: Mikki Kendall

Narrated by: Mikki Kendall

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“The fights against hunger, homelessness, poverty, health disparities, poor schools, homophobia, transphobia, and domestic violence are feminist fights. Kendall offers a feminism rooted in the livelihood of everyday women.” —Ibram X. Kendi, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist, in The Atlantic

“One of the most important books of the current moment.”—Time

“A rousing call to action... It should be required reading for everyone.”—Gabrielle Union, author of We’re Going to Need More Wine


A potent and electrifying critique of today’s feminist movement announcing a fresh new voice in black feminism

Today's feminist movement has a glaring blind spot, and paradoxically, it is women. Mainstream feminists rarely talk about meeting basic needs as a feminist issue, argues Mikki Kendall, but food insecurity, access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues. All too often, however, the focus is not on basic survival for the many, but on increasing privilege for the few. That feminists refuse to prioritize these issues has only exacerbated the age-old problem of both internecine discord and women who rebuff at carrying the title. Moreover, prominent white feminists broadly suffer from their own myopia with regard to how things like race, class, sexual orientation, and ability intersect with gender. How can we stand in solidarity as a movement, Kendall asks, when there is the distinct likelihood that some women are oppressing others?

In her searing collection of essays, Mikki Kendall takes aim at the legitimacy of the modern feminist movement, arguing that it has chronically failed to address the needs of all but a few women. Drawing on her own experiences with hunger, violence, and hypersexualization, along with incisive commentary on reproductive rights, politics, pop culture, the stigma of mental health, and more, Hood Feminism delivers an irrefutable indictment of a movement in flux. An unforgettable debut, Kendall has written a ferocious clarion call to all would-be feminists to live out the true mandate of the movement in thought and in deed.

Must read!

This book has been life changing! As a black woman it really spoke to me and how intersectional feminism is a movement for me and about me! It challenged me to make better choices and support other women along this journey!

Must Read

If you identify as a feminist this book is 100% necessary reading for you.

As someone who is white and has been very privileged this clues me into how much we as white feminists have forgotten the bipoc community.

Read this book.

intense authenticity

loved the reality of her passion in her perspective. I always learn from such intense authenticity.

A must read

If you’re White, why haven’t you read this yet? Kendall is eloquent, powerful, and poignant in her assessment of White feminism.

Excellent

As a cis white femme settler on coast Salish land Who always identified as a feminist I greatly appreciated Mikki Kendall’s review of the second and possibly third wave white feminist movement. I recognized at least a few outdated or ignorant beliefs I held and have changed as a result. I couldn’t ask for more from this book, she really did an excellent job!