Fury

I watched this Ted Talk with Tracee Ellis Ross, and it struck a cord. My Mom used to say that if a woman doesn't feel rage at some point she isn't really opening her eyes (or something along those lines). It's true. When you become aware of the inequalities that still exist for women it's impossible to turn away from it. Like with racism, sexism and misogyny has been more subtle, so people have been able to trivialize or dismiss these interactions that happen every day. You may hear that 'it's all in your head' or 'you're so sensitive' when in fact your eyes are wide open, your instincts are absolutely correct and you have reason to be pissed. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) these interactions are starting to become far more obvious, the subtlety is lost and some people are feeling quite free to engage in hateful dialogue with others they see as 'less than' themselves. So, you know, maybe a little rage is called for.

There's an expectation that we should grin and bear whatever injustice is happening, that we must be ladylike, nice girls. We're trained early on that boys will be boys but girls are "sugar and spice and everything nice". This quote from Roxane Gay says it all; How a woman's anger is treated so differently than men's:

“When women are angry, we are wanting too much or complaining or wasting time or focusing on the wrong things or we are petty or shrill or strident or unbalanced or crazy or overly emotional. Race complicates anger. Black women are often characterized as angry simply for existing, as if anger is woven into our breath and our skin … Feminists are regularly characterized as angry. At many events where I am speaking about feminism, young women ask how they can comport themselves so they aren’t perceived as angry while they practice their feminism. They ask this question as if anger is an unreasonable emotion when considering the inequalities, challenges, violence and oppression women the world over face. I want to tell these young women to embrace their anger, sharpen themselves against it.” — New York Times, June 2016 - Roxane Gay

If you haven't seen the Ted Talk, you can view it here:

https://embed.ted.com/talks/tracee_ellis_ross_a_woman_s_fury_holds_lifetimes_of_wisdom