Usually when we hear the word 'Feminism' we associate it with sisterhood and friendship, but for Western Black women that simply isn't the case. Feminism at its core, is a movement advocating for women's rights and equality with men. But like everything in the Western world, we (Black women) have converted painful points in our history into pillars to celebrate life. My fondest memories of feminism are third-wave (1990s–2000s) emphasized individualism, sexuality, and intersectionality. Black feminists like Bell Hooks and Angela Davis highlighted how racism and sexism intertwined. Black women wrote books, and essays, and gave speeches that expanded the feminist movement to include race, class, and global issues like Toni Morrison. Black women artists and musicians used their platforms to advocate for women’s rights, self-love, and empowerment like Nina Simone or Aretha Franklin.

We see it today in the fourth wave of feminism with the encouragement of addressing sexual harassment, digital activism, and gender identity conversations. Black women’s voices have become more visible, but mainstream feminism still often sidelines their specific concerns. For example, The #MeToo Movement’s Erasure of Black Women’s Voices. The media constantly ignored the fact that The MeToo movement was originally founded in 2006 by Tarana Burke, a Black woman. However, when the movement gained mainstream traction in 2017, it was largely credited to White Hollywood actresses like Alyssa Milano. Black women, who had been at the forefront of discussing sexual violence in their communities, were sidelined in favor of more "palatable" faces. The movement was tainted with selective advocacy. High-profile cases involving White victims like Harvey Weinstein’s accusers gained significant media attention, whereas the sexual violence Black women endure—especially at the hands of police, workplace discrimination, or within their communities—often goes unaddressed.

Another example is mainstream feminism championing sexual liberation, but Black women are often left out of the conversation—or judged for it. Example: When Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B released WAP, White feminists criticized it as "too vulgar", while simultaneously praising similar sexual liberation themes in Madonna and Miley Cyrus’s work. White feminists advocate for women’s right to express sexuality, but when Black women do it, they are often dismissed as "ghetto" or "too much." However, the ostracization of Black women in feminism has always been a pattern that does not seem to have an end.

The first wave (1848–1920) focused on women’s suffrage and property rights. However, it largely excluded Black women, who were still fighting for basic human rights under racism and Jim Crow laws. The second wave (1960s–1980s) expanded into workplace rights, reproductive freedoms, like in Roe vs. Wade in 1973, and breaking traditional gender roles. Black women found themselves torn between race and gender issues, as mainstream feminism often ignored their unique struggles. For example, Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan championed workplace rights for women but ignored the fact that many Black women had always worked—often in low-paying, exploitative jobs. Black women were torn between the Civil Rights Movement (which prioritized racial equality) and Second-Wave Feminism (which prioritized gender equality). Many Black male leaders in the Civil Rights Movement dismissed feminism, pressuring Black women to focus on racial solidarity over gender issues. This conflict is ongoing to this day.

"Resting or fermenting in untutored minds, such ideals could not claim a hearing at the bar of the nation. The white woman could at least plead for her own emancipation; the black women doubly enslaved, could but suffer and struggle and be silent." -Bell Hooks

Lesson Summary

Western Black women's experience with feminism differs from the general perception of sisterhood and friendship commonly associated with the movement. Within the context of Western society, feminism advocates for women's rights and equality with men. Black women have intertwined their painful history with feminism, celebrating life through their contributions in various waves of the movement:

• Third-wave feminism (1990s–2000s) emphasized individualism, sexuality, and intersectionality.
• Black feminists like Bell Hooks and Angela Davis highlighted the intersection of racism and sexism.
• Books, essays, speeches, and art by Black women expanded the feminist movement to incorporate race, class, and global issues.
• Fourth-wave feminism today focuses on addressing sexual harassment, digital activism, and gender identity conversations.

However, despite increased visibility, mainstream feminism tends to sideline the specific concerns of Black women, as seen in examples such as:

• The #MeToo Movement, originally founded by Tarana Burke, where Black women's voices were overshadowed by white Hollywood actresses.
• Mainstream feminism's selective advocacy, where high-profile cases involving White victims gain more attention than the sexual violence faced by Black women.
• Judgment from White feminists regarding the sexual liberation expressions of Black women, like the criticism faced by artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B.

This pattern of ostracizing Black women in feminism has persisted throughout history, starting from the exclusion of Black women in the first wave of feminism focusing on suffrage and property rights. In subsequent waves, Black women's unique struggles were often overlooked:

• The second wave (1960s–1980s) saw tensions between race and gender issues, with mainstream feminism sometimes neglecting the distinct challenges faced by Black women.
• Black women found themselves torn between the Civil Rights Movement and Second-Wave Feminism, as each prioritized different aspects of equality.
• Black male leaders in the Civil Rights Movement often dismissed feminism, pressuring Black women to prioritize racial solidarity over gender issues.

This conflict and the silencing of Black women's voices within feminism have been ongoing, reflecting a historical pattern that has yet to be resolved.