The Exclusivity of Feminism

When thinking about the female suffrage movement in America, the names Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are two which often come up. They are credited with leading the feminist movement, leading to the ratification of the 19th Amendment. However, what is little discussed is the intense racism which both of these women, and many white suffragettes, held. Yes, they advocated for the equality of women, but what they really meant was the equality of white women. This glaring red flag meant that women of color were pushed away and ignored by the larger movement.

Racism has been inherent in the movement for women’s rights since its inception: Stanton and Anthony were ardent opponents of the 15th Amendment, which granted African-American men the right to vote. Stanton believed black men would be “worse” voters than women and wrote this particular comment: “‘What will we and our daughters suffer if these degraded black men are allowed to have the rights that would make them even worse than our Saxon fathers?'” Stanton further goes on to say that African-American women found “an even worse” slavery under black men than under their white owners. Of a similarly racist rhetoric, Anthony said to Frederick Douglass, “if you will not give the whole loaf of justice to the entire people, it should be given to the most intelligent and capable portion of women first.” Both racially demeaning and divisive, it is evident that these types of comments cemented the upper-middle class white woman as the true priority of the movement for suffrage in America.

This insidious kind of thinking has left something of a foul taint on the legacy of feminism. What was meant to be a liberation ended up turning many suffragettes into the limiting and oppressive figures. Women of color in the original suffrage movement were forced to leave a clear part of their identities behind if they were to be accepted by the larger group. This kind of behavior splintered the group when the National American Woman Suffrage Association prohibited African-American women from attending their marches. This is something that falls in line with a modern phenomenon examined by journalist Rafia Zakaria: women of color must conform to certain values to be included, even when these values serve white supremacy, and therefore ultimately do a disservice to women of color. White feminism, as analyzed by author Koa Beck, aims “not to alter the systems that oppress women — patriarchy, capitalism, imperialism — but to succeed within them.” This means that it is inherently classist and racist as it does not seek to question an unjust society but rather seeks to fit into it.

Instead, what we should be thinking about now is the concept of intersectional feminism. Intersectionality, a term coined by law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, is the idea that different identifying factors overlap and interact in ways which can “operate and exacerbate each other.” Crenshaw goes on to say that “if you see inequality as a ‘them’ problem or ‘unfortunate other’ problem, that is a problem…we’ve got to be open to looking at all of the ways our systems reproduce these inequalities, and that includes the privileges as well as the harms.” Likewise, the intersectional approach of colored women led them to adopt a more unique approach which addressed human rights and universal suffrage. By adopting this methodology, it becomes apparent that the root causes of inequality can be more broadly addressed. It is essential to “building a future that leaves no one behind,” as stated by UN Women.

Analyzing and critiquing the appalling flaws of the American suffrage movement is not to demean or detract from their accomplishments for womankind. However, it is worth noting the constant theme of racism which pervades every aspect of society: even in social justice movements. To only advocate against inequality based in your specific identity is a problem in the larger context of activism. The advocacy for women’s rights is not a gift to be doled out to a thin sliver of racial and socioeconomic groups, but rather something which needs to be fought for at every level.

Sources

https://www.npr.org/2011/07/13/137681070/for-stanton-all-women-were-not-created-equal

https://www.aclu.org/news/womens-rights/celebrate-womens-suffrage-dont-whitewash-movements-racism

https://www.washingtonpost.com/gender-identity/how-racism-tore-apart-the-early-womens-suffrage-movement/

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/6/explainer-intersectional-feminism-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/17/1027660980/against-white-feminism-is-an-urgent-call-to-action-for-solidarity-and-justice

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/koa-beck-dismantling-persistence-white-feminism-n1253555