Feminism and Womanism: Taina Brown's Intersectional Approach to Liberation

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Feminist coach Taina Brown joins Becky Mollenkamp to share her journey into intersectional feminism, how her experiences as a Black woman shaped her feminist identity, and the distinctions between feminism and womanism. The conversation delves deep into the challenges faced by women of color in the workplace, particularly the impact of microaggressions and the compounded effects of systemic oppression. Taina also offers insightful solutions for combating imposter syndrome, emphasizing the importance of rest as a form of resistance and the need to dismantle capitalist structures in our pursuit of liberation.

Taina Brown (she/hers) is an elder millennial, Jeopardy enthusiast, and dog mom to doggy influencers. She is a life and career coach for busy and burned out millennials and a DEI educator and facilitator. In her spare time and with the help of her community, she's building a world where people don't feel the need to live busy and burned out lives, laugh in the face of imposter syndrome, and generally stick it to the man. You can find her ranting (sometimes) and raving (mostly) on Instagram and in her email newsletter to her community.

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Discussion in this episode:

• Intersectional Feminism and Womanism: Taina discusses the roots of her feminist identity, the difference between feminism and womanism, and how Black women have historically been excluded from mainstream feminist movements.
• Matriarchy vs. Patriarchy: A deep dive into the differences between matriarchal and patriarchal systems, and why simply replacing men at the top with women is not the solution to systemic oppression.
• Anti-Capitalist Feminism: Exploring how capitalist structures perpetuate inequality and the importance of creating new systems that prioritize collaboration, rest, and collective care.
• Microaggressions in the Workplace: Taina highlights the daily toll of microaggressions on women of color and the need to address these issues beyond just time management and productivity.
• Imposter Syndrome Solutions: Taina reframes imposter syndrome as a natural response to operating within systems not designed for women of color, and shares strategies for reclaiming power and belonging.
• The Power of Rest as Resistance: Drawing inspiration from the Nat Ministry and Tricia Hersey's work, Taina discusses how rest is a revolutionary act that defies capitalist demands for constant productivity.

Resources Mentioned:

• “Who is Your Mother? The Red Roots of Feminism” by Paula Gunn Allen
• Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
• The Nap Ministry
• Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith
• Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown
• Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown
• Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
• Bisan Owda

Bonus Content: For more on Taina Brown's work and her perspective on LGBTQ+ identities within feminism, make sure to subscribe to Becky’s newsletter where exclusive bonus content is available. The link is in the show notes.