Intersectionality and why it’s an imperative part of activism
Intersectionality, though an imperative part of activism and civic work, is sometimes a difficult concept for activists to reconcile, especially white activists because it necessitates the acknowledgment of privilege. As defined by Oxford Languages, intersectionality is the “interconnected nature of social categorizations, such as race, class, and gender.” It is with this word, intersectionality, that brought Alice Walker to create womanism, and later Kimberlé Crenshaw with intersectional feminism.
The fight for social justice is now at a fever pitch, which was ignited by the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. The rallying cry, “Black Lives Matter,” was originally coined in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the police officer who murdered Trayvon Martin. Neither of these women dismissed the validity of other lives, so why is this a point of contention when Black Americans are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police compared to their white counterparts? There are a number of folks who would consider themselves left-leaning politically, yet they remark “All Lives Matter,” or use their own experiences with discrimination as a way of dismissal.
But What is Intersectionality?
Intersectionality encompasses more than just the intersections of race and gender. A few items listed on the International Women’s Development Agency, or IWDA, are “race, education, class, sexuality, language, age, culture, ethnicity, gender, and ability.” Civil rights advocate, Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, coined the term in 1989 when she realized race and gender were analyzed separately. However, she concluded that studying each as separate entities doesn’t encompass the experiences of folks who fall under both categories, such as women of color. The purpose of intersectionality, and how it ties to politics and feminism, is to acknowledge how a person’s life experiences are affected by one’s myriad of identities. With this framework, it brings to light the “compounding forms of discrimination,” particularly endured by Black, Indigenous, and women of color. Additionally, while there are layers of intersecting privilege and oppression, there isn’t a hierarchy of oppression. The comparison of ‘suffering’ detracts momentum from movements. For example, the folks who argue “All Lives Matter” because they also experience discrimination don’t realize we all (should) have the same goal: dismantling white supremacy.
One of the more ‘invisible’ effects of intersectionality is class. Black, Indigenous, and people of color have all experienced discrimination or microaggressions regarding race, but wealth is a major factor to consider as well. Black feminist thinker and writer, Lutze Segu, or @socialjusticedoula on Instagram, broke down how to internally reflect class analysis into a series of questions. As recently posted on her Instagram, she encourages the BIPOC community to consider questions such as: how one colludes with white supremacy and settler colonialism because of class privilege, to deeply reflect if one is fighting against anti-capitalism, and how class privilege informs one’s politics, among others to encourage critical thinking.
However, as previously mentioned, it can be difficult for white activists to reckon with intersectionality because it also brings to light privileges they experience from their other identities. For example, a gay, white man may and can experience prejudice due to his sexuality. However, he has privilege in our white, patriarchal supremacist society as a white man. This isn’t to say that he doesn’t experience prejudice, but rather, that his race and gender will never be a source of discrimination.
We need to keep this outlook in mind in our activism as to not speak over others’ voices, especially within the Black Lives Matter movement. In an article by American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), white writer, Vonn New, provides nuanced tips on how white and non-Black activists and protestors can assist, but not take over, Black-led demonstrations. New applies intersectionality to themselves, pre-empting their article by stating: “As a queer, gender-queer person, I know about some forms of oppression, but I didn’t want my own unconscious racism, entitlement, and unexamined privilege to perpetuate the pathology and systems we were there to protest.”
If we refuse to incorporate intersectionality in our movements, we weaken it and change its goals. This is perfectly stated by Francesca Willow, the author of the blog Ethical Unicorn: Sustainable Living and Social Justice, when explaining “why white feminism sucks.” Without intersectionality, folks feel “completely excluded” from these movements. The goals of movements without intersectionality then become skewed “to only help white, cis, and straight people.” Willow concludes: “Activists may think they’re moving towards important social change, but they’re really only creating progress for a very small, very limited number of people.”
Currently, activists are intent on bringing more attention to Breonna Taylor with the campaign, #SayHerName, which hopes to bring awareness to the names and stories of Black women and girls who were victims of racist police brutality. While it’s nationally known that Ms. Taylor was murdered in her sleep by Louisville Metro Police Department officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove, not much change has occurred with obtaining justice for her family while action was taken towards the accomplices and murderer of George Floyd ten weeks after his death, as reported by Vox.
We must be receptive to the concerns of Black people. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, activism has taken to social media, which is a good starting point with learning and communicating with others about these movements. A graphic by the account, Attn: White People, states, “get comfortable saying: thanks for correcting me, I hadn’t thought of it like that, I was wrong about that, and I should do some more research before I argue this point.” This is important to keep in mind as you begin participating in these movements. While we definitely aren’t perfect, we always have to take accountability for when someone calls us out on our privilege.
We can only overthrow embedded racism in our government and social structures if we learn from and respect each other. This is community work, and as good citizens, we must continue to correct the biases within ourselves and let each other speak.
During the United Farm Workers movement, a saying was created to symbolize the solidarity between Latino/a/x and Filipinx/a/o farmworkers. It’s in Tagalog, one of the many languages of the Philippines, and it means: if one falls, we all fall. I feel this is still true today. We must work together. We’re not free until we’re all free.
If one falls, we all fall; isang bagsak.
Keana Aguila Labra (she/her) is an INFJ, bisexual Virgo who resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. She examines literature & media through a cultural and feminist lens with poetry, prose, articles, and CNF essays. Knowing the importance of representation, her work is evidence that Filipinx Americans are present in the literary world. Her book reviews may be found on Medium: @keanalabra.
This article was edited by EIC Kailah Figueroa
Copyedited by Tah Ai Jia