What Real-Life Issues Does 'Hood Feminism' Address?

I just finished 'hood feminism' and it hit hard. The book tackles how mainstream feminism often ignores the struggles of marginalized women. It points out the hypocrisy of focusing on corporate ladder climbing while many women can't even access basic healthcare or safe housing. The author Mikki Kendall doesn't pull punches discussing food insecurity in poor neighborhoods, or how violence against Black women gets brushed aside. What struck me most was the chapter on schools - how underfunded districts set girls up for failure while privileged feminists debate workplace dress codes. The book forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about who gets left behind when feminism becomes about individual success rather than collective survival.

Reading 'Hood Feminism' felt like having a mirror held up to the movement's blind spots. Kendall zooms in on issues that get sidelined - like how environmental racism impacts women's health in polluted neighborhoods, or how lack of childcare traps single mothers in cycles of poverty. The book's strength lies in its specificity: it doesn't just say 'intersectionality matters,' it shows exactly where mainstream feminism fails to show up.

Particularly eye-opening was the analysis of how respectability narratives hurt victims of domestic violence. Middle-class feminists often push legal reforms that assume all women can safely call police, ignoring how law enforcement frequently endangers marginalized communities. Kendall also exposes how feminist campaigns against sex work disregard the economic realities forcing many into the trade.

The most radical aspect might be how Kendall reframes self-care as a collective responsibility rather than individual luxury. When basic survival isn't guaranteed, bubble baths and wellness retreats mean nothing. This book should be required reading for anyone claiming to care about gender equality.

'hood feminism' is a gut check for anyone who thinks feminism is just about equal pay and boardroom representation. Kendall systematically dismantles the idea of a unified feminist movement by exposing how class and race create entirely different realities for women.

One of the most compelling sections analyzes how respectability politics harm low-income women. While wealthy feminists obsess over 'leaning in,' others are fighting just to keep their kids fed. The book details how policies like welfare reform and school lunch cuts disproportionately target women of color, yet rarely appear on mainstream feminist agendas.

The chapters on community violence hit particularly hard. Kendall explains how gangs fill voids left by systemic neglect, and how police brutality affects women who lose sons and brothers. She critiques the feminist silence around these issues while white women dominate conversations about 'safety' with campus assault narratives. What makes this book essential is its insistence that feminism must address survival needs - food, shelter, medical care - before tackling abstract notions of empowerment.