As much as we love a good selfie and meme, social media has become a really good place to learn more about social activism and to challenge yourself and your feminism.

That is why I love following Rachel Cargle on Instagram (@rachel.cargle). Rachel is an Activist, writer and lecturer and she uses her social media accounts to teach her followers about feminism, racism and white supremacy- especially where white supremacy plays out in white feminism. To get you started, I suggest reading Rachel’s article for Harpers Bazaar ‘When Feminism is White Supremacy in Heels’ (yes right now go and read it, you can come back to this page later).

Rachel (right) in Washington with her friend Dana (left)

As you will now know having read the article, Rachel used her platform after the murder of Nia Wilson to encourage her followers to hold prominent white feminists to account where they had been silent over Nia’s murder. As Rachel relays in her article the women who reacted defensively and aggressively gave a textbook example of white saviour complex and centring which white women are prone to. It is uncomfortable for white feminists (myself included) to examine our ingrained racism and privilege but we will achieve nothing on our feminist agenda until we do, and we actively harm women of colour for as long as we centre ourselves in feminism.

Rachel is currently touring her lecture series ‘Unpacking White Feminism’. Unfortunately for us in the U.K, Rachel’s tour is across the U.S but you can still benefit from her work and wisdom by following her on social media. Black women activists give so many resources and materials on their social media pages; you can access reading lists, ‘how to be an ally’ threads, on her page Rachel has a great story called ‘Social Syllabi’ which she has developed ‘to be used as a tool and reference for more meaningful and insightful conversation around the issues that matter to us.’ Where she has collated resources on U.S immigration and the current detention of children at the US/Mexico border.

You can pay Rachel for her work and the resources she gives by sending money to her PayPal here.

For her Birthday this year Rachel is fundraising for Therapy for Black Women and Girls because ‘black women and girls deserve access to healing. The planet earth needs the ripples that will form from their healing.’ She has already raised over $100,000! You can find the go fund me page here; https://www.gofundme.com/rachelcargle

Also shoutout to Rachel on the cover of Salty October 2018.

Rachel Cargle, @rachel.cargle