The Women’s Center held a discussion Tuesday about black feminism led by women’s and gender studies assistant professor Treva Lindsey.

“The underlying identity of black feminism is equality,” Lindsey said during the discussion.

Though feminism is defined as the empowerment of women and belief in women’s rights, black feminism is grounded in the belief in the equality of black women, Lindsey said. This definition of black feminism is contrary to the typical denotation of feminism.

Feminism implicates whiteness, Lindsey said. The group defined stereotypes associated with feminism, such as the notion of bra-burning, hairy, men-hating women.

Black feminism has been connected to modern events and people. Black feminists critiqued Occupy Wall Street because the impact of unemployment had hit the white population in ways that had affected black women in previous years, Lindsey said.

“Disparity only mattered when white bodies were affected,” Lindsey said.

Lindsey used MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry as an example of a black feminist. Perry has said on her show that she is a black feminist, and she routinely discusses issues that affect black women.

Lindsey said Harris-Perry makes black feminism accessible.

“We have the history to back up the tradition of black feminism,” she said.

Black feminism developed when African women were brought to the U.S. as slaves. The movement began when women sought freedom and control of their bodies. Despite the Emancipation Proclamation and the “separate but equal” stance of Jim Crow laws, black women were still treated as slaves.

An African-American female was either black or a woman, but not both, Lindsey said. Race, class and gender had to be considered when distinguishing black women from white women. This ideology remains today, Lindsey said.

“The idea that we move through this world as many things is not new,” Lindsey said.

Lindsey said the role of black women is ingrained in the lexicon of others, leading to racial slurs against black women.

“Black feminism pushes us to critically think about the ways we are affected,” she said.

Audience members participated during the discussion.

“My first thought is I’m a feminist, I’m 58 and I’m so happy that young women are reclaiming the moniker of feminism because I thought it had been lost,” Ph.D. candidate Monica Hand said.

The discussion helped give black women a voice, senior Jasmin James said.

“In history, we as black women were not included in the conversations about race and gender,” she said. “We are finally not only in the conversations, but having them as well, and I think that’s what’s important.”