{"id":129992,"date":"2026-09-03T13:10:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T20:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marinresists.com\/?p=129992"},"modified":"2026-09-06T21:08:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T04:08:54","slug":"the-face-of-american-feminism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marinresists.com\/?p=129992","title":{"rendered":"The face of American feminism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Gloria
American feminist leader and author Gloria Steinem photographed in San Francisco in 1977. | Janet Fries\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day. Subscribe here<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gloria Steinem \u2014 the one-woman powerhouse who, in many ways, defined modern feminism in the United States \u2014 died Wednesday<\/a> at 92 after six decades of activism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steinem was a journalist and advocate who first rose to prominence in the late 1960s, just as the women\u2019s liberation movement exploded. She co-founded Ms. magazine, a trailblazing publication that mainstreamed once-taboo topics like sexual harassment, wage inequity, and the unfair division of household labor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an advocate, Steinem also led protests, worked to elect more female politicians, and lobbied for abortion rights, employment protections, and the long-deferred Equal Rights Amendment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ERA, which would create a constitutional guarantee of equal rights for women, has never officially been adopted<\/a>, despite being ratified by the required number of states. Many of the other causes Steinem championed, however, are now at least firmly part of mainstream cultural and political debate.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later in life, as the feminist movement evolved, Steinem continued to serve as a kind of elder statesperson. (We\u2019ll break down how exactly it evolved in just a minute.) Much of her recent writing and speaking focused \u2014 for obvious, depressing reasons<\/a> \u2014 on the importance of hope and persistence in social justice movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHope is a form of planning,\u201d she told Vogue<\/a> on her 90th birthday, in 2024. \u201cIf you don\u2019t imagine what could be, you\u2019re already defeated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heads up: Vox is off tomorrow and Monday for the Labor Day holiday. And <\/em>speaking of labor\u2026can I interest you in supporting all the work that goes into this newsletter? For a limited time, you can become a Vox member \u2014 and invest in the journalism that helps you think more deeply about the world \u2014 for just $30\/year. <\/em>Read more and sign up here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go a little deeper<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Steinem was the single-most recognizable face of American feminism, but she represented a distinct wave of it that future generations of feminists built on. American feminism is a sprawling, evolving, multifaceted movement \u2014 and its history is often broken down into four distinct periods<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. First wave: 1848 to 1920<\/strong>: You might better know the feminists of this era by the name \u201csuffragists\u201d: The troublesome campaigners who fought for women\u2019s right to vote. This \u201cwave,\u201d as it\u2019s popularly dubbed, began with the Seneca Falls convention in New York and ended with the passage of the 19th Amendment, after which momentum died down a bit.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Second wave: 1963 to the 1980s<\/strong>: The movement revived with the publication of Betty Friedan\u2019s The Feminine Mystique<\/em> in 1963. It also broadened its focus beyond political rights, taking on reproductive freedom, workplace and cultural sexism, sexual harassment, and women\u2019s financial independence. Steinem was maybe the quintessential second-wave feminist.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Third wave: 1991 to the 2000s<\/strong>: Feminism slumped a bit in the \u201980s, deflated by Reagan-era conservatism and a backlash that cast feminists as bitter, bra-burning man-haters. But the Anita Hill case in 1991 revived mainstream attention to workplace harassment, discrimination and women\u2019s exclusion from positions of power.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Fourth wave: 2008(ish) to present<\/strong>: The current generation of feminism places greater emphasis on intersectionality and trans inclusion. But its defining trait is probably how very online it is. The fourth wave kicked off with blogs like Jezebel and Feministing and picked up steam through hashtags like #MeToo, #TimesUp, #StandWithWendy, and #YesAllWomen.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    In fairness, not everyone is terribly enamored with the \u201cwaves\u201d framework. But for those of us trying to get the gist of recent history \u2014 or to take stock of what has and hasn\u2019t changed, on the occasion of Steinem\u2019s death \u2014 it can be a helpful way to get oriented. Vox has lots of further reading if you want to get into the nuances<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One link for later<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    \u27a8 Talk to your aging parents about their Apple Watches.<\/strong> Wearable devices like the Apple Watch can serve as alert systems that help keep older people safe. But before you buy a fitness tracker or a smart camera to keep an eye on your loved one<\/a>, have a serious chat with them about their wishes and privacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Before you go\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n