These slam poets are spittin' some fierce feminism.
Fighting the good feminist fight can become frustrating. Sometimes we need a pick-me-up to fight another day, and these awesome slam poets give us just that.
From pushing back against pressure about appearance to challenging rape culture and talking honestly about abortion, these poets' words implore us to keep fighting and to remember the importance of gender equality.
Here are 14 of our favorite feminist spoken word poems that remind us why we're feminists:
1. "The Period Poem" by Dominique Christina
“Should any fool mishandle the wild geography of your body… then just bleed boo. Give that blood a biblical name."
2. "Pretty" by Katie Makkai
"This is about the self-mutilating circus we have painted ourselves clowns in. About women who will prowl 30 stories and six malls to find the the right cocktail dress but who haven't a clue where to find fulfillment or how to wear joy."
3. "Heels" by Imani Cezanne
"I wear heels because it's useless to cater to the insecure. You think people won't notice you? You should shine brighter. You should get more special. You should love yourself enough to not let a woman in heels emasculate you."
4. "Fantastic Breasts and Where To Find Them" by Brenna Twohy
"It looks like 24/7 live streaming, reminding me that men are going to f*ck me whether I like it or not, that there is one use for my mouth and it is not speaking, that a man is his most powerful when he's got a woman by the hair."
5. "Feminist or a Womanist" by Staceyann Chin
"I come in too many flavors for one f*cking spoon."
6. "What Guys Look For In Girls" by Savannah Brown
"You're worth so much more than your waistline. You're worth the beautiful thoughts you think, and the daring dreams you dream, undone and drunk off alcohol of being. But sometimes we forget that."
7. "Shrinking Woman" by Lily Myers
"Women in my family have been shrinking for decades."
8. "When" by Carlos Andrés Gómez
"When owning your own body is understood when it comes to me, but still in federal appellate courts for my wife, my two sisters, six aunts, every mother, daughter, woman I have ever met."
9. "Feminism" by Ashia Ajani, Tolu Obiwole, Abby Friesen-Johnson and Alexis Rain Vigil
"Before I am a woman, I am black. [But] women and color should not have to surrender to each other."
10. "I Think She Was A She" by Leyla Josephine
“I would’ve supported her right to choose. To choose a life for herself, a path for herself. I would’ve died for that right like she died for mine. I’m sorry, but you came at the wrong time."
11. "Rape Poem To End All Rape Poems" by Justice Hehir, Kate Thomas, Lindsey Michelle Williams and Lillie Hannon
"We wouldn't need so many damn rape poems if America had listened the first time."
12. "10 Honest Thoughts On Being Loved By A Skinny Boy" by Rachel Wiley
"I say, 'I am fat.' He says, 'no, you're beautiful.' I wonder why I cannot be both."
13. "She Said" by Amir Sulaiman
"I know that being a man is more than being male, and I'm focused on doing it right."
14. "How Not To Make Love To A Fat Girl" by Yesika Salgado
"Sex with someone new is awkward for everyone. Sex with someone new when things about your body often frighten you is nerve-racking."