Issma Clark
Introduction
SNHU
Professor Laurie Sprankle
01/19/2025
I chose to do my project on a broad topic: intersectionality, it took me a little while on
what to talk about but after some more research I found out what intersectionality really talks
about. “Intersectionality examines how identities like gender, ethnicity, and sexuality impact
access to opportunities and privileges. The theory, introduced in 1989, applies to various areas
such as employment, housing, and healthcare”. The concept dates to 1851 when Sojourner Truth
highlighted the hypocrisy in women's rights, noting it often only addressed white women.
Intersectionality is not limited to African American women but includes all women, advocating
for equal treatment regardless of race, gender, or social status. Intersectionality can be improved
once we understand that we all should be treated equal and when one acknowledges they're
wrong then they can improve their behavior.
Kimberlé Crenshaw popularized the term in 1989 by discussing the unique experiences of
black women through the lens of intersectionality. “To explain black female experiences, she
used the metaphor of traffic ‘intersections’: Intersectionality is what occurs when a woman from
a minority group tries to navigate the main crossing in the city. The main highway is ‘racism
road’. One intersection might be Colonialism Street, then Patriarchy Street… .. She has to deal
not only with one form of oppression but with all forms, which link together to make a double, a
triple, multiple, a many layered blanket of oppression” (NCCJ, 2024). It was in 1991, when
Kimbrele’ wrote “Mapping the Margins; Intersectionality, Identity, Politics and Violence against
Women of Color.” “The article talks about the critical race theory with an understanding on how
to provide a better understanding of antiracist and feminine discourse, she explained how people
who are “both women and people of color” are marginalized by “discourses that are shaped to
respond to one [identity] or the other,” rather than both’” (Time, 2019). She also points out that
mainstream feminism is centered on white women also while mainstream feminism focuses on
the inequality of black men. Though intersectionality is not all about black women,
intersectionality can be bought under control once we all realize that all people should be treated
equally despite race, gender or social climate, which prevents social interaction and provides
those with a chance to acknowledge what they may be doing wrong and offer them a better
understanding and help create a better future.
Black women are highly impacted by both racism and sexism and neither of the social
justice movements cater to the unique needs and experiences at work. One major movement the
Feminist Freedom Warriors Project at Sycruse University “the brainchild of transnational
feminist scholars Linda E. Carty and Chandra Talpade Mohanty”. “Feminist Freedom Warriors
is a project about cross-generation histories of feminist activism,” its founders, Carty and
Mohanty, said in an email, “addressing economic, anti-racist, social justice issues across national
borders” (Time, 2019).
Kimberle’ also explains through the civil cases she has examined that the specific
discriminations suffered by black women are not recognized by the American courts for example
the DeGraffenreid v. General Motors case in 1976. General Motors would not employ Black
women before 1964, the year the Civil Rights Act was passed in the United States. In 1970, the
company dismissed all black women hired after this date within the framework of the seniority
system. The case was dissmed with the ruling that GM did not discriminate against black women
because they employed black men and white women also.
“ In education, analyses with an intersectional lens have the potential to lead to better
tailored and more effective policies and interventions related to participation, learning outcomes,
students’ attitudes towards the future, identification of needs, and socio-emotional well-being.
Consequently, as elaborated in this paper, some countries have adjusted their policies in the areas
of governance, resourcing, developing capacity, promoting school-level interventions and
monitoring, to account for intersectionality. Gaps and challenges related to intersectional
approaches are also highlighted” (Schadt).
References
Black feminism: Intersectionality in gender struggles • CSR education. CSR Education.
(2024, May 22). [Link]
gender-struggles/
Coleman, A. L. (2019, March 29). What is intersectionality? A brief history of the theory.
Time. [Link]
DeGraffenreid v. General Motors Assembly Div., etc., 413 F. supp. 142 (E.D. Mo. 1976).
Justia Law. (n.d.). [Link]
Kimberle W. Crenshaw. Columbia Law School. (2023, July 1).
[Link]
Intersectionality. NCCJ. (2024a, January 12). [Link]
Microsoft. (n.d.). Bing. [Link]
%2Bmachine&cvid=d203e2b4cd9a4172a404761293a73109&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGD
kyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQABhAMgYIAhAAGEAyBggDEAAYQDIGCAQQABhAMgYIBRA
AGEAyBggGEAAYQDIGCAcQABhAMgYICBAAGEDSAQg0OTM3ajBqMagCCLACAQ&F
ORM=ANNTA1&PC=HCTS
Microsoft. (n.d.-a). Bing. [Link]
%2Bis%2Bintersectionality%2Bin
%2Bfeminism&mid=F9E05F084A3860DAB4B1F9E05F084A3860DAB4B1&FORM=VIRE
Steinmetz, K. (2020, February 20). Kimberlé Crenshaw on what intersectionality means
today. Time. [Link]
Schadt, S. (2021, February 12). Recognizing identity and intersectionality in the
classroom. Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
[Link]
intersectionality-in-the-classroom/