Critical Race Feminist Theory

Critical race feminism (CRF) poses two central questions. First, what is the legal status of women of color, whether they are minorities within the United States or Europe or part of majority cultures in the developing world? Second, what can this focused theoretical framework do beneficially to affect their plight? These queries are driven by the fact that women of color are disproportionately mired at the bottom of society—economically, socially, and politically—no matter what country they call their own.

Women of color, across nationalities and countries, often fall between the cracks, becoming voiceless and invisible, literally and figuratively. So-called neutral laws, or solely race-based or gender-based initiatives, do not generally give them voice or visibility. CRF attempts to theorize about ways in which existing national and ...