History of Feminism

Click here for full slide deck.

First Wave Feminism

  • Late 1700s into the 1800s

  • Focus on recognizing women as human beings rather than property (focus on voting and reproductive rights)

  • The first wave only (and intentionally) worked to gain rights for cis-het white women, with active statements ignoring the needs of women of color

Second Wave Feminism

  • 1960s-1970s

  • Focus on challenging traditional gender roles, questioning who was deciding what was feminine/masculine, and a rejection of traditional roles

  • There was a rise in Queer Theory (addressing gender itself), with a split between institutional reform and reshaping society to be more inclusive

  • Still an exclusion of women of color in mainstream spaces, and thus the necessary rise in black feminism, along with TERF rhetoric

Third Wave Feminism

  • 1990s through to today

  • Focus on women getting to choose what they do with their bodies and lives. Only "rule" is that there are no rules

  • Rise in taking race into thought and action in feminism. Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term intersectionality. We saw a rise in cultural movements like The Vagina Monologues, the Guerrilla Girls and punk rock riotgrrls

  • The fourth wave saw the Me Too Movement and an uptick in attacks on women's rights

  • Still a lack of recognition of Women of Color and Trans* Women

Black Feminist Thought

  • Formation of thought developed after the intention and continual exclusion of black women and other women of color from feminism

  • Examines the intersection of racism and sexism (Kimberlé Crenshaw 's Intersectionality)

  • The foundational thought being that Black women are inherently valuable to society as is

Trans* Inclusion

  • While Trans* women are often at the front of social justice movements, they are excluded from feminist conversation and action

  • Trans* Exclusionary Radical Feminism (TERF) has been supporting/backing/creating the uptick in anti-Trans* legislation

  • Feminism is working towards the end of gender discrimination, and thus must include conversations around Trans* identities

Problems with TERF rhetoric

  • Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists hold the viewpoint that Trans identities aren't real/valid

  • TERFs debase people down to their genetics and genitalia in a way that is opposite of the moment they claim to back

  • We can see this in the rise of Anti-Trans legislation, bathroom bills, sporting rules, and violence

Discussion Questions

  • There is debate among feminists that we have moved fully into a fourth wave or that we remain in the third wave. What are your thoughts on this?

  • How do you see the anti-Black and anti-Trans* ideology that exists in the foundations of feminism showing up in today's practices?

  • How can we, as contemporary feminists, address the anti-Black and anti-Trans* narratives persistent in the work?

  • How do you see the different waves of feminism showing up in modern day activism, legislation, and social experiences?

Content created by Grace Davis.