If It Isn’t Intersectional, It Isn’t Feminism by Makena Huey with special reporting by Brianna Willis and Maria Belen Iturralde art by Caitlin Roark 13 She was the only African and human rights activist. American in her high school At its beginning, the femi- class of 63 students. Her nist movement was intertwined friends often invited her to so- with the abolitionist move- cial gatherings to protect them ment. When male delegates at because she looked scary; she the 1840 World Anti-Slavery was always placed in the back Convention in London refused of the dance team; the admin- to let female delegates partic- istration chose a white student ipate, Lucretia Mott and Eliz- for homecoming queen, even abeth Cady Stanton vowed to though she unanimously won make a change. They launched the vote; her counselors ad- the Women’s Rights Conven- vised her against applying to tion in Seneca Falls eight years many universities. later. No women of color were Because of her race, gen- in attendance. der and socioeconomic status, Well-educated, middle- McKayla Moy said there are and upper-class white women countless endeavors she has — many of whom believed that been discouraged from trying. Black men should not earn The junior sociology major the right to vote before white from Louisiana is not alone. In McKayla Moy women — led the women’s suf- a world where the white male frage movement. This created view is made normative, being 1989 to describe how individ- a racial divide in the fight for both a person of color and a ual characteristics such as race, gender equality, ultimately woman alters one’s lived expe- gender and class interact with prompting women of color to rience. one another to compound dis- distinguish themselves from “As a Black woman, there crimination. the self-aggrandizing move- are many struggles that I have “It’s the idea of wanting to ment, especially in the early to face on a regular basis, so see who you are and your like- 1970s. you have to have a lot of integ- kind represented in its truest rity and you have to be secure,” form without having to leave Pushed to the margins of Moy said. “... It’s very important something out,” Intercultural feminism for me that I have this identity Affairs Director Rebecca Cam- because there’s nothing else I pos said. Experts emphasized that can be or would want to be.” Intersectionality enables even within a movement creat- There is no doubt that fem- the women’s movement to ed to empower women and de- inism has historically excluded prioritize the oppression that construct hierarchies, women women of color. Three experts occurs when multiple systems of color still feel unrepresented and 14 students shared their collide. and alienated. One must sep- insight into and experiences “When racial injustice con- arate the intent of feminism — with intersectionality and fem- nects with sexism, women of inclusion — from the impact of inism. color find themselves in unique feminism — exclusion. structures that bind them in “It’s an unfortunate thing Origins of intersectionality ways that white women do not when intersectionality starts to experience because they don’t occur and you reproduce the Legal scholar Kimberlé have the added layer of racial privileges that you’re trying to Williams Crenshaw coined injustice,” said Roslyn Satch- escape from in the first place,” the term ‘intersectionality’ in el, a communication professor said Bert Ballard, communi- 14 Hunter-Hernandez said. Cuban-American theo- “If we fight Equality involves ensuring logian Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz that people of color can com- coined the term ‘mujerista’ to fortably navigate a space that describe a type of liberation to defeat isn’t created for them, whereas theology that emphasizes Lati- equity involves creating a space na women’s struggle to free racism, we intended for everyone. Hunt- themselves from everyday op- er-Hernandez said she believes pression. are also that promoting diversity and Womanism and mujeri- inclusion is trendy — but only smo developed from women fighting when it benefits those who are of color experiencing gender doing the promoting. inequality compounding with to defeat “Are you really inclusive at racial inequality and feeling as your core if only a set group of though their ethnicities were people at the top are the ones disregarded in favor of their sexism.” dictating who gets to be heard?” gender, Campos explained. Hunter-Hernandez said. “There is a need for a wom- —Roslyn Satchel Moy said society still cares anist movement, there is a need more about white women’s cation professor and former struggles than Black women’s SEED trainer and facilitator. struggles. However, this need for im- “The phrase ‘the most hat- provement does not necessitate ed person in America is a Black a complete rejection of the en- woman’ can sometimes be very tire movement, Satchel said. true because there are crimes “True feminists who are against Black women almost intersectional recognize that if every day and they are com- we fight to defeat racism, we pletely overlooked because of are also fighting to defeat sex- their skin color,” Moy said. ism because they are related,” Satchel said. “... Ultimately, Womanist and mujerista feminism as its final mandate movements is to end all oppressions.” Every Black student inter- African American author viewed agreed that feminism Alice Walker coined the term has historically excluded wom- ‘womanist’ in her 1979 short en of color. story “Coming Apart,” later de- “I’m a woman, yes, but I’m fining it in 1983’s “In Search also Black,” said senior theatre of Our Mother’s Gardens” as major Peace Ikediuba, whose “a black feminist or feminist of family is from Nigeria. “I think color … committed to survival in conversations regarding and wholeness of entire peo- women, Black women specifi- ple, male and female.” cally are often forgotten.” Womanism acknowledged Sexism is not a woman is- that the suffrage movement sue or a Black woman issue. was built upon the achieve- Sexism is a human issue, senior ments of the abolitionist move- political science major Heavin ment, Satchel said. Cindy Kim 15 for a mujerista movement, be- caused her to doubt whether cause there still is — even with- she even believed in gender in this oppressed population of equality before realizing that female — further oppression,” she was less focused on her Campos said. gender because she was more Unlike feminism, these two focused on her race. movements do not prioritize “Maybe I’m still a feminist, sexism over racism, and they but I have other issues I have to seek to empower women not as deal with before I can be a fem- individuals but as members of inist,” Kim said. a larger community. Senior international busi- ness major Emily Tran often Lack of prominent Asian feels conflicted between fulfill- movement ing the Asian role of the eldest son and proving herself as a While there are Asian woman. She said because Asian feminist writers, Asian women women have had to prioritize have not formed a well-known combating racial inequality, movement for women’s rights. they have not had the freedom “The fact that I don’t know to combat gender inequality. of any Asian feminist move- “They’ve been excluded ments is a telltale sign of the from feminism because we, in fact that this is something in so many ways, are focused on so Asian cultures that is still so many other aspects of our lives hush hush and taboo to even that we need to improve,” Tran talk about,” senior communica- said. “… It’s almost a privilege to Katia Lehnhoff Llarena tion major Cindy Kim said. be able to fight for feminism.” All four Asian students in- Cheng Zheng, a junior high school. terviewed said they believe in computer science and mathe- “Living and growing is part the principles of feminism but matics major from Wenzhou, of understanding all of these do not identify as feminists, pre- China, said she believes that a aspects of who you are with the ferring to advocate for equality feminist movement in China hopes that you will find who in their everyday interactions is impossible due to patriarchy you truly are as a whole, re- instead. and government control. gardless of where you’re living As a child, Kim never ques- or where you’re placed,” Lehn- tioned her family’s patriarchal Living intersectionality hoff said. culture. But as she grew up and Hunter-Hernandez did witnessed the different dynam- While several students not understand the effects of ics of other American families, rarely consider intersection- intersectionality until she stud- she struggled to introduce the ality because it is such a natu- ied abroad in Buenos Aires and conversation of feminism to ral part of their identity, Katia compared her experience to her parents, who are still deep- Lehnhoff Llarena, a senior inte- that of her peers. As a Black ly rooted in the South Korean grated marketing communica- woman, she said she considers culture from which they emi- tion major, said intersectional- herself part of “a double mar- grated. ity has always been in the back ginalized group,” which can She said seeing all of her of her mind — especially since make navigating everyday ex- white friends go out of their she was born in Guatemala periences difficult. way to support the movement and moved to the U.S. during “I never know if I am being 16 discriminated against for be- rate than themselves.” to be in a Black woman’s body ing a woman or if I am being For many Black students and to exist in this world, in this discriminated against for be- who view their race and gen- realm, as someone divinely cre- ing Black,” Hunter-Hernandez der as equally important, the ated as a Black woman.” said.