How Sexism Shapes White Women's Solidarity with Women of Color: Unpacking Our Blind Spots

When I first began the journey of unpacking my biases, sexism wasn't the initial lens I used to examine my relationship with privilege. Yet, a recent episode of our podcast, White Women Wake Up, sparked a realization that has deeply shifted my perspective: the proximity white women hold to white male power—shaped by sexism—can profoundly impact our ability to build genuine solidarity with women of color.

In our podcast, my mom Karen and I openly discussed how white women often unconsciously align themselves with white male power structures, even when these systems don't serve their best interests. Karen described this as something we're socialized into from a young age:

"White women, even when things are not within their interests, still side with white men for security and power. It's something we're raised to do."

This revelation struck me as crucial because it explains not only how sexism shapes our interactions with men but also why we often fail in our attempts at solidarity with women of color.

Historical Roots of Our Complicity

Understanding this dynamic requires revisiting history. Feminism, as many of us white women learned it, has historically centered our struggles, often marginalizing women of color. For instance, during the suffrage movement, prominent white suffragettes like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony strategically excluded Black women from their advocacy efforts to appeal to white male legislators, reinforcing systemic racism even as they fought for women's rights. Black women, therefore, had to simultaneously combat both racism and sexism, pioneering their own advocacy efforts. Figures like Sojourner Truth, who famously questioned the exclusionary nature of white feminism in her speech "Ain't I a Woman?" and later activists like Ida B. Wells, who fought tirelessly against lynching and for voting rights, illustrate how Black women have historically carried the dual burden of advocating for civil rights and women's rights concurrently.

In the podcast, we discussed how white feminism has traditionally been co-opted, inadvertently or otherwise, to preserve white supremacy:

"White women hijacked feminism… I didn't see it through the language of sexism. That was shocking to me," Karen admitted during our conversation.

Sexism's Double-Edged Sword

White women’s relationship with sexism often manifests in subtle maneuvers aimed at appealing to white male authority. As we discussed, white women learn from an early age how to gain approval from men—flirting, adapting behaviors, and navigating spaces dominated by men. These behaviors reinforce internal biases and inadvertently uphold racism, as we prioritize our proximity to white male power over authentic allyship.

An analogy Karen and I unpacked was especially enlightening: the "bear versus stranger" scenario popular on social media. Many women said they'd rather encounter a bear than an unfamiliar man because at least a bear’s behavior is predictable. When asked a similar question, Black women often expressed greater distrust towards white women than white men, highlighting how our attempts at solidarity can often feel unreliable or performative.

"The white woman is not going to do what is in the interest of the community. They will do what's in the interest of themselves," Karen reflected from conversations she had.

Modern-Day Examples: Sexism and Solidarity

Today, we see this complexity in real-time politics and corporate spaces. For example, when white women in leadership positions use traditional femininity strategically to gain power, they might believe they're advancing all women's causes. However, these actions often only elevate individual white women's positions without addressing broader issues facing women of color.

In corporate America, the leadership of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives predominantly comprises white individuals. In fact, 81% of Chief Diversity Officers are white, with a significant portion being white women. This demographic trend indicates that DEI efforts are often led by those who may not personally experience the systemic challenges these initiatives aim to address. Consequently, the perspectives and priorities of DEI programs might not fully encompass the lived experiences of marginalized communities.

Moreover, while white women have benefited significantly from affirmative action and DEI initiatives, women of color continue to be severely underrepresented, holding only 6% of C-suite positions. This underscores the need for DEI strategies that genuinely promote racial and ethnic inclusivity.

The Challenge of Genuine Solidarity

For many white women, our experiences of sexism can create a misleading perception of solidarity with women of color. Because we've felt marginalized by sexism, we may assume our struggles align closely with those experienced by women of color. However, racism adds layers of complexity that white women often fail to acknowledge fully.

This was personally revealing to me:

"I thought I was being empathetic because I too have felt outcast in my job," I admitted during our episode.

Yet, realizing my own biases showed me how limited my empathy had been. Empathy alone isn't enough; genuine solidarity requires deep listening and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about our own complicity in systems of power.

Reimagining Solidarity: Action Points for White Women

Karen and I outlined steps white women can take to foster genuine solidarity:

1. Interrogate Our Alignment Ask ourselves, "Who truly benefits from the ways I've learned to succeed?" Recognizing our behaviors driven by proximity to male power helps us disentangle from them.

2. Move Beyond Empathy Don't mistake shared struggle for shared experience. True solidarity means listening deeply and amplifying voices rather than leading with our own.

3. Honor Clarity and Structure Respect the guidelines and protocols designed to protect marginalized people. When white women soften these guidelines, even with good intentions, we inadvertently reinforce white male power structures. Karen emphasized how crucial it is to honor these boundaries:

"When guidelines are changed midway, marginalized individuals lose their ability to navigate spaces safely."

Hope and Commitment

Unpacking these biases isn't easy, nor is it always comfortable. Yet, confronting how sexism influences our relationships with power can open pathways to more authentic solidarity with women of color.

White women must commit to consistently questioning the power dynamics we've been socialized into. This means relinquishing comfort, recognizing our complicity, and genuinely supporting our sisters of color by prioritizing collective liberation over individual gains. As Karen concluded poignantly:

"Understanding sexism changed the way I thought about unpacking my biases. I see how important it is for me as a white woman to step back, listen, and support rather than lead."

I encourage every white woman reading this to reflect deeply on these questions. It’s time we wake up, commit to real solidarity, and embrace the growth that comes from honest self-examination and meaningful allyship.

Stay curious, be open and keep waking up!

-Jonelle