Dr Zuleyka Zevallos

Dr Rosewarne is a senior lecturer who teaches feminism, media & public policy. She writes on cyberbullying. In this article, she uses the word 'we' 18 times in a way that shouts down Aboriginal women's critiques of Trevor Noah, who has yet to applogise for sexualised racism.2/

E.g. "What do WE feel we need from Noah..." "Will WE only rest when WE get a James Gunn-style firing" "this is how WE respond in our age of outrage" All these "we" infer Aboriginal women's critiques without naming them. Never mind they haven't asked for Noah to be fired. 3/

The author defends Noah's "incredibly intelligent, funny" comedy on race. But she ignores Aboriginal women's discussion of how Black American entertainers cater to White Australian audiences. * She does not address race relations in AUS 5/ * @drcbond:https://twitter.com/drcbond/status/1021222999142420480?s=19 …

Author strategically uses the word "we" to position critiques of Noah ("the left") as damaging to White people: "If WE know that the LEFT will take any opportunity to pounce, to silence..." A disempowered group (Indigenous women) are a threat to White interests. 6/

Nowhere does the author examine race in AUS or her Whiteness. She is not an expert on race. But she feels a need to weigh in on public discussion to align her Whiteness with a wealthy man from South Africa & completely ignore Indigenous women. Why would a "feminist" do this? 7/

White feminism aspires to share power with White men- but no one else. They do not recognise their White privilege over men of colour unless it serves their agenda (as Noah is used here) & they seek to keep Aboriginal women & other #WOC subordinate. 9/ #FeminismIsForWhiteWomen

This author, like other White people, defends Noah b/c they recognise that if their "safe" Black comedian is held accountable for his comedy, their own racism may come under scrutiny. See emotive language ("call outs" "unconstructive shaming" "guilty for enjoying" "outrage"). 10/

Author supports Noah but does so by removing race. Noah is "human" who has "stumbled"- not a Black American being critiqued by Black women in AUS. This is a cognitive device: Noah is "just" a race-less person, & she is a race-less White woman excusing with sexist racism. 11/

The author deploys racist American right wing rhetoric ("progressives" "the Left") in the same way White supremacists do all day every day on media: to de-legitimise important conversations about racial inequality. It matters gravely that she does this as an Aussie academic. 12/

White people dominate academia. While many White women are deeply concerned with "gender inequality" they really only notice that White ciswomen are less represented. They don't really notice or care about gender minorities, #POC or other minorities. https://twitter.com/OtherSociology/status/989016477574414336?s=19 … 13/

So when White women academics take up space in public discussions about Aboriginal women, sucking up op ed opportunity that should be given to Aboriginal women, this is a big message about power in academia. Whiteness must be defended even at the cost of feminist solidarity. 14/

If academics take to the media to absolve racist sexism, public record of their complicity to racial oppression, consider the damage they're willing to do daily to Aboriginal students & colleagues. They choose this hill ("a joke!") rather than contributing to anti-racism. /fin