Feminista Jones

Michelle Taylor, known professionally as Feminista Jones, is an American social worker and writer. She is a contributor to Black Twitter and writes about Black feminism. She developed the social media campaigns #NMOS14 and #YouOKSis and has written for The Washington Post, Salon, TIME, and Ebony. Jones authored Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminism is Changing the World from the Tweets to the Streets (2019, Beacon Press).[1][2]

Career

Jones was born and raised in New York City. She is an alum of University of Pennsylvania.[3] She stated in an interview that she wishes to fight poverty because of her personal experience growing up in poverty.[4]

Activism

Jones previously worked at Witnesses to Hunger, a project of Drexel University's Center for Hunger-Free Communities.[5] In 2013, Jones was selected as a United Nations Foundation Fellow for her social media influence. In 2014, she launched a global anti-street harassment campaign (#YouOKSis) and a National Moment of Silence protesting police brutality (#NMOS14), both of which received international media attention.[6][7] #NMOS14, also known as National Moment of Silence, was used to organize national vigils after the death of Michael Brown.[1] Jones' goal, "Even if you don't experience something, it doesn't mean it didn't happen" is used to shed a light on all of the police violence that is ignored.[1] She supports Black Lives Matters and racial justice initiatives, and encourages white people to take a role in fighting racism.[1] She stated in an interview, "I support you, and not only do I support you but I am here with you rolling up my sleeves and asking, what do I need to do?"[1][8]

In 2014, Jones tweeted about her own experience intervening in an incident of street harassment in New York.[6][7] Another user, Mia McKenzie, suggested turning the phrase she had used to check in with the woman--"You OK, sis"—into a hashtag campaign designed to raise awareness and encourage people to ask victims of harassment if they are okay or if they need help.[6][7] Hundreds of people began using the hashtag as a means to report street harassment.[6][7]

Taylor was a featured speaker at the Philadelphia Women's March that took place on January 21, 2017. She primarily discussed difference between allies and co-conspirators during her speech.[1]

Other work

In 2015, Jones co-founded and served as general director of the Women's Freedom Conference, the first all-digital conference completely organized by and featuring only women of color.[9] For her work, she was named one of 2015 "Voices of the Year".[10]

Jones has written several articles for the Washington Post, Salon, TIME.com, and TheEbony.com.[11][12][8] She has also been regularly featured on Huffington Post Live, has appeared on the Dr. Oz Show and the Exhale Show, and her work has been featured on C-SPAN (2014)[13] and MSNBC.. Jones also advocates for young children as well as the homeless that have psychiatric disabilities.[14]

Jones wrote an article for The Washington Post titled, "Keep Harriet Tubman- and all women- off the $20 bill", published on May 14, 2015. She wrote this article after considering Black women's historic role in the creation of capitalism and the free market. She argues that it is not right to place Black women on money, especially Harriet Tubman, due to the historic lack of access to wealth by women and especially women of color. She also argues that placing Tubman on the $20 bill is counterproductive because it covers up her history of activism. Jones wrote, "Her legacy is rooted in resisting the foundation of American capitalism."[15]

Reclaiming Our Space

In 2019, Jones published Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminism is Changing the World from the Tweets to the Streets.[16] The book explores how Black feminism has evolved through the use of social media and includes autobiographical segments, analysis of Twitter and hashtag movements that were inspired by Black women, and interviews with public figures and activists such as CaShawn Thompson and Glynda Carr.

The book was well received. Publishers Weekly wrote that Feminista Jones "astutely analyzes the nuances of black female identity."[17] Kirkus Reviews described the book as, "Sharp and provocative, the narrative is most powerful in its implication that, unless born to privilege, all Americans, regardless of race or gender, now 'feel something akin to what Black people...have always experienced.' Understanding black (female) struggles is therefore critical for everyone."[18]

Works
  • Jones, Feminista (2019). Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminism is Changing the World from the Tweets to the Streets. Beacon Press. ISBN 9780807055373.

Personal life

Jones is pansexual.[19] She has one son.[14]

Accolades
  • "Black Weblog Award" for Outstanding Online Activism (2014)[20]
  • The Root, Top 100 Black Social Influencers (2014)
  • She Knows/Blog Her, "Voices of the Year" (2015)[10]
  • Philadelphia Magazine, "The 100 Most Influential Philadelphians" (2018)[21]
gollark: Well, they've closed schools and are cancelling GCSEs.
gollark: Ah, I see.
gollark: Explain what?
gollark: Not Doc®, a-dork-able.
gollark: Some offense, but this may be why people dislike you.

References
  1. "The Disruptors". CNN. August 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2016.Hackman, Rose (June 26, 2015). "'We Need Co-Conspirators, Not Allies': How White Americans Can Fight Racism". The Guardian. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  2. ""Reclaiming Our Space" Honors the Black Women Who've Changed the Internet". Bitch Media. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  3. Connaughton, Clare. "Activist alum Feminista Jones returns to her roots". www.thedp.com. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  4. "Feminista Jones: The One-Woman Social Justice Crusade". phillymag.com. October 22, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  5. "Welcome | Philadelphia Magazine". www.phillymag.com. October 21, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  6. Berlatsky, Noah. "Black Women and Street Harassment: 'Even If You Don't Like It, You're Supposed to Appear That You Do". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  7. "#YouOKSis? A Small Effort to Thwart #StreetHarassment (with images, tweets) · FeministaJones". Storify. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  8. "Stories written by Feminista Jones". Salon. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  9. Women’s Freedom Conference
  10. SheKnows/BlogHer’s 2015 "Voices of the Year"
  11. Jones, Feminista (May 14, 2015). "Keep Harriet Tubman – and all women – off the $20 bill". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  12. "Feminista Jones | TIME". TIME.com. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  13. "Feminista Jones". C-SPAN. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  14. "Feminista Jones - SheSource Expert - Women's Media Center". www.womensmediacenter.com. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  15. Feminista Jones, "Keep Harriet Tubman - and all women - off the $20 bill". Washington Post, May 14, 2015.
  16. Jones, Feminista (2019). Reclaiming our space: how Black feminism is changing the world from the tweets to the streets. ISBN 9780807055380. OCLC 1065749657.
  17. "Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminists Are Changing the World from the Tweets to the Streets". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  18. RECLAIMING OUR SPACE by Feminista Jones | Kirkus Reviews.
  19. Owens, Ernest. "LGBTQ&A: Feminista Jones". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  20. "2014 Black Weblog Award Winners". Black Weblog Awards via Wayback Machine. November 1, 2014. Archived from the original on December 3, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  21. "The 100 Most Influential People in Philadelphia". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
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