#INTERSECTIONS
According to the National Organization of Women, Black feminism can be traced back to the 1830s, although it was most prominent in the 1960s and 1970s with the second wave of feminism. White women at the time often neglected Black queer women, so people like Pauli Murray, the co-founder of NOW, worked with others to build a black feminist movement. Ultimately, Murray’s theories on the intersection of race, gender and sexual orientation contribute to today’s modern fourth-wave feminism.
Williamson said earlier waves of feminism often excluded non-white women from their movements, but that sentiment has changed with this new wave.
“I think also now when we think about modern feminism, we’re trying to think about gender equity and trying to involve men as part of the conversation whereas before it was just like, ‘Let’s lift the voices of women,’” Williamson said. “A lot of conversations around and within feminism have often placed it as like women’s fault or responsibility to change things, when a lot of times we need men to be allies.”
Beyond becoming more inclusive to men, Mohan said modern feminism has shifted to encompass the issues of race, class and sexuality.
“Feminism began more as a socio-political movement to achieve gender equality for all females, but it’s now become more of a movement to achieve equality for people of all genders,” Mohan said.
Similarly, Lilly said while feminist movements have always relied on partnerships between women of all races, fourth-wave feminism in particular emphasizes the intersectionality of women’s identities more clearly than in the past and makes a greater effort to ensure the voices of women of color are heard.
“Women of color have always been the backbone of feminism — their issues have always been front and center of the larger movement itself,” Lilly said.
Some of the issues that women of color have brought to light in the feminist movement include sexual assault. According to the Global Fund for Women, the #MeToo movement, founded in 2006 by Tarana Burke, aims to support survivors of sexual violence, focusing on young women of color from low-income communities. In October 2017, the movement became global as survivors came forward to speak out about their experiences, with #MeToo hashtags trending on social media. Celebrities like America Ferrera, Gabrielle Union, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Lawrence shared their experiences online, bringing more awareness to sexual violence and harrassment against women.
Chun said the #MeToo movement has pushed for more advocacy and awareness against sexual assault and gender discrimination.
“The #MeToo movement has definitely impacted girls in general because it’s helped people be more open about their past and things that have happened to them, and I think that’s also impacted the media as well,” Chun said.
Lilly also said fourth-wave feminism is more than women advocating for their experiences but also redefining what being a woman means.
“What is really important within this movement is recognizing everybody does not fit into one box,” Lilly said. “Especially when you think about trans women as they’ve been locked out of the story — that’s something we prioritize at GGE. That’s one very important place to start — just recognizing how expansive an idea of a woman can be and fully recognizing all people who identify as a woman.”
Lilly also said this movement brings to light various issues, not just women’s rights.
“Intersectionality exists at the point of different parts of your identity converging, and for women of color, that often is our identity — as a person of color but also as a woman,” Lilly said. “You can factor in other parts like our sexual orientation.”
Kramer said her background as a woman combined with coming from a low-income household has presented challenges, but having opportunities at Stanford has helped her find her passion.
“I didn’t see a place like Stanford as an option to go to school, but having this exposure and seeing that no matter where you come from, you can go to college or into STEM, was really important for me,” Kramer said. “Stanford Society of Women Engineers does a great job at that, and we have so many members and a diverse group of women that are all really passionate and willing to help.”
