Why Do We Hate the Thinking Brown Woman?

“The world is a cruel place. It is particularly cruel to strong women who speak their mind,” journalist Barkha Dutt declared in a recent interview with actor Jaya Bhaduri. The statement felt less like an opinion and more fact. We’ve seen it everywhere, from the cancellations of Jameela Jamil and Mindy Kaling to the comparisons of Malala Yousafzai to Greta Thunberg to the pile-on against Deepika Padukone for talking about an eight-hour workday. As a Brown woman with thoughts, you’re never doing enough or you’re doing too much. 

We spoke to experts who study internet culture, everyday people, and more to break down why society seems to be so irritated with thinking Brown women. These observers all agreed on one thing: it’s time to stop.