Content Warning: This article has references to sexual violence and rape.
In 1962, Black liberationist and activist Malcolm X said the Black woman is the most disrespected, unprotected and neglected person in America. His words still ring true today as many social justice movements have excluded Black women from their priorities.
Activists have aimed to liberate Black Americans. They’ve aimed to liberate women. But what about liberation for those with intersecting identities?
Second-wave feminism gave birth to Black feminism in the late 1960s because no previous political movements had been simultaneously anti-racist and anti-sexist. Historically, feminism has been reserved for white women alone, leaving behind people of color. When women’s rights efforts were first being made in the late 1800s, Black women recognized the lack of inclusivity. In a speech at the National Women’s Rights Convention in 1866, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper condemned white feminists for their selfishness in their liberation efforts by saying, “You white women speak here of rights. I speak of wrongs.”
Ironically, feminism as a political movement and ideology was a byproduct of abolitionism during the 19th century. White women fighting for gender equality learned their methods in a fight for racial equality, then proceeded to exclude from their activism the people that inspired it.
Today still, women’s rights efforts are not conducive to the needs of women of color. Mainstream modern white feminism doesn’t address the issues that disproportionately affect women of color, such as mass incarceration and gender violence.
White women struggle because of their sex, but they’ve never had to struggle because of their race. And because they’ve never had to struggle because of their race, they’ve never faced the same economic disenfranchisement and violence that Black women face.
For example, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Black and Latina women’s unemployment rates were 1.8 times and 1.6 times higher than white women’s, respectively.
Another example lies with sexual violence, with 20% of Black women being raped during their lifetime. This is a larger percentage than women overall, with that average sitting at 15%. Any percentage of women being raped is horrific, but it’s important to note the way in which intersectionality puts Black women at a greater risk for such violence.
The history of sexual violence against Black women is a long one too. The legacy of slavery, which white women don’t have to face, illustrates this. Black girls were the targets of sexual violence from an early age as white slaveholders would rape them for economic purposes. That is, reproduction produced more enslaved people and thus more profit.
I want to be clear that I’m not excluding other women of color from this discussion. Black feminists in the 1977 Combahee River Collective Statement explained that social justice for Black women extends to other disadvantaged groups as well. Because fighting oppression on racial, sexual and economic fronts for Black women requires the dismantling of overall oppressive institutions, other minority groups benefit as well.
It would be hypocritical for any other conclusion to be made because white feminism doesn’t just harm Black women — it disregards the needs of disabled women, LGBTQ women and women of other racial minority groups.
To know more about intersectionality and how you can address it in your daily life, watch critical race theorist Kimberlé Crenshaw’s TED Talk on intersectional feminism. Sociologist Patricia Hill Collins also explains Black feminism as an ideology and shares how we can change our approaches to women’s rights in “The Social Construction of Black Feminist Thought.”
Beyond educating yourself, you can get involved locally with organizations that acknowledge and advocate against interlocking systems of oppression such as the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and the Black Women’s Health Imperative.
Lastly, considering the prevalence of Black women’s disenfranchisement on an interpersonal level, the NC State Women’s Center has a wide range of resources including survivor services, educational workshops and training, volunteer opportunities and social events.
Feminism was created for middle-class, straight, cisgender white women. Now it’s time to make room for everyone else.
If you or someone you know is experiencing relationship violence, sexual violence, stalking or any other form of interpersonal violence and are in need of advocacy services, the NC State Women’s Center has trained advocates available to offer crisis intervention, emotional support, resources and referrals. Students can contact the 24/7 Sexual Assault Helpline at 919-515-4444 or email ncsuadvocate@ncsu.edu to schedule an appointment with an advocate.
Advocacy services through the NC State Women’s Center are available for all students inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations.
For more information on advocacy services, please visit go.ncsu.edu/supportsurvivors. If you would like to talk to a confidential resource, you can also connect with the NC State Counseling Center at 919-515-2423. You may also visit go.ncsu.edu/safe for additional information on resources and reporting options.
