Many women simply don’t see themselves reflected in Clinton. While most second-wave feminists know her long record of women’s rights advocacy and want to see a female commander-in-chief in their lifetimes, younger feminists are more concerned with a movement that includes women from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.
“I’m sure for a certain class of women [Hillary Clinton] is perfect,” says Changa, who has lived in Harlem and Chicago’s South Side and was a single mom throughout college. “But there are a lot of issues that affect low-income women, immigrant women and women of color that her brand of doing things is not going to address.”
Changa feels Sanders’ campaign for free tuition, a $15 minimum wage and Wall Street corruption tackles the roots of poverty – an issue that disproportionately affects women – better than Clinton’s platform. Changa is not moved by “historical firsts”, especially since she doesn’t think Obama’s presidency improved black people’s lives.
“Yay, I get to look at someone who looks like me,” Changa says of his victory, “but what does that mean when my life chances aren’t directly affected?”
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