Feminism Isn't a White Thing

Intersectional feminism explores overlapping discrimination

Article by Taylor Riley Graphic by Jaidyn Holt

The feminist movement, which advocates for equality of the sexes, has accomplished much throughout the course of history. One notable achievement was the enactment of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which gave women in the United States the right to vote.

Despite popular belief, the 19th Amendment didn’t actually give all women in the United States the right to vote. Asian Americans weren’t allowed to vote until 1952, and Southern practices such as poll taxes and literacy tests prevented many Black and Native American people from voting until 1965. In actuality, the 19th Amendment only gave white women the right to vote.

In the book, “Bad Feminist: Essays,” feminist writer Roxane Gay talks about why women of color are customarily left out of the conversation surrounding gender equality.

“Feminism has, historically, been far more invested in improving the lives of heterosexual white women to the detriment of all others,” Gay wrote in her 2014 collection of essays.

Feminism’s failure to address the oppression of ethnic minority women is often referred to as “white feminism.”

“[White feminism] was built on the foundation of suppressing other women, especially people of color. And we still see the legacy of that today,” English teacher JayJay Stroup said.

According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, white women are paid 79 cents for every dollar paid to men. This statistic is widely known, but it leaves out the pay disparity that women of color face.

Black women are paid 63 cents for every dollar paid to men. Native American women are paid 60 cents. Hispanic women are paid 55 cents, and Asian American and Pacific Islander women are paid as little as 52 cents for every dollar paid to men.

Those statistics aren’t as commonly known.

White feminism ignores the fact that women of varying race, class and sexuality all face different levels of discrimination. This is countered by intersectional feminism, a form of feminism that focuses on acknowledging that sexism, racism, homophobia and other prejudices overlap.

In an interview with Vox, Kimberlé Crenshaw, the professor who coined the term “intersectionality,” expanded upon this concept.

“We tend to talk about race inequality as separate from inequality based on gender, class,

sexuality or immigrant status,” Crenshaw said. “What’s often missing is how some people are subject to all of these, and the experience is not just the sum of its parts.”

World language teacher Rita Daugherty said she has experienced discrimination for being an immigrant from Panama as well as for being a woman. After becoming a mother, she felt pressure from her parents-in-law to quit working and stay at home to take care of her kids. Ultimately, she continued working, proving that women can successfully balance a career and a family. “I wasn’t playing the role that they wanted me to play as a woman in that family,” Daugherty said.

Social science teacher Tatiana McKinney said that she has been subjected to prejudice against African Americans and women throughout her career and life.

“People have questioned my intelligence or questioned my ability to be able to do my job, or assumed because of my race that I could not,” McKinney said.

McKinney felt that this discrimination intersected with sexism, as she was often left contemplating if her intelligence was being challenged because she is a woman or because of her race. “I’m not just African American, I’m also a woman; those are two distinct groups that deal with a lot of issues of discrimination,” McKinney said. Both McKinney and Stroup believe that intersectional feminism and the recognition of white privilege are crucial in order to fully understand the issues surrounding inequality. “Being able to look at the fact that things operate together and that people are distinct individuals with different issues is really importawwnt,” McKinney said. Stroup feels that intersectionality brings distinct and diverse perspectives into the feminist conversation.

“It [intersectionality] demands more voices at the table. And it demands that you take everything within context, and that things don’t happen in a vacuum,” Stroup said.

White feminism operates on a limited viewpoint of issues, so intersectional feminists strive toward honest education surrounding discrimination and diversity.

“Educating yourself, listening, and being an ally is really important,” McKinney said. “In order to be able to change the system, we need allies.”