One example that I thought was interesting was the role of white feminism in capitalism – Renee interviewed Koa Beck, to learn more about her thoughts on how white feminism is complicit in late capitalism for the FBC podcast. Beck outlines how patriarchy, white supremacy, capitalism, and racial prejudice have all impacted the movement for the worse. White Feminism calls to attention the times in history when all these groups were left out of feminism. There was a specific type that the feminist movement wanted to support – people of color, LGBTQ+, disabled, immigrants, and any other underrepresented group in the States didn’t make the cut.

However, this truly wasn’t a movement to help women gain the right to vote – it was a movement to help white heterosexual cisgender women gain the right to vote (Natalia wrote more about the suffrage movement as well). The first wave of feminism began in the mid-1800s and fought for women to have the same rights as men, primarily with the goal of gaining women the right to vote. White feminism, “is the label given to feminist efforts and actions that uplift white women but that exclude or otherwise fail to address issues faced by minority groups, especially women of color and LGBTQ women.” White feminism has been present throughout our history for centuries. White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind by Koa Beck is a thoughtful and educational book about how, well, feminists have dropped the ball throughout history and how to move forward with a more inclusive movement.

Koa beck white feminism