Political Solidarity in the Twenty-First Century US Feminist Movement: How Far Have We Come?

Abstract

This article examines the changing face of feminist activism by analysing three very recent socio-political movements: Occupy, Black Lives Matter and the Women’s Marches. These are three of the most influential examples of activism to have come into being since the turn of the twenty-first century and they represent a shift in how activism takes place now. These movements are simultaneously protests against a specific geopolitical situation and globally important cries for justice. They have learned from the activists who have gone before them, and they understand the place that intersectionality and solidarity must have in order for their activism to be credible. With a focus on the idea of political solidarity within these movements, this article discusses the extent to which each of them can be seen to have embraced it. Each movement is situated within its political and historical context to emphasise the ways that activism has changed in the last ten years and the impact this has had on our understanding of political solidarity as a result. The meaning of political solidarity has taken on a more nuanced meaning within an ever-shifting culture of protest and this article uses it as a key to understanding the place that feminism has in today’s protest movements.