Willow Smith Explains Why the History of Feminism Is Racist
Willow Smith, now 18, has evolved in the way every girl must: knowing herself, examining the world, understanding what she stands for. Over the last few months, with her mother, Jada Pinkett Smith, and her grandmother, Adrienne Banfield Norris, Willow has been front and center at a red table where conversations maintain depth and vulnerability; where we’ve been able to see not just the woman Willow has become, but the voice, activist and critical thinker.
I was invited by Red Table Talk to be part of their ongoing conversation on feminism and its intersection with race. In our episode, which went live on Sunday, February 3, we touched on things like reverse racism and what roles white women play in the pursuit of an antiracist world. After the show, Willow and I were able to connect on how we, as the newest wave of feminists, were showing up in the movement. Her perspective was a fresh acknowledging feminism's history, and the hope we ultimately have for its future.
Over a late-night conversation on Skype, Willow opened up about learning to own her power, how the racist history of feminism breaks her heart, and how gender roles and the expectations of others fueled her to push for lasting change.
Rachel Cargle: On previous episodes of Red Table Talk, your mother Jada made it clear that she doesn’t identify as a feminist. Do you?
Willow Smith: I completely understand why she doesn't identify as a feminist, because of the history of feminism and the exclusion from feminism that black women have felt. For me, I'm taking the historical component to heart, and there's really no way that you can look at it without the historical component [of racism]. I don't support the exclusion of African American women from the movement, but I do support all movements that support women-all women. It's complicated because I support the womanist movement, the feminist movement, any movement that's supporting women. But it really hurts my heart that there was this chasm between white women and black women, and that it's still happening even in the feminist movement today. That kind of breaks my heart.
Rachel: Have you experienced that chasm yourself, within the feminist movement?
Willow: The reaction that I usually get from my white female peers is "It's not that big of a deal, you're making it a bigger deal than it needs to be." I've constantly got that messaging from my white female peers.
Rachel: They're saying that you're making race a bigger deal than it has to be?
Willow: Yep.
Rachel: I’ve experienced that too. White peers saying "Relax, it's fine." But we’re trying to explain, "Actually for a black woman, this is exacerbated, and it's not fine," you know?
Willow: Exactly, exactly.
Rachel: It makes me think of how much we needed Solange's album, A Seat at the Table.
Willow: Yes, I love that album! Realistically, that album really changed the way I thought about music in general. She really talks about these issues in a way that I've never heard them talked about before, which is really beautiful.
Rachel: I still listen to the album completely through to this day. I'm not over it yet and it’s honestly part of my self care. One thing I loved about our conversation around racism at Red Table Talk was how Gammy had her own angle, separate to the way your mother felt. She and I vibed on a few things that Jada didn't quite agree with. What has your grandmother taught you about feminism or women's rights?
Willow: Just seeing her being a black woman in the world, thriving and enjoying her power and her life in a world that doesn't want black women to succeed or thrive-I feel like that's more of a teacher than anything. Watching a woman who's been through so much thrive in a world which doesn't cater to her...that's very special.
Rachel: I agree, just witnessing someone's magic can be a guiding light for us. You had a completely different childhood experience than most of us, being the child of celebrities, but at the same time, you had a completely familiar experience to so many black girls in a country that wasn't meant to protect us or celebrate us. What was your personal understanding of the broader sense of women's rights-the idea that we have an autonomy over our existence? Was there any moment that you felt really powerful in your womanhood, in your femininity, as you were growing up?
Willow: The first real connection that I had to women's rights and freeing women emotionally and politically and all those ways, was with "Whip My Hair." At the time I didn't really understand all of those dynamics, but that song... I hope it spoke to other black girls. It spoke to me and kind of, in a way, kickstarted my advocacy for freeing femininity. I didn't understand what it was at the time. That really was the first time I was like, I'm taking this power for myself.
Rachel: It was a very freeing song-a very carefree black girl song.
Willow: Black women in general have such a stigma about hair, and bringing freedom through that lens with "Whip Your Hair" was powerful.
Rachel: As a black girl who was living in Ohio at the time the song came out, I can assure you that we went hard in that freeing energy you provided in the song.
Willow: Yes!
Rachel: In this moment now-especially with the Red Table Talk being such a phenomena-what words come to mind that touch on the power of you sitting at a table with your mother and your grandmother? What feelings does that bring up for you?
Willow: It feels so amazing to be able to talk about these subjects with two of my favorite women in the world. But also when I'm sitting at that table with them, I'm thinking about the future and how impactful it's going to be when I'm looking back and I'm like, "Wow, we were talking about some of the most pressing current events and also pressing emotional distresses in human life." And I'm doing it with my family, with women in my family.
Rachel: There have been several episodes now that addressed this topic of race and feminism. Has there been a moment that made you really sit back and say, "Ooh, I don't agree with that," or, "That makes me uncomfortable," or, "Wow, I really have some things to think about in regards to my feminism or womanism, women's right issues, and how I show up"?
Willow: There have definitely been many times where I've felt like, "Hmm, I may not agree with that." I would say that the most I've really thought about something and been like "Wow, I really need to think about this," is actually on the episode where you joined, when my mom was saying that we as black women need to be able to extend a hand to the white women that "don't understand". You and Gammy were feeling like, "Well no, that's not our responsibility. We've been trying to do this forever and ever, and they've excluded us and made us feel small.” I had to sit with the thought, that it's not our responsibility to make them come around.
Rachel: Yeah. I think that can a hard pill for us as black women to swallow as we’ve always been in autopilot to be the ones who “fix” things. It's obviously a hard pill to swallow for white women, as well. It's so challenging, especially in a world where, and I will speak for America, where we're taught that Martin Luther King is the ideal person to emulate when it comes to approaching justice. He is touted as the most peaceful one, so I can see why an oppressive country would prefer him as opposed to someone like Malcom X or Marcus Garvey. We definitely don't have a Malcolm X Day. I think that they're being intentional on who they're deciding to celebrate and deem as valid.
Willow: One hundred percent.
Rachel: Peace requires justice. We truly can't have peace until we're all existing justly.
Willow: Hearing those two sides was so eye-opening because I was challenged to look into myself and ask, "What do I believe is the most efficient way to bridge this gap?” I'm still trying to figure it out, because on one hand I do believe that it's not our responsibility, but at the same time, who's gonna do it if not us? I feel like for the black women who see the vision, it's almost like we can't help but execute.
Rachel: Oh, for sure! I mean, it's really interesting that my white followers often say, "Oh Rachel, thanks for doing this work for us." And I want to be like, "Girl, I am not doing this work for you! I'm doing this work for all the black women who have been doing this forever. I’m doing it for the black descendants that are ahead of us.” I can only assume that this is my ancestors who gave this work to me. Like you said, I feel the call. I feel the responsibility to do it, so I will.
Willow: Exactly. Black women are in such a unique position, especially right now. We've always been in the unique position, but especially right now in the political climate. We really need to do this work because at the end of the day, what is more important? I can't think of something that's more important.
Rachel: Was there something in our culture, in our time right now, that made you think, "Oh shit, this is important to me. This has to change. Something needs to be said. I can't sit back quietly"?
Willow: As I started growing up, I would always look at the comments during that "Whip My Hair" time. I had cut my hair and I was trying to reinvent myself. People would always be like, "Oh, she's gay. She's lesbian. She's this and this." I would look at that and think, “Hmm, this is really strange. I'm so young. How could you possibly say something like that? I don't even know what I am yet. Why are you deicing things for me?” That's when I started realizing that in the world, there's a category of what's feminine and what's not feminine. I realized that in the eyes of everyone else, I was not in the category of what's feminine. I just thought that that was wrong-it didn't feel right, trying to tell me what a feminine person should act like and what a woman should act like, and what a non-feminine person acts like. That whole dichotomy of these categories, that would be the first thing where I realized, "Okay, there's something here that I need to explore, and this is where I'm going with it."
Rachel: I cannot imagine being your age looking at the comments. I try my hardest not to even look at my own comments section because it can be so emotionally and mentally exhausting!
Willow: It was just so confusing 'cause I was so young!
Rachel: How old were you when that song came out?
Willow: I was probably nine, 10.
Rachel: Oh my goodness, I couldn't even imagine. I think that's incredible that you were able to see how irrational those binary gender expectations really are.
Willow: Well, I grew up with two brothers and no one ever really pushed a feminine thing on me. You know what I mean? No one was like, "Oh, your brothers are this and you're this, so you need to act this," so I just grew up equal, like we're all the same basically.
Rachel: There were many Red Table Talk episodes about race. I don't know if ours was the last one, or if you guys are filming more, but what sums up your understanding of this intersection of race and gender after exploring it at the Red Table?
Willow: You know, even more now than ever, I'm looking at these issues and I'm like, haven't we gotten past this? Can't we just see that you're a woman, you have light skin; I'm a woman, I have dark skin. We're both human. I can't wrap my head around the fact that people would treat someone different just because of how they look or their skin color. It's completely foreign to me. It's just not necessary. The fact that people are so connected and attached to these mindsets and perceptions is so wild. I feel for those people because they're really just stuck.
I've learned that when someone is doing something offensive or acting in a way that is specifically offensive to you or people like you, that they don't understand the experience that you have. I would just say that it's not our responsibility to change people's minds, but it is our responsibility to live in a way in which showcases the things that we're trying to change, and to live in the way that we aspire to live even when it's not easy, and when you're constantly getting pushback.
I know it sounds corny, but the best people in history just kept going. Just keep going, and keep living in the way that you want to live. Rosa Parks showed us that saying, I want to sit at the front of the bus, so that's what I'm gonna do. Until they're just like, "We can't stop these people. They're gonna wear their hair the way they want, they're gonna date the people they want, they're gonna marry the people they want. They're gonna do whatever they want, so we should just accept them and allow them to be them," basically.
Rachel: Yeah, we need to keep showing up with a persistence they can't ignore. I'm so grateful that you and I just were able to have these moments of conversation, and I'm super appreciative of you, Willow. Thank you.
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