In the age of third-wave feminism, there's a certain conversation that needs to be had. After reading countless articles about why women do not consider themselves to be feminists, it has come to my attention that we need to decipher the difference between the split that has happened within the movement: white feminism and intersectional feminism. White feminism is the feminist movement that most people know of. To break it down even more, white feminism deals with the specific struggles that addresses white women while overlooking the struggles of women of color. On the other hand, intersectional feminism is the understanding that certain identities – such as race, ethnicity, religion, class, and sexual orientation – impact the amount of oppression women face. Now, this is evident even down to the nineteenth amendment. So, let's review some history.

When one thinks of first wave feminism, certain names to come to mind, like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and, specifically, Susan B. Anthony. Both women were pivotal figures within the first wave feminist movement, however, it seems that many focus around the main idea rather than diving into the little details when looking at this movement. Susan B. Anthony is not the perfect feminist icon she has been made out to be. As women placed “I voted” stickers on Susan B. Anthony’s grave during the election, part of me could not help but chuckle at the lack of knowledge some people possessed about who she really was. Susan B. Anthony was a notorious racist. If you read Anthony’s On Women’s Right to Vote speech, you will see a specific passage in which she states, "[...] an oligarchy of race, where the Saxon rules the African, might be endured; but this oligarchy of sex, [...] which ordains all men sovereigns, all women subjects, carries dissension, discord, and rebellion into every home of the nation." Within this passage, Susan B. Anthony is stating that the power of the educated over the ignorant and the power of the Saxons over the Africans can be tolerated, yet, the power of men over women should be rallied against. African women were not considered to be women at all. Although, equipped with female anatomy, African women were considered property and were not a thought when it came to women's voting rights. This very much so ties into third wave white feminism today.

With movements like “Free the Nipple,” hyper-sexuality is at the forefront of the white feminist movement. Historically, white women have been looked at as virginal and docile; it makes sense as to why women would want liberation from the box they’ve been held in. We see examples of this today in women like Emma Watson and Taylor Swift. However, on the opposite side of the spectrum, women of color have been hyper-sexualized throughout history. Asian women are fetishized for being “exotic” and “submissive,” every man wants a “fiery Latina,” and black women were literally raped because of the Jezebel stereotype. So, please, tell me how hyper-sexuality helps women of color?

Feminism is failing because there's a glass ceiling on top of the already existing one. There's a conversation that needs to be had about white feminism and it needs to be had now. We cannot stand by and let this continue to tarnish and discredit the feminist movement. So, ask yourself. If your feminism isn't intersectional, is it truly feminism?