Day 4: What is Intersectionality?
Did you know that some people face multiple layers of inequality at the same time? Do you know why a small difference in identities can lead to different lived experiences for individuals? That’s where understanding intersectionality can help you understand why things happen to certain people and groups better. This powerful concept can help us understand and address the complexities of discrimination and privilege.
What is Intersectionality?
Intersectionality is a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989. It explains how different aspects of a person’s identity—like race, gender, class, sexuality, or disability—combine to create unique experiences of privilege or oppression.
It’s not just about adding up forms of discrimination; it’s about understanding how they overlap and create unique challenges.
For example:
A Black woman doesn’t just face racism or sexism separately—she faces both at the same time, in a way that’s different from Black men or white women.
A disabled LGBTQ+ person might face ableism, homophobia, and other biases all at once.
Why Does It Matter?
Ignoring intersectionality can leave people behind. Policies or movements that focus only on one issue, like gender equality, might fail to address how race or class impacts that issue for certain groups. Intersectionality ensures that we fight for justice for everyone, not just the majority within a marginalized group. Effective organizing means focusing on the policies and procedures that will most benefit those members of a specific group who stand at the most disaffected intersections of identity because, while these policies will still benefit everyone, they will lead to significant equitable change for the most marginalized of us.
