Intersectionality

The Urgency of Intersectionality by Kimberle Crenshaw

“And we all know when there’s no name for a problem, you can’t see a problem. And when you can’t see a problem you pretty much can’t solve it."

I was blown away by Kimberlé Crenshaw’s introductory activity to “The Urgency of Intersectionality.” I knew where she was going the minute she asked the audience to stand and then sit, and I knew exactly when I would have sat down were I in the audience that day, before she even spoke a name. I feel ashamed, and I feel ashamed for feeling ashamed; I own as much of the information I do not have as the information that has not been force fed to me.

I believe teaching is an anti-racist act. I believe teaching is activism. It is, in the most simplistic terms, why I became a teacher: to act. If I believe in the importance of anti-racist teaching, I must educate myself beyond the limits of my news feed. One of the problems Crenshaw alludes to beyond a lack of identification for the unnamed is the lack of awareness for the very issues “we” claim to care about. The subtlety of Crenshaw’s intricately woven approach to naming the unnamed, such as intersectionality, and naming the unknown is almost coercive, which is exactly why her words and presentation are effective. That shame is no accident.

Crenshaw’s polished TED Talk is so much more than a presentation of “ideas worth spreading,” it is an exemplary teaching model. She begins with a hook and concludes with a demand for action. She exemplifies the art of an effective lesson and demonstrates what it means to be a career activist, the prowess of a master teacher. Crenshaw’s TED Talk should be included in teacher training programs for educators to analyze her teaching and presentation techniques, with the added benefit of highly relevant content.

Teaching at the Intersections by Monita Bell

“They don’t get to choose to think about their identities.”

I’m intrigued how easily subjective “intersectionality” has become. Bell offers, “Intersectionality refers to the social, economic and political ways in which identity-based systems of oppression and privilege connect, overlap and influence one another.” I have to admit my understanding of intersectionality was fairly limited before exploring some of these resources. Sure, I’ve had many conversations and trainings where intersectionality centralized the conversation, but I left with the more generalized understanding that everyone possesses multiple identities that are impossible to extrapolate from one another. I implicitly understood that individuals who possess multiple marginalized identities are doubly marginalized, but the reemergence and popularity of the word intersectionality has watered down its meaning, imposing a less critical lens due to its familiarity.

Exploring Identity and Intersectionality in Poetry PBS Newshour

“In the texts provided, by Audre Lorde and Danez Smith, both authors occupy multiple identity spaces.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche’s TED Talk “The Danger of a Single Story” is artfully parallel to Crenshaw’s content and technique. It’s also much more rich and accessible than the lesson plan offered by PBS Newshour. The lesson offers three poems from which to examine intersectionality but only two authors. Of all the mediums, poetry will prove the most painfully easy source of information to suit your topic, point of view, and objective. They really couldn’t find a third author to provide a different perspective on intersectionality? Adding Adiche’s “The Danger of a Single Story” to “Exploring Identity and Intersectionality in Poetry” could augment students’ understanding of intersectionality, which flows nicely into PBS’ lesson plan - with the addition of some other poets, say, Rupi Kaur, Yrsa Daley-Ward, or Clint Smith.