Feminism is “the social, economic and political equality of ALL genders.”
A sign on my desk says, “Behind Every Great Man is a Woman Rolling Her Eyes.” So, to say I am a feminist is not surprising, to say the least, but it might be surprising to know that one of my strongest feminist role models was my father, Richard Grant. Whenever I attempted to use my gender as an excuse, he quickly reminded me, “You are a Grant and we can do anything.” All my extroverted tendencies came from my mother, but my confidence came from my father. As a young child, I would threaten the beautician that if she burned me with the hot comb I was going to tell “my Daddy.”
It was his goal and determination that my siblings and I were going to be fully-equipped members of society. This included knowing how to cook, cleaning/dusting, wash clothes, iron clothes, and sew on a button. So traditional gender roles didn’t exist within the household and every Saturday morning we all did a deep cleaning of the house. I say deep cleaning because my father served in the Air Force so clean wasn’t really clean to him. It was clean.
In terms of cooking, every major holiday, like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and Fourth of July, we spent cooking together as a family. Each of us had our own special dish we prepared and contributed. Those holiday memories mean so much to me now, but my siblings and other family members still cook together. This last Thanksgiving, my dad’s side of the family joined together in a family reunion in Washington D.C.
My father raised me not to be limited by my gender or race. Everything was a life lesson. One of my last memories of him before he passed in March 2005 was during my freshman orientation at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. As the tour guide showed us the spacious campus, she mentioned that many previous female students had come to TCU to earn their “MRS.” degree. As other tour go-ers laughed, my father sarcastically said, that he wasn’t paying money for me to get that degree. Three college degrees later, I still laugh at that remark. It’s like he knew and saw my future. Perhaps, he knew everything he had placed inside me to be the woman I am today.
In my research, I utilize feminist perspectives, theories, and lenses to elevate gender within the understanding of power. In honor of Women’s History Month, here are a few feminist theory books to inspire your feminist journey.
Unbearable Weight by Susan Bordo: In terms of media coverage of women, this book has expanded my work to understand the media culture attached to women’s bodies. Bordo tackles a variety of subjects including advertising, reproductive rights, and public health.
Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope by bell hooks: hooks will always be my favorite feminist theorist. This book is different from other books because she reimagines pedagogy and teaching.
Women, Race & Class by Angela Davis: Davis is my hero because of her political activism and connection to academia. Davis has a complex understanding of power and theorizing oppression. She situates the labor of Black women through first-wave feminism, slavery, and white supremacy.
America, Goddam: Violence, Black Women, and the Struggle for Justice by Treva Lindsey: As an author, Lindsey has a unique grasp of Black history that ranges from working-class struggles to state-sanctioned violence against Black women. This book chronicles how
This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa: The diversity of women’s experiences within this book alone is why this book is forever classic and groundbreaking. It is a critique and response to the single-identity framework of feminism.
Intersectionality: An Intellectual History by Ange-Marie Hancock: Hancock traces the theorizing of intersectionality from Black female journalist Maria Stewart to several other Black women. This book also does a fantastic job of explaining how intersectionality is a theory and practice.