The Oxford dictionary defines feminism as, “The advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes”. When I picture feminism, I think of powerful women who overcame adversity, broke stereotypes, fought for change, and were able to show the world the power of women. The women that come to my mind are from all kinds of backgrounds and identities. However, the truth is the majority of women who are benefiting from feminism don’t include minority women. Koa Beck’s new book, White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind, explains how our society has twisted the true meaning of feminism and ignores women of color. Beck describes white feminism as “personalized autonomy, individual wealth, perpetual self-optimization, and supremacy”(Beck). Elizabeth Greenwood, in her Review: Former Vogue, Jezebel editor writes on how ‘White Feminism’ isn’t enough mentions how, “When Black suffragettes wanted to march for the vote alongside white women in 1913, organizer and white feminist patron saint Alice Paul refused, saying “the negro question” would distract from the matter at hand”(Greenwood). This proves that white feminism only benefits a few and has a history of putting minority women down.
White feminism has failed to acknowledge white privilege. In order to lead by the true definition of feminism, all genders and minorities have to be treated equally and with respect. White feminism has existed for ages and we can see that through the privileges white women have compared to minorities such as differences in income, education, representation, and overall expectations. We have to recognize that our society does not give the same rights and opportunities to all women and put an end to the oppression and discrimination of minorities.