As Black Women, we were stuck between the Black Power Movement and the Feminist Movement. While we wanted to help our “Brothers” achieve equality we also wanted equality as African American and women. But in both movements, Black Women were silenced and still faced inequality, white women of 1st and 2nd wave feminist movement pushed black women to the back of the bus and sexism ran rampant in the Nation of Islam and Civil Rights Movement. The problems that black women faced were not being heard even though both movements supposed to be inclusive, there was little thought given in regards to black women and their need. While white women were the face of the feminist movement, Black men were in the front of the Black Power Movement. And because of the problems and faced by black women in both movements the school of thought “Black feminism” and “Intersectionality theory” was born which argues that sexism, class oppression, gender identity and racism are intersected. …show more content…
“In considering intersectionality, Black feminist thought makes it clear that Black women do not have the luxury of focusing on issues of gender oppression, in comparison to their white counterparts. Instead, they must be equally, or more so, vigilant on issues of race, class, sexuality, etc. that is tied to separate means of oppression and discrimination.” -Patricia Hill Collins. The purpose of Black feminism is to adequately address the way race, gender, and class are interconnected in our lives, in order to stop racist, sexist, and classist discrimination. In the end, Black women 's strength does not equal the emasculation of Black men or silencing White