Rachel Cargle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rachel Elizabeth Cargle
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipUnited States
EducationUniversity of Toledo
Movement
  • Black Lives Matter
  • Early 21st-century civil rights movement
Websitewww.rachelcargle.com

Rachel Cargle is a Black American author, speaker, and activist known for her involvement in anti-racism.[1] Cargle founded the , and a bookstore and writing center that she runs in Akron, Ohio.[1][2]

Early life[]

Cargle was raised in Green, Ohio by her mother, who has polio. Her father died when she was young.[3] During her childhood, Cargle played soccer and was a Girl Scout.[1] Cargle and her mother lived in Section 8 housing in a wealthy suburb, which she stated made her aware of economic differences between herself and her white peers.[1]

She attended the University of Toledo for two years, studying anthropology and sociology before moving to Washington, D.C. at the age of 23.[3][1] Cargle later shortly attended Columbia University before dropping out without graduating, following an April 2019 incident in which a black male student was followed by university police after declining to present his student identification upon request.[3]

Career[]

In 2017, a photo of Cargle and her friend holding signs at the Women's March went viral; Cargle's sign read, "If You Don’t Fight for All Women You Fight for No Women."[3]

Cargle began to learn more about feminist issues, and later spoke at several universities with her popular lecture series titled "Unpacking White Feminism". The Washington Post writes that Cargle's "signature message" is "tough love for do-gooder progressive white women," and Cargle compares the tears of white women after her lectures to those of men distraught over Patriarchy.[3] Cargle has fought to promote Intersectionality in her lectures and work, stating, "I have NO interest in coddling my oppressor into listening."[3] Cargle's approach has won her the support of activist Layla Saad, who states that Cargle is more willing than some activists to engage in debate, and thereby educate her social media followers.[3] Mainly focused on anti-racism activism, Cargle's Instagram account grew from 355,000 to 1.7 million followers in the years since 2016.[1]

After a successful GoFundMe campaign, Cargle founded the , which works to increase access to therapy for Black women and girls.[3] Cargle has criticized what she describes as the commodification of wellness, stating, "many celebrated white wellness spaces and women’s empowerment influencer or brands... oddly seem to equate 'success' to getting what white men have and wielding that power in the exact same oppressive inhumane way that white men have been doing for generations."[4] Cargle believes that wellness movements should not seek to preserve the status quo and existing systems of power.[4]

In 2019, Cargle was studying at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research, and with Imani Perry of Princeton University.[3] The next year, she opened a writing center and bookstore in Akron, Ohio called "Elizabeth’s Bookshop & Writing Centre."[5] Cargle signed a book deal with Dial Press, with a publication date of 2021.[3]

Personal life[]

Cargle is divorced.[3] She has a dog named Ivy.[1] Before Ivy, she had adopted a senior dog called Professor Marley.[3]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Dirshe, Siraad (June 18, 2020). "'Dear White Women': The Public Classroom of Rachel Cargle". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  2. ^ Valenti, Lauren (24 June 2020). "6 Organizations That Support Black Women's Health—And Why the Work They're Doing Is So Essential". Vogue. The Loveland Foundation: Condé Nast. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Meltzer, Marissa (September 11, 2019). "I Refuse to Listen to White Women Cry". The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b Grady, Constance. "Why the author of Girl, Stop Apologizing had to apologize twice in a week". Vox. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  5. ^ Nyorkor, Sia (11 December 2020). "The Next 400: Activist & author Rachel Cargle opens bookstore to amplify marginalized voices". Cleveland 19. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
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