http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3693/is_200601/ai_n19511614/

I do think its interesting that the post seems focused on how to “help” (carrying its own loaded meanings) womyn of color. The responses seem focused on dissecting the different levels of privilege within the white community, and less on the very real impact of racism and white skin privilege, regardless of class, that often results in the demonization of Black and Latino womyn’s sexuality and reproduction. The “Jill question” is about a very particular kind of privileged white womyn who works in the non-profit field. So yes, it does in fact exclude class issues within the white community – and white poor and working-class womyn, AND it also captures a particular kind of question that reflects a culture within the non-profit field that largely revolves around culture and race and is often suppressed or sublimated into discussions of class alone.

Here is how I see it – my lower class status means that, as I go through my second pregnancy, I have been treated by people as someone who should have an abortion, someone who is reproducing trash, and someone undeserving of the state paid health insurance that will let me deliver my child in a decent hospital. In many ways my experience is similar to women of color who are treated as whores or baby breeders for their choice to continue the pregnancy despite low income status.

Here is where my race comes into play. The only people who treat me like this are people who know I am poor and on passport (gov healthcare). For the duration of my pregnancy I will be able to have strangers glow at me and smile when they see my swollen belly; I will have people assume because of my race that I am a good person and deserving of my child. It is only when I pull out my passport card or my food stamps that this attitude will change.

That is how I see the dynamics of race and class playing out in this situation. Yes, I will experience some of the problems and stereotypes that other poor pregnant women of color experience. The difference is there are times my skin color will let me escape this, and if I did not have things that distinguish me as poor I would probably never experience this just because of my skin color (unlike a woman of color, who probably gets some of this stereotyping whether or not she is poor).

Now, if only all these smiling people knew my baby would be mixed…LOL

I’m also fascinated by how many of the comments connect with the question of class privilege, but don’t seem to tackle race privilege head-on. While women of color, and low-income white women have many experiences in common, race does come into play and cannot be ignored.