What is Intersectionality?

Intersectionality is a complement to identity politics that focuses on the power structures involving those who lie at an intersection of two different power groups. According to the theory by Kimberlé Crenshaw (1991), there are emergent properties of power that can only be explained by the intertwining of multiple power structures, not just by any one of them. If power structures are roads, then intersectionality is the theory of crossroads. Crenshaw uses the example of women of color with workplace discrimination. “Feminist efforts to politicize experiences of women and antiracist efforts to politicize experiences of people of color' have frequently proceeded as though the issues and experiences they each detail occur on mutually exclusive terrains.” Sexism and racism alone cannot wholly describe the experiences of women of color; instead, they must be combined. Intersectionality is a crucial part of understanding forms of oppression, but also empowerment. It accounts for the diverse experiences within an identity group.