Day 6 - Feb 18

Intersectionality

"Intersectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects. It’s not simply that there’s a race problem here, a gender problem here, and a class or LBGTQ problem there. Many times that framework erases what happens to people who are subject to all of these things. The other issue is that intersectionality can get used as a blanket term to mean, 'Well, it’s complicated.' Sometimes, 'It’s complicated' is an excuse not to do anything."

― Kimberlé Crenshaw

READ

LISTEN

Intersectionality Matters, Episode 9--Under the Blacklight: The Intersectional Vulnerabilities that COVID Lays Bare by Kimberlé Crenshaw

Coronavirus did not create the stark social, financial, and political inequalities that define life for so many Americans, but it has made them more strikingly visible than any moment in recent history. Unfortunately, some of the intersectional dimensions of these structural disparities remain undetected and unreported. (59:00)

NPR Code Switch: Claim Us If You're Famous

Kamala Harris is the vice president-elect, which marks an impressive list of firsts: woman in the White House; Black woman in the White House, Asian American in the White House; etc. Her Indian heritage has gotten much less attention than her Black identity, and in many ways, it has been complicated by her Black identity. On this episode, we look at what Harris's identities can tell us about dual-minority POCs, South Asian political representation in the U.S., and what it all means at the voting booth. (36:00)

NPR Code Switch: Is It Time To Say R.I.P. To 'POC'?

As it goes with language, even terms that have been created with the best of intentions can morph in meaning. So on this week's episode, we asked academics, writers and our listeners some big questions: What do we mean when we say "people of color"? Why do some of us identify with that term? Why does it annoy so many other people? Is it time to say R.I.P. to POC? And, if so, is BIPOC the new kid on the block? (38:00)

Breaking Green Ceilings, Episode 51: Decolonizing the Flower

What is does it mean to decolonize the flower? This is a movement that Edgar Xochitl tries to promote by cross-pollinating traditional ecological knowledge, queer politics, and indigenous philosophies to connect the dots between decolonial botany and queer liberation. In this week’s episode, Edgar discusses how he applies the philosophies of deconstructing the gender binary in botany through his work as a Farm Manager at Hummingbird Farm a collective farm in the Excelsior, San Francisco area in California. (1:10:49)

WATCH

What is Intersectionality? A Quick Intro

Kimberlé Crenshaw, a 2017 NAIS People of Color Conference speaker, civil rights advocate, and professor at UCLA School of Law and Columbia Law School, talks about intersectional theory, the study of how overlapping or intersecting social identities—and particularly minority identities—relate to systems and structures of discrimination. (2:00)

The Urgency of intersectionality TEDx by Kimberlé Crenshaw

Now more than ever, it's important to look boldly at the reality of race and gender bias -- and understand how the two can combine to create even more harm. Kimberlé Crenshaw uses the term "intersectionality" to describe this phenomenon; as she says, if you're standing in the path of multiple forms of exclusion, you're likely to get hit by both. In this moving talk, she calls on us to bear witness to this reality and speak up for victims of prejudice. (18:30)

How the Rights of the Few Will Help the Many TEDx by Fahad Saeed

Why does it make sense to use complicated acronyms, symbols and words to describe who we are as people? If we are all merely human beings, why does the LGBT-community insist on using complicated pronouns and acronyms that sets them apart? In this TedxTalk, activist and diversity trainer, Fahad Saeed, will explain why it makes sense to use inclusive language, why minority rights should concern the heterosexual majority and how words that can seem complex, can help set you free as well. (16:00)

Black Feminism and the Movement for Black Lives

Black Feminism remains a foundational theory and practice guiding social justice movements for Black lives. Black Feminism challenges us to act on the inextricable connections of sexism, class oppression, racism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia. As the contemporary Movement for Black Lives has invigorated resistance to racism and structural violence, this panel with Charlene Carruthers, Reina Gossett and Barbara Smith reflects on ways that Black Feminism shapes and informs the current struggles and successes. (50:48)

EXTRAS

ACTION

Name the last three books you've read, shows/movies you've watched, and social media platforms you've visited. What are the intersectional identities of the authors, actors, characters, or people involved? (you might need to look things up to check!)

56 × 90 in | 142.2 × 228.6 cm

REFLECTION FOR THE DAY

Are there some intersectional identities that you understand more than others? Have you considered:

-White and ethnicity/religion?

-Black Latinx and woman (or Asian/ woman, Indigenous/woman)?

-Black and Indigenous? (or Asian/Indigenous and White/Indigenous)

-White and disabled?

How are they the same or different within each bullet point above?

After today's challenge work:

Did you have any ‘a-ha’ moment?

Did you feel any discomfort?

What will you do differently based on your challenge today?

Today

Final Reflection

Report a Broken Link

Suggestions for Future Content