Against Western/Imperial Feminisms with Khadija Haynes

In this episode, we speak with Khadijah Haynes about her recent piece, "A Fetus on the Dirt Road” which offers a sharp critique of Western feminism's complicity in imperialism and its historical roots in racial violence. Haynes argues that Western feminism often obscures the struggles of both Black women and men, relying on colonial and anti-Black logics that fail to address the broader context of sexualized, gendered, and racialized abuses of all Black African people. 

We discuss other historical and contemporary critiques of feminism, argue that feminism does not have a monopoly over women’s liberation struggle, and try to offer some clarity on what this might mean for Black feminisms and other forms of feminisms that are trying to encompass a progressive or transformative philosophy. 

She emphasizes the need for a more inclusive and revolutionary framework that integrates the liberation of all oppressed peoples, critiquing both Western Marxism and feminism for their limitations. We also discuss quite explicitly the sexual violences faced by Palestinian and Black men, challenging the dominant narratives that obscure these experiences—and how the dogmatism and essentialism of Western feminism has more often than not played a role in obscuring these experiences.

Khadija is a tenant organizer in Brooklyn, writer, poet, and emcee. As a Marxist-Leninist, her works centers the revolutionary struggle of oppressed people both in the underbelly of the imperial core and globally.

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This episode was edited by Aidan Elias. Music by Televangel. 

A Fetus on the Dirt Road: Against Imperial Feminisms, Claims of Mass Rape, and Exploring the Theory of Sepulcherality - Khadija Haynes

the color of jade and timber (for my sisters) - Khadija Haynes

"On Why I'm Leaving the Party" [CPUSA] - Socialism For All

Rupturing the Aesthetic - Black Power Media

Deception of the People - Khadija x August Fanon

Some other episodes related to or cited in the discussion:

 

Losurdo's Western Marxism with Gabriel Rockhill

Bury the Corpse of Colonialism - Elisabeth Armstrong on Women’s Internationalism at the Dawn of Anticolonial Movements

Neocapitalism According to Michel Clouscard