Intersectionality

Intersectionality is a theoretical and practical framework that is rooted in Black feminist thought, political and legal sociology, and grassroots activism. It examines the simultaneous and complex interacting effects of factors such as gender, race, class, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, and others as categories of difference, and the implications of these interactions on power dynamics and the inequalities that people face in their lifetimes. Intersectionality is also a counter-hegemonic praxis that seeks to challenge and displace hegemonic normative whiteness in the naming and legitimating of particular kinds of politics, policymaking, and knowledge production. Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw has been credited with coining the term ‘intersectionality’ in 1989. However, earlier kin conceptions can be traced to African American abolitionist and women’s rights activist Sojourner Truth ...