Three years ago two feminists tweeted out #FeministSelfie in the face of a condescending article attempting to label all selfies as anti-feminist and a cry for help.

Since then countless feminists have used the hashtag, or others it inspired including #365FeministSelfie, #366FeministSelfie (leap year!), and #365FeministLife, to showcase their daily feminist actions whether it is escorting at a clinic, painting a son's fingernails, or exhibiting our bikini bodies from sizes zero to 32. Most days our #FeministSelfie is just the ordinary day of someone who claims the label of feminist. For us a selfie is revolutionary in a society that still worships and values young thin white bodies. It is revolutionary to share one's journey as a transgender person in a world where using a public restroom is a battle. It is radical, not narcissistic, to want to share our selfie that shows our "flaws" and scars. It is radical to show pride in our family composition. It is community building to selfie with our "I Voted!" stickers.

Many hashtags are born of snark and frustration. #FeministSelfie was no different. Yet it endures in many forms to connect those of us in the feminist struggle.

Normally I write a next year post in December, but the anniversary/birthday of the #FeministSelfie hashtag just two weeks after the election of a racist misogynist con man seemed like a good time to make a statement. As we plan to enter 2017 with the knowledge that we need each other more than ever, #365FeministSelfie will be here to help.

#365FeministSelfie will continue on through 2017 and I believe through out the entire Trump-Pence regime. The hashtag will continue to connect us. The challenge will hopefully remind us to do something feminist every day. It will also signal to others that feminists are indeed everywhere. From our college campuses to our baristas. Feminists come in all shapes, shades, sizes and backgrounds.

I also hope the hashtag will challenge us to strengthen our feminism. Maybe we are big city feminists who need to learn from rural feminists - at the same time lessen them from the isolation I often hear about from rural friends. White feminists who want to learn how to make their feminism more intersectional can listen to feminists of color who often speak volumes in their selfies.

I know a selfie can't solve all our problems, but I do have hope that the community we continue to build through the hashtag will sustain us in the dark times and inspire us to keep fighting.

If you have ideas on how we can use the hashtag for education and resistance please leave a comment or connect with me over at Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. I plan to set out our 2017 in coming days. Until then...

ONWARD!!

Veronica

We're half way through Women's History Month! And to help us get through the rest of the month of selfies here is the second half of the photo challenge. Enjoy!

Veronica

Wagatwe Wanjuki from New Jersey 

How long have you been participating in #365FeministSelfie? 
I am pretty sure I've been following since the beginning! Or something close to that.

Why did you join the project? 
I joined it because I loved the idea of producing my own media as an act of resistance to the underrepresentation of Black women in mainstream media. It felt like a great self-affirming way to do a "snap back" to racist norms that deem "unattractive." I also was terrible at taking selfies and I knew that I needed to practice more if I want to get any better. I must admit I am way better at taking them now.

What has been the best/most interesting part of the project for you? Have you learned something about yourself? Met a new BFF? 
The project has helped me become more comfortable with how I look in photos. Before the project, I always kind of hated how I looked in photographs and often avoided participating in photos. But as I posted more selfies I got more comfortable with seeing how I look. I have learned that I like to be in control - and that I think I have a pretty darn cute face.

How many pictures do you snap for each selfie you share? 
It all depends. I don't post every day anymore. I have shifted to mostly doing selfies on significant days or in significant locations. So sometimes I might have one. Other times I may have taken a lot so I can see which looks best.

Have you ever received any negative comments for being in the project? 
No I haven't, actually! If anyone has said anything then I must have missed it (thankfully)!

How do you do feminism? 
I do feminism by making the belief that everyone deserve equity my own. I do my best in my even seemingly mundane actions to promote a more just world — that could go from taking selfies every day to speaking publicly about sexual violence to helping a young woman to negotiate for a higher salary.

You can find Wagatwe on Instagram and at http://wagatwe.com/. And yes, her selfie is from the Oscars. Wagatwe was one of the survivors on stage with Lady Gaga during her performance of "Til It Happens to You" at the 2016 Oscars.

Veronica

I know how hard it can be to be creative everyday during this marathon of a challenge, that is why I bring you part one of our March Photo Challenge. BTW - Day one is perfect for Super Tuesday!!

Veronica

Stephanie Martinez from Cedar Rapids, IA 

How long have you been participating in #365FeministSelfie? 
I started at the beginning but only got a few months in before my stamina petered out. Then, in 2015, I decided to start back up when 2016 rolled around.

Why did you join the project?
Last year, I was diagnosed with a life threatening pregnancy condition called placenta percreta. I almost died. After surviving, I realized there was so much MORE I wanted to do and become. I decided to rejoin 365FS in 2016 with a few goals in mind. First, to focus on my selfcare more. I survived something scary, time to take care of the body that did it. Also, to take time each day to document me, in a moment, good or bad. Just BE in a moment, with myself. So often as women, we don't take time for us and I think that it's incredibly important to do so. And, yes, put it on social media, tell the world, I AM HERE SEE ME.

What has been the best/most interesting part of the project for you? Have you learned something about yourself? Met a new BFF?
I have met a few amazing women. I see their strength and courage and it inspires me! I have learned that it doesn't matter if I don't have makeup on or my hair is a mess or if my teeth are crooked, this is me and the population can take it or leave it. I will still be here.

How many pictures do you snap for each selfie you share?
I have a best of three rule.

Have you ever received any negative comments for being in the project? 
I have been told that I take "too many selfies" and that "every picture looks the same" and to that I say, have your opinion, my 365FS isn't really for anyone but me. I have received a few negative comments on my breastfeeding pictures and a few lewd ones as well but I think that's more about the breastfeeding and less about the #365feministselfie tag.

How do you do feminism? 
I live each day as myself. I call people out when they need to be called out. I educate as often as I can. I teach my kids about consent, body autonomy, equality, etc. I say what I want, when I want. I wear what I want, where I want. I live my authentic self, that's how I do feminism.

You can find Stephanie at babesrockinmami on Instagram.

Veronica

Courtney Blake from Saint Paul, Minnesota

How long have you been participating in #365FeministSelfie?
I first did the #365feministselfie project in 2014 and thoroughly enjoyed it. I decided to not participate in 2015, but missed it so much, so I'm back for 2016 and happy to be doing this project.

Why did you join the project? 
I've always been fond of selfies and I've received a significant amount of criticism for it, especially from males who have been in my life. I have been called "vain" and "self-absorbed" all because I often appreciate the way I look and want to share that with the world. I don't quite know how I stumbled upon this hashtag on instagram, but I do remember my first #365feministselfie caption read "This is what a feminist looks like."

What has been the best/most interesting part of the project for you? Have you learned something about yourself? Met a new BFF? 
I've come to realize that a lot of what the #365feministselfie is is part of practicing radical self-acceptance. I am not here to please others. This project has also served as a platform to share my experiences with sexual assault and mental illness. The #365feministselfie community has rallied behind me and I do not know what I'd do without their support. Within this group of people I feel safe, unjudged, and I get to be unapologetically me. A selfie a day is really more than it seems.

How many pictures do you snap for each selfie you share? 
I typically snap a couple of photos for each selfie, but I have been trying to practice only taking one photo and posting that one since it shows a more accurate representation of me.

Have you ever received any negative comments for being in the project? 
I've not received much criticism for this project. Of course, there are people who still claim I'm just obsessed with my looks, but I'm learning to ignore them. This isn't about them. It's about me and celebrating who I am with other like-minded people.

How do you do feminism?  
How do I do feminism? That's a tough question. I believe in intersectional feminism and that feminism is not about equality, but equity. I practice feminism by being an advocate for victim-survivors of sexual violence. I am rally behind causes of reproductive freedom, LGBTQA safety and community progress, equal pay for equal work, Black Lives Matter... The list could go on. I think, most importantly, I do feminism by attempting to create pathways for other narratives to be heard other than my own. I don't know everything and I don't pretend to understand oppressions that are not my own.

You can find Courtney at cblakebakes on Instagram. 

Veronica

Introducing a new feature of #365FeministSelfie! Meet a #365FeministSelfie. I'll be reaching out to members of the #365FeministSelfie community to ask them about their feminism and their participation. If you want to be included, please leave a comment with your email. Enjoy!

Cia Lyons from Pittsburgh, PA

How long have you been participating in #365FeministSelfie?
This is my third year of the project.

Why did you join the project? 
I joined because I wasn't comfortable with myself. I hated looking at pictures of me and I wanted to change that. 

What has been the best/most interesting part of the project for you? Have you learned something about yourself? Met a new BFF? 
I love that the #365FeministSelfie has connected me with other chronically ill people. Being sick is a huge chunk of my life and now there's a community where I feel less alone about it. I also like seeing the variety of selfies in my feed. #365FeministSelfie truly shows how many amazing women, of all sorts, exist.

How many pictures do you snap for each selfie you share? 
Not many. It's probably around three, unless I want to make sure my outfit or costume is being perfectly displayed. Then it takes a while.

Have you ever received any negative comments for being in the project? 
Surprisingly, no. I've had nothing but support.

How do you do feminism?  
My feminism is intersectional and all-encompassing. I care about all the marginalized women who are seldom heard in the media. This project has actually made me investigate and be more critical of how we're treated. We deserve better than this.

You can find Cia at tuesdayselfies on Instagram.

Veronica