Rebecca Walker
A feminist thinker and writer who famously declared herself 'the Third Wave,' catalyzing a new, inclusive generation of activism in the early 1990s.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American writer·Birthday: November 17·Generation X
Biography
Rebecca Walker stepped onto the public stage not just as a writer, but as an architect of a new feminist consciousness. In 1992, as a 23-year-old, she penned a fiery article for Ms. magazine titled 'Becoming the Third Wave.' The piece was a manifesto for a generation feeling alienated by the perceived limitations of earlier feminist movements; it was personal, politically sharp, and unapologetically intersectional. With the declaration 'I am the Third Wave,' she provided a name and a rallying point for young women and men grappling with issues of identity, race, and sexuality. This foundational act shaped her path as an author and speaker focused on the complexities of modern life. Her memoirs, like 'Black, White, and Jewish,' explore multiracial identity with raw honesty, while her anthologies on motherhood and feminism continue to challenge and expand the conversation she helped redefine.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Rebecca was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rebecca Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rebecca's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Authored the seminal 1992 Ms. magazine article 'Becoming the Third Wave,' which coined and defined the term 'third-wave feminism.'
- Published the memoir 'Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self,' exploring her multiracial heritage.
- Founded the Third Wave Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting young women and transgender youth activists.
Did You Know?
She is the daughter of author Alice Walker and lawyer Mel Leventhal.
She was named one of Time magazine's 50 most influential future leaders in 1994.
Walker has taught at universities including UCLA, SUNY Stony Brook, and UC Berkeley.
“I am the Third Wave.”
