Did You Know Black Women Built These Movements?
It’s Time to Give Them Their Credit
Moya Bailey
In 2008, scholar and activist Moya Bailey coined the term “misogynoir” to describe the unique form of anti-Black misogyny that Black women face. Combining “misogyny” and “noir” (French for “Black”), the term highlights how media, culture, and technology perpetuate harmful stereotypes and violence against Black women and girls. Bailey’s work, rooted in Black feminism, has reshaped conversations on representation, healthcare, and social justice, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of Black women's experiences in both digital spaces and everyday life.
Tarana Burke
In 2006, activist and ‘me too.’ Movement founder Tarana Burke coined the phrase ‘me too’ to support Black women and girls who survived sexual violence. Rooted in racial and gender justice, her work created space for survivors to heal and find community. When #MeToo went viral in 2017, Burke ensured the movement remained survivor-centered, pushing for systemic change and resources for those most marginalized. Her activism continues to challenge power structures and fight for a world free from sexual violence.
Hazel M. Johnson
Hazel M. Johnson, known as the mother of environmental justice, exposed the link between pollution and health disparities in Black communities. After discovering high cancer rates in her Chicago neighborhood, Altgeld Gardens, she founded People for Community Recovery in 1979 to fight environmental racism. Her activism linked toxic waste, poor housing, and public health, pushing policymakers to recognize how pollution disproportionately harms communities of color and influencing federal policies that address environmental racism.
Kimberlé Crenshaw
In 1989, Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term ‘intersectionality’ to explain how overlapping oppressions, like racism and sexism, uniquely impact Black women. Rooted in Black feminism and Critical Race Theory, the term emerged in her paper Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex to critique how antidiscrimination law, feminism, and antiracism overlooked Black women. She expanded on it in Mapping the Margins (1991), showing how gender-based violence advocacy ignored women of color. Her work reshaped activism, policy, and academia by exposing how power structures intersect.
Tricia Hersey
In 2016, Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, coined the phrase “Rest is Resistance,” to challenge hustle culture and reframe rest as a radical act against white supremacy and capitalism. Rooted in Black liberation theology, healing justice, and the history of forced labor, her work advocates for rest as a birthright, especially for Black people, and challenges the notion that exhaustion defines worth.
Fannie Lou Hamer
In the 1960s, civil rights activist and co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, Fannie Lou Hamer coined the phrase, “Nobody is free until everybody’s free”, reflecting her commitment to racial, social, and economic justice. Hamer fought tirelessly for voting rights, economic equality, and an end to racial oppression. Her work also spanned food, disability, and reproductive justice, inspiring generations with her belief that true liberation requires the freedom of all, especially marginalized communities.
Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tomet
In 2013, after George Zimmerman’s acquittal for killing Trayvon Martin, #BlackLivesMatter emerged as a global battle cry from three Black women organizers — Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal (now Ayọ) Tometi. Built with Black organizers, protesters, and families demanding justice, they turned grief into action. Since its inception, Black Lives Matter has paved the way, fundamentally shifting public discourse on race and systemic police violence.
Black Women's Caucus of the Illinois Pro-Choice Alliance
In 1994, Black women in Chicago coined the term “reproductive justice” and founded the Black Women’s Caucus of the Illinois Pro-Choice Alliance in response to the lack of quality reproductive healthcare and support for Black women worldwide. Their work emphasized the need to address the intersections of race, gender, and class in the fight for reproductive rights. Their efforts also pushed for a broader understanding of justice that includes safe and affordable healthcare, economic stability, and the freedom to make decisions about one’s own body.
Combahee River Collective
In 1974, Black feminists in Boston founded the Combahee River Collective to address the exclusion of queer and trans Black women from other feminist and activist movements. Their 1977 statement laid the foundation for identity politics, emphasizing how race, class, gender, and sexuality intersect to uniquely oppress Black women. They were among the first to document the link between racial injustice and other social inequities. The collective emphasized that liberation requires addressing these intersecting oppressions and centered the voices of marginalized groups, helping shape modern feminist and LGBTQ+ movements.
Sources: Afro-Punk, Today, Byrdie, Boulevard, IPSY, Global Fashion