How white women use strategic tears to silence women of color

#perspective

‘When white women cry, it also makes them able to leave the conversation and choose not to listen,’ The so-called “protection” of White women has been the selling point for atrocities perpetrated by White men, from lynchings to refusing asylum seekers. As the literal bearers of white society, White women were tasked with ideal womanhood. Therefore, their protection, and the subsequent continuation of white supremacy, are part of the same equation.

The legitimate grievances of brown and black women are no match for the accusations of a white damsel in distress

White Tears/Brown Scars: In her essay collection, Ruby Hamad explores how white feminism has been weaponized against Black and Indigenous women and women of color. She argues that white women’s tears serve as a strategic tool to avoid accountability and silence women of color. When white women cry, it allows them to exit conversations and choose not to listen, while women of color lack that privilege.

Hamad’s work sheds light on the historical and contemporary impact of this tactic, revealing its role in maintaining white privilege and power. It’s a powerful examination of white womanhood that challenges us to consider intersectionality more deeply.