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Breaking Down Patriarchy

White Feminism - with author Koa Beck

Breaking Down Patriarchy

Amy McPhie Allebest

History, Education, Society & Culture

4.9654 Ratings

🗓️ 11 March 2025

⏱️ 71 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Amy is joined by author Koa Beck to discuss her book, White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind. This conversation defines white feminism, explains why it can't overcome patriarchy, and offers practical alternatives for white feminists to change tactics and make more meaningful change.

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Koa Beck is the author of White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of Jezebel, the executive editor of Vogue.com, and the senior features editor at MarieClaire.com. Her writing has appeared in The AtlanticThe New York ObserverThe Guardian, and Esquire, among others. For her reporting prowess, she has been interviewed by the BBC and has appeared on many panels about gender and identity at the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Historical Society, and Columbia Journalism School to name a few. She lives in Los Angeles.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to Breaking Down Patriarchy. I'm Amy McPhee, all the best. This season, we're centering action,

0:07.1

taking time to assess where we are now and what we can do about the patriarchal culture in which we find ourselves.

0:13.5

But to determine what actions we take, we need to take stock of the ways we've been engaging in anti-patriarchal work so far.

0:21.6

What's been working well in the feminist movement and what hasn't?

0:25.3

As longtime listeners know, after four seasons of exploring our feminist history,

0:29.8

there have been plenty of mistakes along the way.

0:33.1

One of the most powerful concepts that I've been learning during the past few years

0:36.6

has been that of white feminism,

0:38.3

wherein white women have tended to focus on winning within oppressive systems rather than dismantling oppressive systems.

0:47.3

And one thinker I've learned this from is the amazing Koa Beck.

0:51.3

In 2022, I read her book, White Feminism, from the suffragettes to influencers and who they

0:56.9

leave behind. And I still think of that book as foundational in my learning on that topic. The book

1:03.9

shows how the legacy of exclusion that we've inherited still lingers. And above all, the book is an

1:10.2

invitation for white feminists

1:12.3

to get educated and do better. It's a book filled with fascinating history, incisive insights,

1:17.9

and hope for a more diverse and more impactful feminist movement in the future. And so I am

1:24.5

super grateful and so excited to be discussing this book, White Feminism, today with the book's author, Coa Beck. Welcome, Coa. Hello, thank you so much for having me.

1:35.1

Koa Beck is the author of the acclaimed nonfiction book, White Feminism, from the suffragettes to influencers and who they leave behind.

1:43.0

Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of Jezebel,

1:45.9

the executive editor of Vogue.com,

1:48.0

and the senior features editor at Marie Claire.com.

1:51.5

Her reporting and analysis on gender, identity, race, and culture

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