Feminism and racism
[2] For instance in the United States racism and sexism have affected female activists of Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian descent in different ways, highlighting the need for a political movement that is aware of the intersection of race and gender oppression.
For example, within the feminist movement, women of color may simultaneously prioritize race, as it distinguishes them and exposes them to greater risk of racial discrimination, as well as gender.
[4][6] While the entire feminist movement is based on an idea of “sisterhood,” this notion was often restricted to white, middle-class women, many of whom did not expand their focus outside of their own socio-political needs.
[8] The organization dissolved within three years of being founded due to "heated arguments" over the 15th Amendment, which gave Black men the right to vote.
For example, Simone de Beauvoir’s influential work The Second Sex (1948), insinuates that the autonomy and power of women was more systematically oppressed than that of slaves.
[4] While this comparison helped to start the feminist movement, it ultimately diminishes the complexities of racial oppression (such as the fact that slaves were considered to be non-human) and implies that white women were exempt from their own perpetration of racism despite their role in perpetuating slavery.
[11] Similarly, Latina women have historically participated in various mixed-gender political organizations that focus on issues specific to them (such as immigration and worker's rights) and were also faced with backlash for working alongside men.
[6] These movements ignore the fact that women of color have been denied the right to have children at will, thanks to factors such as forced sterilizations and welfare policies.
By considering Western feminism to be the universal ideal, the work of women of color, which seeks a form of gender equality that is culturally competent, is erased.
[14] This has contributed to the perception that, for various reasons, Asian American women have had a minimal level of participation in the feminist movement.. Another significant factor contributing to low participation rates are the stereotypes surrounding Asian American women, which fail to account for their diverse cultural values and paint them as submissive and passive.
This group wrote a song claiming that the French government failed to protect white Frenchwomen from being sexually assaulted by darker skinned male immigrants, from countries where gender equality did not exist.
[20] Moreover, in its early days, feminism was very closely associated with abolitionism, as many feminists used tactics favored by abolitionists and temperance advocates, including petitions and political newspapers (such as Amelia Bloomer’s Lily 1849–1856 and Pauline Wright Davis’s Una 1853–1854).
[1] During the civil rights movement, vital duties included mobilizing followers and raising money, both of which were often done on a community level by Black women of various backgrounds.
[2] However, the work of Black women leaders in the civil rights movement has consistently been forgotten or ignored, especially compared to men who held traditional beliefs regarding gender roles.
[2][7] While male leaders often received a majority of media attention, the critically important work of Black women usually remained in the background.
[26] Recognizing how the experiences and history of white women have been prioritized within the feminist movement is crucial to highlighting the need for continued activism and coalition building.
[24] Organizations specific to women of color were not formed as a reaction to the predominantly white second-wave feminist movement but grew alongside it.
[10] Pushed aside by popular movements, women of color often resorted to making their own branches or unique organizations to openly work towards both gender and racial equality.
The usage of this term began in the 1980s, and although it is not very widespread, it was designed to allow more freedom of expression for feminists of color and highlight the unique history of Black women.
Multiracial feminism was formed directly by women of color, in response to the need for an analysis of gender dynamics that considers race and the intersection of these identities.
[12] Key features of multiracial feminism include recognizing the intersection of gender, race, and class; noting the power hierarchies present in such social identities, and how an individual can be both oppressed and privileged (e.g., white women are oppressed via gender, but privileged via race); and acknowledging the various forms of agency present given different social and resource constraints.
