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CHAPTER TWO
WHAT DOES
MODERN FEMINISM
LOOK LIKE?
The fight for equality and women’s rights was not over after the Second
Wave of feminism. The Third Wave of feminism, which began in the
1990s, blended into the Fourth Wave of feminism, which continues in
the twenty-first century and is still evolving. Feminism today adjusts
to events in American culture. Many credit the beginning of the Third
Wave of feminism to an article published in Ms. magazine by then
twenty-two-year-old Rebecca Walker. In the 1990s, during confirmation
hearings for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Thomas was
accused of sexual harassment in the workplace. His accuser, Anita Hill,
testified before Congress with details of the alleged harassment. When
Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court, many women were upset
and argued that the allegations against him were not taken seriously
by Congress.
At that time, Walker penned an essay that inspired women to
organize. She wrote, “So I write this plea to all women, especially the
women of my generation: Let Thomas’ confirmation serve to remind you,
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