Wonderful e-mail just now from former student and current colleague, Rev. Lisa Bovee Kemper, who comments here frequently.
Hi, Vicki! I happened to read Rosemary Bray-McNatt’s memoir recently, and discovered the following passage, which is such a beautiful articulation of why and how presentation matters–and as I read it, I could hear similar words come out of your mouth. It’s also a really good concrete example of how class, gender & race impact the issue and articulates the “feminist” argument that caring about what we look like is kowtowing to the patriarchy, which, if you ask me, is entirely untrue.
“At the debate that night, Mrs. Schlafly faced Karen DeCrow, who showed up in jeans and a shirt, living up to every stereotype of feminists ever created. I was always a low maintenance woman, myself, and agreed with the notion that looks were often irrelevant. But for me, the operative word was often. I was also an African-American woman who knew that what you wore, how you fixed your hair, even your shoes telegraphed a host of messages. I would never have appeared before a public body in jeans and a shirt to debate an important political issue. Where I came from, the way you dressed was a respect issue: I would have been representing my people as well as myself, and how I looked would matter to those for whom I hoped to speak. For me personally, the way I dressed would also be a strategic issue. I would never allow an audience to be distracted from my message because they were too busy wondering why I didn’t put on appropriate clothes.†(from Unafraid of the Dark by Rosemary L. Bray, p. 166)
Amen and amen!!! Thanks, Lisa. I loved Rosie’s autobiography and you’ve reminded me that it’s high time to give it another read.
Yes and amen. And especially as a minoritized person: black, queer, disabled (not necessarily all of these apply to me). A Ph.D. and power suits were never enough to keep certain white male students (and a couple of black men) from calling me by my first name while calling male faculty Dr. But the power suits, stilettos, make up projected a familiar vision of competence making room for me to prove that I mastered/dominated my craft – and I still had to/have to prove it. People still ask me if I can read or speak Hebrew, because my Ph.D. from Duke might be an honorary thing. They wouldn’t deign to have the insulting conversation if I looked like a homeless hippy or video vixen. The folk I know who say it doesn’t matter all have white privilege even if they are also marginalized in other ways.
“The folk I know who say it doesn’t matter all have white privilege even if they are also marginalized in other ways.” Yes, yes, YES!
Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney – I have long been a fan of your comments, especially this one, and the occasional blog post I’ve read on your blog. I clicked over to the huffpo site, and, based on the comments, decided that, more than ever, the world needs your voice.
Dear Rebecca, thank you. I confess I don’t read the comments on HuffPo because they are so often vicious. I do read them on wilgafney.com. They are less so and I can and do flush them. Peace to you. And again, thanks.