Meryl Streep’s ‘Suffragette’ T-Shirt Sparks Backlash

The slogan has not sat well with many people, however, with many critical of the actress’ decision to wear a shirt with the word “slave” printed on it.

“Know that women, once convinced that they are doing what is right, that their rebellion is just, will go on, no matter what the difficulties, no matter what the dangers, so long as there is a woman alive to hold up the flag of rebellion”.

Critics of the T-shirts are also concerned with the lack of women of color in the film, which according to a few is an all too real parallel with the tactics used by a few suffragists to exclude people of color from their movement over fears they might hamper their chances to get the vote.

Critics have called the campaign tone deaf, in part because the T-shirts inevitably bring to mind the Confederacy by pairing the words “rebel” and “slave”, but also because of the uneasy history between the feminist and black civil rights movements.

The story is primarily told from the point of view of Maud (Carey Mulligan), a young mother in London’s East End who works at a laundry; her story is flanked by portraits of the pharmacist Edith (Helena Bonham Carter), who makes bombs at home, and working-class Violet (Anne-Marie Duff).

This isn’t the first time Black Twitter has taken issue with white progressivism: remember Patricia Arquette’s finger-wagging at Blacks and LGBT folks that it’s their turn to march for women’s rights?

Others criticised the promotional poster for featuring only white women.

Still, a few have interpreted the shirt differently and are coming to Streep’s defense.

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