Tasha Fierce is a progressive writer, feminist, and activist. Her work has been featured in numerous publications ,including Jezebel, Racialicious, and FWD/Forward. She recently spent two weeks blogging at Feministe and will be blogging for Bitch magazine in August. Tasha is currently soliciting essays for an anthology titled Occupied Bodies: Women of Color Speak on Self-Image. The forthcoming anthology will feature first-person essays by women of color exploring the forces that have shaped their body images. The deadline to submit an essay for consideration is October 15th – you can read more about the project here.
Z&A: What was the inspiration for Occupied Bodies?
I wanted to do an anthology as a way to ease in to the book publishing world. I also knew I wanted my anthology to be something for women of color, something that I hadn’t seen a lot of. It came to me that although there were many books directed at white bodies and white women’s self image, there were few if any directed at women of color, representing our diverse voices and the many ways we can perceive ourselves. Too often our self-image is shaped by the oppression we endure and the devaluing gaze of the majority culture. I wanted to give us a way to share our struggles in creating our own self-image, how we see ourselves rather than what we’ve been told we should see.
Z&A: The name “Occupied Bodies” gives some hint to your perspective on women of color and body image. Why did you choose that name for the anthology?
Because women of color’s bodies are a battleground, and we are too often used in ways we have no say in. Our bodies are occupied by those who would seek to silence us, to erase us, to use us as a tool to get what they want and then leave us in the cold with no idea who we really are. I see things like “breast ironing” in Cameroon, where they burn the breasts of young girls with hot stones so they will scar up and not grow, because the parents fear their daughters will be sexually assaulted because they’ve developed into a womanly shape – which is not an unfounded fear. Their bodies are used as a battleground against violence, but unfortunately the protection afforded is a form of violence as well.
Z&A: One goal of the project is to explore how societal forces shape body image. What do you think are the strongest forces shaping the body images of young women of color today?
I think sexism is a big force shaping the way young women of color are seeing themselves and the way others are seeing them. Girls are being overly sexualized, and without proper education as to how to handle what comes with that – we have woefully inadequate sex education in schools. Around the world, girls are being sold as sex slaves, being raped as part of warfare… It’s horrible. Girls of color’s bodies are being devalued here at home, especially if you’re not fitting the norm, or what society tells us the norm should be. And most girls of color have a hard time measuring up. It’s a really hard world to grow up in as a young woman of color. It’s hard to establish your own identity and self image in the midst of all this.
Z&A: What do you hope readers will learn from this anthology?
I hope readers will learn there are as many ways for a woman of color to exist as there are women of color. I want to show that we are a gloriously varied group, we are not a monolith, but we stand in solidarity with our sisters and want to help foster positive self-image for all of us. I’m offering this as a place for us to tell our stories, because they must be told, and those reading will hopefully gain a greater understanding of how it is to be a woman of color In this world.
Z&A: You often describe yourself as a “fat,queer, disabled” woman of color – all descriptors that can be difficult for women of any race to embrace fully given mainstream culture. What were the most important factors in your embracing these identities?
Well, if I wanted to fully embrace myself, I have to embrace those identities because they make up who I am. It took me some time to be able to say each of those things without wincing. There’s years of struggle behind each of those words. But now I’m able to accept that when I say “I’m Tasha Fierce” that statement has the full weight of my identities behind it. But sometimes for people to understand where you’re coming from in a venue like the Internet or in print, you have to say it up front.
Z&A: You’ve written for numerous publications, mainstream and otherwise, on race, disability, and gender issues. What advice would you give for aspiring writers in these subjects areas where discourse is so frequently acrimonious?
Don’t be silenced. If you’re talking about your experiences, that’s important – more women/girls of color need to be writing about their experiences in the world. If you’re fighting the good fight and writing about oppressed, marginalized identities, don’t get discouraged when you get blowback, and take a breather if things get too heated. Remember, you are no one’s learning experience. You are not required to educate every ignorant white person you come across. Pick your battles and learn not to engage when it won’t be productive. Also, respect other marginalized women/girls’ struggles, like trans women/girls and queer women/girls – remember they too are your sisters and you need to stand with them.
Z&A: In addition to submitting essays for consideration, what can people do to support the project?
If you visit the website, (http://redvinylshoes.com/blog/occupied-bodies/) at the bottom is a button to donate. All proceeds just cover the cost and time spent getting the anthology to print. It’s just me doing all the editing and the book proposal, etc. and I lose work time doing it, so… every little bit helps.
Z&A: Any other information you’d like to share with our readers?
Read. Read other women of color’s writing. Learn about our struggles. It’s one of the most revolutionary things you can do.
The deadline to submit to Occupied Bodies is October 15, 2010. You can follow Tasha Fierce on her blog Red Vinyl Shoes or via Twitter @redvinylshoes.
