This story was originally published in the GenZeal feature of LNP on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
By Nevaeh Antes ’27
Nearly 7 in 10 Black adults view feminism in the United States as “empowering,” according to Pew Research Center. However, the same 2023 study showed that while feminism is seen as empowering to most, 24% of Black adults still see feminism as “outdated.”
While the 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, granted women the right to vote, that right was not equally accessible to all women at the time. More than a century later, legal equality has not fully eliminated social and economic differences.
Women today still face discrimination and are often underestimated in both professional and personal settings. This discrimination continues to affect opportunities for women.
Generational differences can help to explain some resistance toward gender equality. Many who oppose full gender equality were raised during a time when women were discouraged from working outside of the household.
In contrast, more women today are independent financially. Many balance a career while also having the responsibilities of raising children — making equal pay essential.
Research from the Brookings Institution shows that race and gender continue to contribute to unequal outcomes. On average, a woman earns about 79 cents for every dollar a man makes. This pay gap not only reduces the value of a woman’s work, but also her financial stability.
In addition to this, women of color are subjected to damaging and false stereotypes. Latinas are sometimes inaccurately labeled as “unintelligent” or “illegal,” which subjects them to more mistreatment.
Black women in professional careers report having been mistaken for having positions other than the ones they actually hold. Some Black female doctors, for example, are mistaken for nurses.
Inequality toward women of color has been around for centuries, and the effects of this still affect women today.
To have full equality for all women, we need to address these issues and push toward change.
Women of color still fighting for equality
This story was originally published in the GenZeal feature of LNP on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
By Nevaeh Antes ’27
Nearly 7 in 10 Black adults view feminism in the United States as “empowering,” according to Pew Research Center. However, the same 2023 study showed that while feminism is seen as empowering to most, 24% of Black adults still see feminism as “outdated.”
While the 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, granted women the right to vote, that right was not equally accessible to all women at the time. More than a century later, legal equality has not fully eliminated social and economic differences.
Women today still face discrimination and are often underestimated in both professional and personal settings. This discrimination continues to affect opportunities for women.
Generational differences can help to explain some resistance toward gender equality. Many who oppose full gender equality were raised during a time when women were discouraged from working outside of the household.
In contrast, more women today are independent financially. Many balance a career while also having the responsibilities of raising children — making equal pay essential.
Research from the Brookings Institution shows that race and gender continue to contribute to unequal outcomes. On average, a woman earns about 79 cents for every dollar a man makes. This pay gap not only reduces the value of a woman’s work, but also her financial stability.
In addition to this, women of color are subjected to damaging and false stereotypes. Latinas are sometimes inaccurately labeled as “unintelligent” or “illegal,” which subjects them to more mistreatment.
Black women in professional careers report having been mistaken for having positions other than the ones they actually hold. Some Black female doctors, for example, are mistaken for nurses.
Inequality toward women of color has been around for centuries, and the effects of this still affect women today.
To have full equality for all women, we need to address these issues and push toward change.
https://women.ca.gov/women-of-color-and-the-fight-for-womens-suffrage