Françoise Vergès, an activist and author, discusses decolonial feminism, starting the struggle from vulnerable women, analyzing the implications of bananas and anti-black racism, enacting decolonial feminism through activism, the need for a new political education, the challenge of capitalism, and the importance of education and pedagogy in activism.
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Quick takeaways
Decolonial feminism requires the simultaneous abolition of capitalism to create meaningful change.
Decolonial feminists may face backlash and labeling as anti-feminist, requiring political education and resistance.
Decolonial feminism offers a multidimensional analysis of oppression, refusing to prioritize one over another for a comprehensive understanding.
Deep dives
The Interconnectedness of Capitalism and Decolonial Feminism
Decolonial feminism recognizes that the abolition of capitalism is necessary to achieve its goals. Capitalism and colonization are deeply intertwined and must be combated simultaneously. The construction of a decolonial feminism and the abolition of capitalism are interconnected processes that rely on each other to create meaningful change.
The Weaponization of Anti-Feminism Against Decolonial Feminism
Decolonial feminists may face backlash and be labeled as anti-feminist by those who seek to maintain the status quo. The state and neoliberal forces may attempt to use this labeling to marginalize and discredit decolonial feminists. It is essential for decolonial feminists to be politically educated, assert their autonomy, and resist attempts to weaken their resolve and mental health.
Resisting Repression Through Decolonial Feminism
Decolonial feminism provides a framework for resisting both the rehabilitative and repressive powers of capital. It offers a multidimensional analysis of oppression and domination under capitalism, rooting out the interplay of colonial contradictions and neoliberal strategies of cooptation. By dismantling the systems that perpetuate racism, sexism, and capitalism, decolonial feminism offers a path towards resistance and liberation.
Decolonial Feminism as a Multi-dimensional Analysis of Oppression
Decolonial feminism offers a multi-dimensional analysis of oppression, refusing to divide race, sexuality, and class into mutually exclusive categories. It recognizes that systems like patriarchy, capitalism, and racism operate in various interconnected ways. This approach goes beyond intersectionality and aims to hold these threads simultaneously, acknowledging the entangled temporality of our lives. By understanding the complexity of these multiple dimensions, decolonial feminism avoids the pitfalls of reductionism and strives to address various contradictions without prioritizing one over the other, thus offering a more comprehensive understanding of oppressive structures.
Constructing a Decolonial Pedagogy: The Banana as a Symbol
Francoise Verges provides an example of a decolonial pedagogy by examining the cultural symbol of the banana. She highlights the connection between anti-black racism and the banana, tracing its history from advertisements, music, imperialism, and systemic violence against women in plantations. By unraveling these connections, Verges reveals a broader cartography that exposes the entanglements of imperialism, racism, slavery, and environmental issues associated with the banana industry. This analysis encourages a critical curiosity about the world we live in, challenging the notion that what we consume or encounter is naturally determined. By understanding the historical and global context of seemingly banal commodities, we can imagine alternatives and work towards a revolutionary understanding of life beyond the oppressive forces of capitalism, racism, and patriarchy.
In this special crossover episode between Guerrilla History and Red Menace, Alyson and Henry come together to interview Dr. Françoise Vergès about her new book A Decolonial Feminism.
Françoise Vergès is an activist, public educator, and is the author of many books including Resolutely Black: Conversations with Aime Cesaire (Polity, 2019), The Wombs of Women: Race, Capital, Feminism & Monsters and Revolutionaries: Colonial Family Romance and Metissage.