Video: Women of Color Speak Out About Street Harassment

By Jamilah King Nov 07, 2014

Over at Jezebel, Collier Meyerson writes about that controversial Hollaback video on street harassment and new response from a group of women of color:

…black and brown women were excluded, as if we do not exist, or are not affected by street harassment when, in fact, we are more endangered by it. Black and brown women, women of color of size, and trans women are among our society’s most vulnerable. Black women are at a greater risk of domestic violence. For trans women, even leaving the house can be fraught with emotional and physical violence. Women of color, regardless of gender expression, have an extra layer of fear and anxiety when walking down the street. The Hollaback video’s omission of white men, and the omission of black and brown women, worked together in an sinister alchemy to reinforce centuries-old stereotypes about who needs to be saved and protected and who needs to be feared and controlled.

Hollaback did issue an apology, writing: "We agree wholeheartedly that the video should have done a better job of representing our understanding of street harassment and we take full responsibility for that."

In the video below, several women of color talk about their experiences with street harassment, often at the hands of white men.