#SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen started in a moment of frustration. One of my good friends, Sydette Harry (aka @BlackAmazon), had been a target of Hugo Schwyzer in the days before everyone was forced to face the truth about him. In the course of a very public Twitter meltdown, he admitted specifically targeting women of color because they were in his way:

So to the many people I hurt I am sorry. To the women of color I trashed in 2008, I am so sorry — Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 9, 2013

In the days following, there has been a curious disavowal of connections to him. Schwyzer used to be able to rely on gaining exposure from influential feminist bloggers at Feministe, Jezebel and Pandagon.

I am sorry for my former colleagues like @jessicavalenti and @JillFilipovic who couldn't work with me or bring themselves to denounce me. — Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 9, 2013

"Digital feminists" like Jill Filipovic (also a Guardian columnist), Jessica Coen, Jessica Valenti and Amanda Marcotte were, in our view, complicit in allowing Hugo Schwyzer to build a platform – which, as he has now confessed, was based partly on putting down women of color and defending white feminism. I have seen the disavowals and people distancing themselves from Schwyzer, but I have not seen the expressions of regret or condemnation for his impact on @Blackamazon, @redlightvoices, and the other women of color he has "trashed" over the years.

And WOC, yes you @amaditalks and @Blackamazon, you were right. I was awful to you because you were in the way — Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 9, 2013

It appeared that these feminists were, once again, dismissing women of color (WOC) in favor of a brand of solidarity that centers on the safety and comfort of white women. For it to be at the expense of people who were doing the same work was exceptionally aggravating.

Admittedly, this isn't a new problem: white feminism has argued that gender should trump race since its inception. That rhetoric not only erases the experiences of women of color, but also alienates many from a movement that claims to want equality for all. This is especially clear when posts and articles about racism in feminism from five years ago involve some of the very same players.

While Schwyzer hasn't completely stopped pretending to be a feminist ally, it is clear that he's still invested in silencing WOC.

This whole #solidarityisforwhitewomen thing is an abusive cudgel to be used against a lot of people who are really working at inclusivity — Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 13, 2013

And for white feminists to enable him for so long is especially galling.

When I launched the hashtag #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen, I thought it would largely be a discussion between people impacted by the latest bout of problematic behavior from mainstream white feminists. It was intended to be Twitter shorthand for how often feminists of color are told that the racism they experience "isn't a feminist issue". The first few tweets reflect the deeply personal impact of such a long-running structural issue.

As the hashtag spread across Twitter, people from all walks of life started joining in – to vent their own personal frustrations, as well as to address larger political issues. Feminism as a global movement meant to unite all women has global responsibilities, and – as illustrated by hundreds of tweets – has failed at one of the most basic: it has not been welcoming to all women, or even their communities.

Many users of the tag commented on how therapeutic it was to voice publicly their issues. So, in that way, it has been healing for some people. But many of the same comments that were being decried by people who understood the tag's context were repeated by those upset at its existence. People who are part of the problem aren't learning as much as they should, at least not yet – but it has been barely 24 hours.

An honest conversation between feminists about feminism and its future is happening, and like every truly honest discussion of differences, it has been incredibly contentious. Hopefully, it will also be productive: despite the natural brevity encouraged by Twitter, any conversation that can span a full day must generate some change. The only question is whether or not feminism will be receptive to the critiquing and to doing the work required to resolve the problems.