Intersectionality is the idea that multiple forms of inequalities and disadvantages compound themselves to create obstacles that are not always understood. Today, intersectionality is a widely used and recognized term. However, many do not realize that Kimberlé Crenshaw, a renowned law professor, and Columbia and UCLA, coined the term in 1989. Kimberlé coined the term to describe the way people’s social identities can overlap. Though it took a while for the concept of intersectionality to gain traction, now that more people are beginning to recognize and understand intersectionality, we can make a change.
When I think of intersectionality, I think of a weighted blanket. The heavier a weighted blanket is, the more difficult it is for someone to hold it and stand up. Similarly, the more inequalities and disadvantages a person is exposed to, the harder it may be to overcome daily challenges.
Intersectionality is an important concept because it recognizes that a person is not defined by one identity. Instead, people may have multiple identities, each of which can influence how they interact with the world. For example, a White woman has a different experience than a Black woman in the face of patriarchy. Though being a woman is challenging in a patriarchal world, being a White woman is different from being a Black woman. In addition to gender stereotypes, Black women encounter more race stereotypes that make it more challenging. Here we can see that how we interact with the world is not just defined by race or gender but also by both.
So, what now? What we can do is refrain from thinking about people one-dimensional and think about how the convergence of different stereotypes – such as gender and race stereotypes – can play out in places like the classroom. Then, once we understand intersectionality, we should intervene, support, and provide people with equal opportunities. When people understand intersectionality and commit to making change, our world could drastically change for the better.
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