In “Multiracial Feminism: Recasting the Chronology of Second Wave Feminism” Becky Thompson writes about how some timelines have been published about the emergence and contributions of Second Wave feminism that promotes “hegemonic feminism.”
This outlook is problematic in more ways than one. “Hegemonic feminism” revolves around white communities and continues to oppress women of color by promoting sexism as the true, main oppression. This piece got me thinking about how intersectionality comes into play when thinking about Second Wave feminism and other types of feminism. The lack of an intersectional approach/lens creates a discriminatory and oppressive dynamic that will continue to be ever-present around the world if we don’t fix that now.
The introduction of intersectionality by Kimberlé Crenshaw was meant to provoke thought and idea about the persistence of inequality and discrimination as a result of the oppressive overlap of one or more dimensions of a person’s identity, such as race, gender, and class. In order to understand and explore how multiple forms of discrimination–such as racism, sexism, and classism–intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups, it is crucial to use an intersectional lens. This approach is valuable in that it not only allows people to better digest and comprehend intersectionality, but it also allows for their self-realization and awareness of the role intersectionality plays in their and other people’s lives. With this being said, when exploring different types of feminist groups, just remember that using an intersectional approach will help build resistance to oppression more effectively and help intervene in how people conceive different issues in the first place.
This is one of my favorite Audre Lorde quotes that helps simplify the mission of using an intersectional lens and highlights the importance of intersectionality.