McNair Scholars Research Journal
Abstract
Although Black Feminism can be traced to the period of American slavery, what may be considered the most prevalent emergence of “Black Feminism” came about in the mid-1970s, when it proved apparent that the second wave of the Women’s Movement, overwhelmingly white, was discriminatory towards “Black, other Third World, and working women” (Smith, Smith, & Frazier, 2014), who often faced multiple forms of oppression (Simien, 2004). Contemporary Black feminists have followed the activism of earlier Black feminists, leading to a disruption of racial, gender, and sexual norms both in general society, and in the Black community itself. From a Black and intersectional feminist perspective, this research will analyze (1) the history of Black women engaging in feminist movements, (2) the evolution and erasure of Black Feminism, and (3) Beyonce’s visual album, Lemonade, as a product of historic and living Black feminism.