Why did Black feminists criticize parts of the second-wave women’s movement?

Black feminists criticized the second-wave women’s movement primarily because it was largely defined and led by educated, middle-class white women who centered the movement on their own specific concerns. This approach often marginalized the experiences of Black women, who faced the cumulative effects of both racism and sexism.123

Key reasons for this criticism include:

• Exclusion and Marginalization: Black women were frequently excluded from leadership positions within mainstream organizations like the National Organization for Women (NOW), and their unique concerns were often ignored.3
• Assumption of Universal Oppression: White feminists often assumed that gender was the primary source of oppression for all women, failing to acknowledge that for many Black women, white women were perceived as part of the oppressive power structure alongside white men.12
• Failure to Address Intersectionality: Mainstream feminism struggled to capture the complexity of Black women's lives, specifically the intersection of race, class, and gender. Organizations like the Combahee River Collective argued that the movement failed to address systemic issues such as classism and homophobia that were central to their daily survival.34

As a result, Black feminists formed their own organizations to address these neglected, multidimensional forms of injustice.32