The Importance of Intersectionality
“If we aren’t intersectional, some of us, the most vulnerable, are going to fall through the cracks” - Kimberlé Crenshaw, American legal academic, civil rights advocate, and critical race theory scholar
There are several minority communities currently facing discrimination at a systemic level, but not enough focus is placed on the fact that many of these communities overlap. By focusing on the differences between the communities and their unique struggles, we are creating a wider gap and making people choose where to position their concern.
The concept of intersectionality was originally designed by and for lawyers arguing discrimination cases. This provides important context for its use today - people rarely experience oppression of a single factor, and the term “intersectionality” helps us to understand and address that. An example of a case of intersectional discrimination is 1976’s DeGraffenreid v. GENERAL MOTORS in which a black woman felt she was being discriminated against being hired for a job based on these two intersecting factors (i.e. being black and being a woman). The employer argued that she could not have been discriminated against on the basis of race since the company hired black people (black men). They also argued that she could not have been discriminated against for her gender since the company hired women (white women). The courts did not consider that Black women were being targeted because they were both Black and female. They instead said the lawsuit must be viewed for “race discrimination, sex discrimination, or alternatively either, not a combination of both.” The plaintiffs were not allowed to “combine statutory remedies.” The five auto workers were told to choose between being Black or being women, while in reality, their experiences were shaped by both identities.
Race, gender, social class, sexuality, ability, and age are all interrelated – they all shape one another. These identities are part of what shapes a person’s life, and trying to talk about them separately does a disservice to all these factors. The human journey is as complex as a kaleidoscope, and when we stop looking at social justice through a single lens at a time, we can begin to make real progress. Kory Stamper wrote that when words meant for a specific purpose enter the mainstream, they can get “a little flabby: their sharply delineated corners blur a bit as the word is passed down a long line of speakers.” This serves as a warning to remind us that the term “intersectionality” is not just a shorthand word for “it’s complicated”.
So how do we become more intersectional as a community? The first part is listening – listen to people with different lived experiences and take what they’re saying into account. Making spaces accessible – both physically and emotionally – is an important part of bringing intersecting communities together. If you’re not sure where to start to make your space accessible, refer to the “listening to people” step. Educating yourself can seem really overwhelming right now, but it’s not an excuse to turn a blind eye to the discrimination members of your community are facing.