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Rebecca Walker in "Becoming the Third Wave," calls women of her generation to action in what she describes as the "third wave." She was inspired and angered by what event?

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Final answer:

Rebecca Walker called her generation to action in the 'third wave' of feminism, which focuses on individualist self-definition and more inclusivity than previous waves, such as the 'second wave' led by Betty Friedan. The exact triggering event of the third wave is ambiguous.

Step-by-step explanation:

Rebecca Walker, coining the term "Third Wave," was inspired to act by various social injustices and a desire to move beyond the constraints of previous feminist movements. Unlike the second wave of feminism, which focused on legal and economic equality popularized by activists like Betty Friedan, the third wave emphasizes individualism and diversity. This generation seeks to allow women to define what gender justice and feminism means to them, without being limited to a single feminist ideal or constrained by the expectations of race, ethnicity, and social class. This inclusivity and push for self-definition led to challenges in pinpointing the exact moment or event that sparked the third wave. However, Walker and other feminist writers, such as bell hooks, heavily criticize the prior movements for their lack of inclusivity and the propagation of a universal feminist ideal that often centered on white, middle-class experiences.

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