First Wave Feminism without White Women

The history of women's fight for the vote you never hear about. Because without women of color and the abolition movement, suffrage never would've happened.

Image Sources:

History of Woman Suffrage:

Sojourner Truth:

Seneca Falls:

19th Amendment Ratification:
Kelly Faircloth via Taylor Daily Press
Declaration of Sentiments

Maria Stewart:

Frederick Douglass:

Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women:

Ladies’ Department:

Destruction by Fire of Pennsylvania Hall:

Fugitive Slave Acts:

Frances E. W. Harper:

Votes for Women a Success:

Kaiser Wilson:

Reconstruction Era:

Anti-Lynching:

15th Amendment:

Josephine Pierre St. Ruffin:

Anna Julia Cooper:

National Association of Colored Women:

Mary Church Terrell:

Suffragettes:

Join Cristen to get down to the business of being a woman and all the Stuff Mom Never Told You about bodies, boys and the female brain.

[Lelii]

Why isn't there a film on this movement from WOC perspective? It needs to happen... Ill make it if someone else doesn't beat me to it

[christiemarie]

I literally LOVE this channel, Cristen nails it every single time.

[Lashidu]

Black women were, initially, for EQUALITY - NOT specified "feminism" ...That was more about white women, disappointed that Black men were given the right to vote before them ..Ida B. Wells IS NOT Susan B. Anthony (who was RACIST) ..White feminists/suffragists only shifted attention away from what Black women were standing up and speaking for/against (i.e., their husbands & sons being lynched) ..White "feminists" are ALWAYS shifting the focus for their OWN benefit, making it seem as if they are "for the people", or "for the sisterhood" (WHY isn't the "feminist", Amy Schumer, speaking in support of her "sister" Mo'Nique ..???)

[DarthLoompa]

Question for a future video. Does putting black and female historical figures into history text books, but called out in special "women in history" and "African Americans in history" sections influence the way that students see those figures?
As a kid, I always saw the main text as the "real" history, and the special inserts as people who weren't important enough to include, but had to be because of their gender and race.

[dbsirius]

Stuff they don't teach you at school.

[MrPlaylistMan]

I wish I could see the the faces of the white feminist when black men got the right to vote.

[gaillewis]

Definitely sharing this! Thanks so much!

[laurenvesterdal]

Should be taught in History class. Not "women's history", not "black history", but be recognized as a crucial part of North American History.

[BunScholar]

While it is important to acknowledge all women (obviously including women of color) who worked toward feminist goals, I don't think approaching it as "without white women" is a very inclusive attitude. Why can't we talk about feminist heroes without the "without". This is one of the multiple reasons I no longer align myself with the mainstream feminist movement. We can address real world inequality without resorting to the language and attitudes that perpetuate that inequality.

[chelseydanielle]

This video is just freakin' awesome.

[zombiemannequinrobot]

This is a great video but can we stop using WoC interchangeably with Black?

[blitzedblueberry]

great video! it reminds me of the poem "Ain't I a woman?"

[Vampire__Squid]

I don't know if Anita Sarkeesian is white, but regardless of race, she really shows the drastic differences in first wave feminism vs modern feminism. "We want the right to vote!!" vs "do not acknowledge the fact that women have boobs"

[Ikajo]

Could you look into the feminism movement in different parts of the world? I feel like everytime feminism is talked about on the Internet it is about the American movement. But other parts of the world have also had the same movement but with a lot of differences in laws, consequences ect. Even in Europe there are differences between the countries. Sweden and Great Britain passed laws on votes for women around the same time as the USA but in Sweden for examples women started gaining other rights in the early 19th century, before the vote which pawed the way to women's political rights. The fact that Sweden unlike the US and Britain became a democratic socialist society along with more laws benefiting women.

And in correlation to that. Could you talk a bit about the difference between formal equality and social/informal equality. Sweden (I guess it's obvious I'm from Sweden by now) have almost perfect formal equality. Equality on paper so to speak. Which makes in very difficult as a feminist in Sweden to try to talk about the social and informal inequality that still exist. Together with rising amount of backlash and harassment of women in the public (journalists, politicians, TV-hosts). Some of it quite open. Mashed with increasing nationalism due to the amount of refugees that has come to Sweden during the last year. People using Sweden's supposed equality to criticise mostly Arabic and Middle-Eastern refugees as opposites to the (not) equal Sweden.

[margiedaniels]

great video! thanks for keeping it real!!! you are a breath of fresh air. ..

[bearowl]

Can't wait for the sequel about second wave feminism! Love your show and its intersectionality!

[syddlinden]

Iconic photo at 4:11 - I want that poster. and t-shirt. and bread spread. and ...
Not only is it socially awesome, but it looks awesome!

[jhumane]

Great video. Putting together another reading list thanks to this video!

[nickiee]

Great Women's History Video! As a Black woman living in the United States i really do appreciate these informative and short lecture! Thanks again!

[leaisobell]

Love your videos, they are so important! But just one small thing - as non-native english speaker you speak quite fast, even though i think i'm almost fluent in the language, but it can be hard at times to follow the usually quite heavy and academic topic. Can you maybe slow down? Or maybe not show text and speak at the same time? You are one of my favourite channels, so this is only constructive critisism ;) Keep up the the great and oh so important work! Love from Denmark