Photo courtesy of Emilee McGovern
About
Stephanie Younger is an 18-year-old student and abolitionist based in Richmond, Virginia, whose work focuses on the intersections Black feminism and womanism have with abolition. In 2017, she created Black Feminist Collective. You can keep up with Stephanie on Instagram and Twitter, and support her on PayPal, Cash App, Venmo: $blaquewomanist
The Movement Fighting for LGBTQ+ Liberation in Ghana
By Stephanie Younger • Last week, we spoke with Fatima Derby, a Ghanaian feminist thinker, writer and organizer, who stands for freedom, justice and equality. During our conversation via Instagram Live, we discussed the violence LGBTQ+ people in Ghana are experiencing, what influences homophobic and transphobic violence against queer and trans Ghanaians, and the fight … Continue reading The Movement Fighting for LGBTQ+ Liberation in Ghana
No One Should ‘Enjoy Things’ at the Expense of Black Lives
By Stephanie Younger • During a movement in defense of Black life calling for the abolition of the police state and the carceral state, it seemed that liberals who were saying “listen to Black women,” were solely speaking in reference to Black women who do the labor of “saving our Democracy.” Recently, liberals who “thank … Continue reading No One Should ‘Enjoy Things’ at the Expense of Black Lives
What Alice Walker’s Definition of Womanism Taught Me in 2020
1. From womanish. (Opp. of “girlish,” i.e. frivolous, irresponsible, not serious.) A black feminist or feminist of color. From the black folk expression of mothers to female children, “you acting womanish,” i.e., like a woman. Usually referring to outrageous, audacious, courageous or willful behavior. Wanting to know more and in greater depth than is considered “good” for one. Interested in … Continue reading What Alice Walker’s Definition of Womanism Taught Me in 2020
Review: Little Fires Everywhere
By Stephanie Younger • Little Fires Everywhere is a limited series on Hulu, based on the book the book authored and published in 2017 by Celeste Ng, that aired from March 2020 to April 2020. The series takes place in 1997, and begins when Mia Warren (Kerry Washington), an itinerant artist and her daughter Pearl (Lexi … Continue reading Review: Little Fires Everywhere
Black People Can’t Wait Every Four Years for Our Liberation
By Stephanie Younger • Demanding labor from Black youth is rooted the anti-Black idea that our worthiness relies on what we do and how much we do, which affects the fight for our liberation. Liberals have been demanding labor from young Black feminists to electing our way towards Black liberation. There are so many Black … Continue reading Black People Can’t Wait Every Four Years for Our Liberation
A Black Feminist Resource List
By Stephane Younger • In light of the recent events of police violence against Black people, and the uprisings in defense of Black life, I created a list of Black feminist resources, including books, movies, series, media platforms, and organizations to support. Books Ain’t I a Woman? by bell hooks (1981) Are Prisons Obsolete? by … Continue reading A Black Feminist Resource List
Co-Optation of the Fight for Black Lives
By Stephanie Younger • 10 days ago, I climbed up the Robert E. Lee Statue at a protest in Richmond, Virginia, the former Capital of the Confederacy, and I was asked to speak in front of a large crowd of people. This was unplanned, and I have been grieving so heavily in these recent weeks, … Continue reading Co-Optation of the Fight for Black Lives
Analysis: The Movement that Cancelled R. Kelly
By Stephanie Younger • Content warning: Mentions of sexual violence. Could a hashtag topple the career of a popular artist? Hashtags have the power to raise social consciousness about the exploitation of marginalized communities, to give them a platform that influences public discourse, and to ultimately change the status quo. Notably, “#MuteRKelly” was started in … Continue reading Analysis: The Movement that Cancelled R. Kelly
6 Ways I Have Faced Anti-Blackness By White Liberals
By Stephanie Younger • Each time I have been invited to work with white liberals, it never took me too long to realize that I being tokenized, spoken over and stereotyped. So, I wrote this article based on my experiences with white liberals who don’t understand that they have the benefit of viewing their favorite … Continue reading 6 Ways I Have Faced Anti-Blackness By White Liberals
The Backlash Against “Karen” Memes is Peak White Feminism
By Stephanie Younger • In late January, I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed during my break in between college lectures when I came across a blog post, in which the author claims that “Karen” memes are “misogynistic,” make white women “invisible,” “marginalized, wondering when our needs will matter.” (Translation: their “needs,” as in … Continue reading The Backlash Against “Karen” Memes is Peak White Feminism
How a Movement to Fight Gun Violence Has Silenced Black Youth
By Stephanie Younger • Police shootings against Black people initially galvanized me into the work that I do, which eventually led into organizing for the abolition of youth prisons. One week after the Parkland shooting, I first heard about a local March For Our Lives rally in Richmond, Virginia through Richmond Youth Peace Project. At … Continue reading How a Movement to Fight Gun Violence Has Silenced Black Youth
Why I Am not “Voting Blue No Matter Who”
By Stephanie Younger • When I learned that 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden won 10 states on Super Tuesday on March 3rd, I couldn’t help but think of his political legacy of fighting for segregation, and criminalizing Black youth. Disappointed by the amount of Virginians who supported him, I re-read an excerpt from Dr. Martin … Continue reading Why I Am not “Voting Blue No Matter Who”
Analysis: Where Gender Stereotypes Intersect with Anti-Black Racism
By Stephanie Younger • Do the ways we talk about gender stereotypes represent the struggles we all go through? In Katherine Toland Frith and Barbara Mueller’s article entitled, “Advertisements Stereotype Women” written for the book, “Advertising and Societies: Global Issues,” they write about how the media degrades women and girls. Gender stereotypes obviously affect women … Continue reading Analysis: Where Gender Stereotypes Intersect with Anti-Black Racism
The Long Legacy of Anti-Blackness within the Mainstream Feminist Movement
By Stephanie Younger • This year, the Black Lives Matter chapter in Los Angeles, California was excluded by the Women’s March in LA. In an article for LA progressive, Melina Abdullah, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter LA, wrote an article detailing the harm caused by the Women’s March. “Beyond the specific harms, BLMLA has … Continue reading The Long Legacy of Anti-Blackness within the Mainstream Feminist Movement
We Must Combat Texturism within Black Communities
By Stephanie Younger • Beyonce’s 8-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter has been subjected to despicable acts of anti-Blackness, from petitions calling on her parents to “comb her hair,” racist social media posts about her features, and most recently, a Black male journalist and a white female journalist disparaging her features. Although Blue Ivy does not … Continue reading We Must Combat Texturism within Black Communities
Analysis: The Impact of Policing on Black and Brown Mothers and Children
By Stephanie Younger • Are all people in America served and protected by the law? In the documentary, “Profiled – The Mothers of Murdered Black and Latino Youth,” director Kathleen Foster utilizes the power of art, amplifies the voices of Black and Latin American women and youth, and directs attention to protest and dissent. This … Continue reading Analysis: The Impact of Policing on Black and Brown Mothers and Children
Black Youth Climate Justice Movement
By Stephanie Younger • I believe in womanism and the abolition of youth prisons. I also believe that climate justice is racial justice, and in this fight for climate justice it is important to validate Black lives. Even though Black and Brown youth are one of the most affected demographics, and have been combating this issue for a very long time, we’re … Continue reading Black Youth Climate Justice Movement
Black Youth Have Been Combating Gun Violence for Generations
By Stephanie Younger • Nearly a year ago, I was given the opportunity to deliver a speech at the March For Our Lives in Richmond, Virginia, which led to being quoted in multiple local news outlets, being invited to contribute articles to other publications and to organize with a group of student activists. In the … Continue reading Black Youth Have Been Combating Gun Violence for Generations
An Open Essay About My Experiences with the White Moderate
By Stephanie Younger • In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King wrote in his “Letter From a Birmingham Jail,” “I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride towards freedom is not the White Citizens Counciler, or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted … Continue reading An Open Essay About My Experiences with the White Moderate
Why I Am More Included in the Womanist Movement
By Stephanie Younger • “Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender.” – Alice Walker At age 13, the fact that adults would teach me to value my appearance over everything else, especially at an age where I was extremely self-conscious about the way I looked as a Black girl people would rather comment … Continue reading Why I Am More Included in the Womanist Movement
Black Girls Should Matter at School
By Stephanie Younger • My advocacy for the abolition of youth prisons is influenced by the discrimination I experienced in school. Feeling unaccepted by my white peers and profiled by my teachers, I quickly internalized the notion that my Blackness wasn’t desirable. I was so consumed in the self-hatred I internalized that I lost my … Continue reading Black Girls Should Matter at School
Havana Chapman-Edwards on Student Activism and Black Girl Magic
By Stephanie Younger • 7-year-old student activist Havana Chapman-Edwards (@TheTinyDiplomat) was the only student at her school to participate in the national school walkout to honor the victims of the 1999 Columbine school shooting. Her story went viral and captured the attention of CNN, Refinery29, The Washington Post, USA Today and more. With her honorees … Continue reading Havana Chapman-Edwards on Student Activism and Black Girl Magic
The Black Youth Standing for the Closure of Youth Prisons in Virginia
By Stephanie Younger • On Saturday Nov. 3rd, the Richmond community joined RISE For Youth, Art 180, and Performing Statistics, to “honor the voices, dreams and demands of youth affected by the school-to-prison pipeline.” The community, composed of speakers, dancers, singers, poets and other performers gathered outside of Hotchkiss Community Center to raise awareness about … Continue reading The Black Youth Standing for the Closure of Youth Prisons in Virginia
Film Review: The Hate U Give
By Stephanie Younger • The Hate U Give is a film based on the acclaimed YA novel authored by Angie Thomas. Directed by George Tillman Jr., this film begins with a then 9-year-old Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg), her younger brother, Sekani (TJ Wright), who was one year old, and her older brother, Seven (Lamar Johnson), … Continue reading Film Review: The Hate U Give
“Lift Us Up, Don’t Push Us Out:” Art 180 Opens Exhibition About School Push-Out
By Stephanie Younger • Art 180 is an RVA-based organization that gives marginalized young people the opportunity to create change by expressing themselves through music, poetry, dance, and more. On Friday, October 5th, they opened “Lift Us Up! Don’t Push Us Out!” a mixed-reality exhibit that raises awareness about the school-to-prison pipeline, the youth and … Continue reading “Lift Us Up, Don’t Push Us Out:” Art 180 Opens Exhibition About School Push-Out
The Movement Demanding Justice For Marcus-David Peters
By Stephanie Younger • A week ago, I met Princess Blanding at an art build for the upcoming National March For Justice and Reformation for Marcus-David Peters. I recently had a conversation with Blanding about how the police murder of her brother, Marcus-David Peters, pushed her into activism. Stephanie Younger: What is the story behind … Continue reading The Movement Demanding Justice For Marcus-David Peters
Patrisse Cullors on Art, Intersectionality, and Her Memoir
By Stephanie Younger • On June 11, 2018, I had the unforgettable experience of meeting Patrisse Cullors, briefly after she accepted the “Next Generation Award” at the ACLU National Membership Conference. Cullors is an organizer, writer and artist who co-founded Black Lives Matter and founded Dignity and Power Now. I recently interviewed the freedom fighter … Continue reading Patrisse Cullors on Art, Intersectionality, and Her Memoir
When Black Girls are Robbed of their Innocence
By Stephanie Younger • My painting in Art 180‘s gallery called “Everything is Connected” shares the online harassment I faced for acknowledging the Black youth have been rallying against gun violence for generations and my experiences with racism in the gun violence prevention community. This piece has allowed me to express my frustration for being … Continue reading When Black Girls are Robbed of their Innocence
Nupol Kiazolu on Womanism and the Fight for Black Lives
By Stephanie Younger • The murder of Trayvon Martin ignited a fire within a then 12-year-old Nupol Kiazolu “that [she’s] never felt before.” “I couldn’t fully articulate how I felt at the time, but I knew I was angry,” she wrote in a post on Instagram. “A few days after your murder, I came to … Continue reading Nupol Kiazolu on Womanism and the Fight for Black Lives
Richmond Protestors Demand Justice for Marcus-David Peters
By Stephanie Younger • Virginia, we have a problem. We need to come to terms with our state’s history of the marginalization of the Black community. Virginia is where the first enslaved Africans were brought against their will. We live in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy. A racist act of terrorism occurred last … Continue reading Richmond Protestors Demand Justice for Marcus-David Peters
Why I Walked Out on My Own
By Stephanie Younger • I am writing this as a Black female student activist who was excluded from speaking at the Virginia National School Walkout Protest at Brown’s Island in Richmond, VA; on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting. Weeks ago, the organizers guaranteed that I could speak about police brutality, and raising … Continue reading Why I Walked Out on My Own
20 Things Black Girls Should Never Have to Hear or Experience
By Stephanie Younger • The following list is based on real micro-aggressions and instances of racism I’ve experienced, written on the mixed-media piece I created in a VCU Future Studio program at the VCU Arts’ Department of Sculpture + Extended Media, and exhibited at Art 180. It symbolizes how I have transcended the misogyny and … Continue reading 20 Things Black Girls Should Never Have to Hear or Experience
It’s Important to Listen to Black Girls in the Fight Against Gun Violence
By Stephanie Younger • Today, I spoke at a March For Our Lives demonstration in Richmond addressing the fatal school shooting at Majory Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland, Florida. My speech shed some light onto how gun violence disproportionately affects women, queer and trans people, and Black communities. From NBC12’s coverage of the event: “Speakers … Continue reading It’s Important to Listen to Black Girls in the Fight Against Gun Violence
Marching For Juvenile Justice with Art 180, Rise For Youth and Performing Statistics
By Stephanie Younger • Richmond, Virginia is the former capital of the Confederacy. Nowadays, the Legal Aid Justice Center reports that Virginia has the most school-to-prison pipelines in the country, disproportionately referring Black and disabled youth from school to prison. RISE For Youth aims to disrupt that system. Given R.I.S.E’s acronym standing for “Reinvesting In … Continue reading Marching For Juvenile Justice with Art 180, Rise For Youth and Performing Statistics
Richmond Marches for Racial Justice
By Stephanie Younger • On August 11-12, Klansmen, and Neo-Nazis attended the Unite the Right Rally, a demonstration against the removal of the Confederate monument. They attacked anti-racist counter-protestors, many comprised of anti-fascist, and Black Lives Matter activists. According to Al-Jazeera, the white supremacists’ violence left 35 people injured; and a white supremacist rammed his car … Continue reading Richmond Marches for Racial Justice
Book Review: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
By Stephanie Younger • A 16-year-old Black teen who has witnessed the two fatal shootings of her childhood best friends, tries to make sense of the world. Starr Carter witnessed the first shooting when she was ten. It was a violent crime in a violent neighborhood, and goes unsolved. After that shooting, Starr’s parents send … Continue reading Book Review: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
14 Black Girls, Women & Non-binary People Every Intersectional Feminist Should Know About
By Stephanie Younger • Many institutions fail to educate people about Black liberation and the feminist movement from the narratives Black women, Black girls and Black non-binary people, who are often discredited for their work on the frontlines of Black liberation—which is often centered around cishet Black men, and mainstream feminism—which often centers cishet white … Continue reading 14 Black Girls, Women & Non-binary People Every Intersectional Feminist Should Know About
