The Fourth Wave Of Feminism: A Personal Viewpoint

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As a fourth wave feminist of color, black feminism means many things to me. It means that I have many opportunities available to me that the first, second, and third wave feminist did not have. It also means that although we as women of color have been fighting for equal pay, equal rights and equality in our relationships, that we still have a long way to go.

Before I took this course, I thought that feminism was about equality, fighting, and power. When it comes to equality, I thought about being on the same level as men in every aspect of life. An equal opportunity to attend college, an equal opportunity to serve in the military, an equal opportunity to run for office, etc. When it comes to fighting, I think about fighting for what is right. I also think about fighting for justice. As a woman of color, I would want to fight against repression that has been brought upon us by men. We as women have been repressed sexually, economically, and socially.

When it comes to power, I think about fighting to become on top. I think about fighting for roles and leadership positions that are typically taken by men. I also think about shattering that “glass ceiling”. Hillary Clinton in 2008 said that her running for President of the United States may have not shattered the glass ceiling but it has put some cracks in that glass.

Many things concern me as a woman as a woman of color. I am concerned about my well-being, my future, my freedom, the future of young girls, women’s rights in third world countries, how people perceive me, my career choices, and my future family (spouse and children).

When it comes to my well-being, I am concerned about my happiness and prosperity. If there is something or someone that gets in the ...

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...ies in their towns” (Valenti). Valenti also says “Real life activism is organized through mail, Facebook and Twitter” (Valenti). I believe that social media will have an impact on businesses and movements for a long time. Social media is a good marketing tool to make your cause known and to gain support all over the world.

I also believe that it is about being a strong independent woman. These fourth wave feminists want to do everything on their own with no help from any men. Some females even take it to another level and call themselves “womyn” instead of “women” since the words “woman” and “women” have the word “man” or “men” in it, respectively.

Works Cited
Valenti, Jessica. The Fourth Wave(s) of Feminism. 14 November 2009. 13 December 2009 .

White, Jane. "Marie Claire Bulletin." Marie Claire Magazine 17.1 (2010): 72.

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