GRSJ224/Intersectionalfeminism

Intersectional Feminism

Intersectional feminism is a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw nearly three decades ago to “highlight the multiple avenues through which racial and gender oppression were experienced so that the problems would be easier to discuss and understand”. Crenshaw began the movement of intersectional feminism as she noticed the significant legal issues women of color faced during her time working as a legal attorney. Once she recognized that there were acts of discrimination against women and against people of black ethnicity such as was the case in the 1967 legal case of DeGraffenreid V General motors, where black men could work the floor and white women could work reception, black women had no opportunity for work and faced discrimination for both their gender and ethnicity. She created the term intersectional feminism to highlight the overlapping systems of oppression someone such as a black woman would face.

Definition

Intersectional feminism can be best defined as “the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage”. Intersectional feminism works to display the experiences women from all backgrounds face instead of the stereotypical “white feminism” we generally have the most exposure to. For example, women’s studies and feminist theory are mainly spoken or written about by white feminist, thus eliminating the perspectives of women of color, transgender women, etc.

The Wage Gap

The wage gap is one of the most prime examples for the exclusion of minority feminist group’s experiences in the public eye. The wage gap is most commonly defined by the fact that women make 78 cents for every dollar a man makes. However, this is a misleading statistic because it only applies to white women, not all women. In fact, black women make 64 cents and Hispanic women make 56 cents for every dollar a white man earns. Thus, the wage gap would be an example of “white feminism” seeing as how it only brings into perspective the discrimination and difficulties a white woman would face while overshadowing the struggles of minority feminist groups such as women of color and the LGBTQ community. The term intersectional feminism combats white feminism in a way because it removes white feminisms ability to overlook/overshadow the experiences of minority groups, intersectional feminism considers the overlapping discriminations one would face based on numerous axes such as sexual orientation, ethnicity, income and much more, not just gender.

Intersectional vs. White Feminism

Intersectional feminism Vs. white feminism can be found in the celebrity example of the Nikki Minaj vs Taylor swift debacle. Minaj publicly spoke about her disappointment in not being nominated for video of the year and attributed this lack of nomination to the fact that most nominated music videos only had white, slender-bodied women in the videos. Swift decided to take Nikki’s comments personally (Swift is a white, slender-bodied woman) and shamed Nikki for pitting Woman Vs. Woman. This celebrity feud clearly demonstrates the need for intersectional feminism, Swift’s decision to lump sum all women into one category regardless of other factors would have overlooked the fact that white, slender-bodied women do in fact get video of the year nominations more than other women. Intersectional feminism highlights the fact that Nikki would be on even playing ground as a woman, but still be discriminated against because of her ethnicity and body-type.

Practicing Intersectional Feminism

To become an intersectional feminist, Laci Green and Franchesca Ramsey (Popular internet feminists) summarize three steps in achieving intersectional feminism. First one must examine their own privilege, that is to determine all the things that would not be the basis of discrimination and may even give them an advantage such as being white, able-bodied, rich, straight and so forth. Second, would be to just simply listen to each other, which is to consider the thoughts and experiences of women who are facing issues that you are not. Lastly, to just practice feminism through a broader and more inclusive lens, in doing so you will unite women across all borders and stereotypes without erasing the specific discriminations they face.

Summary

In summary, intersectional feminism began as a movement designed to highlight the discrimination and overlapping issues black women faced in political, social and legal settings. However, once the term creator Crenshaw recognized the importance of validating the issues of all women and preventing the erasure that was occurring with white feminism intersectional feminism gained traction as a movement that could truly support the specific issues minority groups were facing. Intersectional feminism recognizes that a woman can face oppression and discrimination from numerous fronts at the same time based on gender, income, sexual orientation and so forth. The creation of intersectional feminism combats white feminism and truly grasps the unification and equality that the basis of feminism seeks to achieve.

Aries, Emilie. “The Imperative Of Intersectional Feminism.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 30 Aug. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/emiliearies/2017/08/30/the-imperative-of-intersectional-feminism/#4ec88fc91914.

Carastathis, Anna. “The Concept of Intersectionality in Feminist Theory.” Philosophy Compass, www.academia.edu/4894646/The_Concept_of_Intersectionality_in_Feminist_Theory.

Dastagir, Alia E. “What Is Intersectional Feminism? A Look at the Term You May Be Hearing a Lot.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 25 Jan. 2017, www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/01/19/feminism-intersectionality-racism-sexism-class/96633750/.

Denison University. “What Is ‘Intersectional Feminism’?” Denison University, denison.edu/academics/womens-gender-studies/feature/67969.

DiBlasi, Loren. “Meet 8 Badass Feminists You Should Know On 'Decoded'.” MTV News, 15 Aug. 2015, www.mtv.com/news/2241534/decoded-badass-feminists-you-should-know/.

Miller, Hayley. “Kimberlé Crenshaw Explains The Power Of Intersectional Feminism In 1 Minute.” HuffPost Canada, HuffPost Canada, 11 Aug. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/kimberle-crenshaw-intersectional-feminism_us_598de38de4b090964296a34d.